Benko Gambit Accepted

It is reached after 8 moves: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6.

White is to move and has 32 legal moves. Over the next four moves — two for each side — the game can branch into 559,999 different games. Those games reach 196,358 different positions: most positions can be reached in more than one way, 2.9 on average.

The Lichess opening list names 15 further lines after this position, such as Fully Accepted Variation (5. bxa6) and Benko Gambit, Zaitsev System (5. Nc3).

The same moves can be played in 56 different legal orders that all reach this position. For example 1. c4 Nf6 2. d4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6, which starts as the English Opening.