Best chess openings for Black
Lines where Black makes the last move — the defences and replies Black can choose — ranked by Black's score: wins plus half the draws. Only lines played in at least a million games are ranked.
| # | Opening | Moves | Games | White / Draw / Black | Black score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B01 Scandinavian Defense: Panov Transfer | 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. c4 c6 |
2.7M | 43 / 5 / 52 | 54.6% |
| 2 | B01 Scandinavian Defense: Icelandic-Palme Gambit | 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. c4 e6 |
2.4M | 44 / 4 / 52 | 53.9% |
| 3 | B02 Alekhine Defense: Scandinavian Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 |
4.5M | 44 / 6 / 51 | 53.5% |
| 4 | B01 Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit | 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Bg4 |
1.2M | 44 / 5 / 51 | 53.5% |
| 5 | C40 Elephant Gambit: Paulsen Countergambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d5 3. exd5 e4 |
3.2M | 45 / 4 / 51 | 53.4% |
| 6 | B40 Sicilian Defense: French Variation, Normal | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4… |
3.8M | 44 / 5 / 51 | 53.3% |
| 7 | C63 Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5 |
1.7M | 44 / 5 / 51 | 53.0% |
| 8 | C02 French Defense: Advance Variation, Euwe Variation | 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6… |
2.5M | 45 / 5 / 51 | 53.0% |
| 9 | A57 Benko Gambit | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 |
4.2M | 44 / 6 / 50 | 53.0% |
| 10 | B41 Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 |
7.2M | 45 / 5 / 50 | 52.9% |
| 11 | B45 Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4… |
3.9M | 45 / 6 / 50 | 52.7% |
| 12 | B47 Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4… |
1.1M | 45 / 6 / 50 | 52.7% |
| 13 | C45 Scotch Game: Classical Variation, Intermezzo Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4… |
1.1M | 45 / 5 / 50 | 52.7% |
| 14 | C02 French Defense: Advance Variation | 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 |
22.9M | 45 / 5 / 50 | 52.7% |
| 15 | A41 Rat Defense: English Rat | 1. d4 d6 2. c4 e5 |
1.5M | 44 / 7 / 49 | 52.6% |
| 16 | B12 Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Botvinnik-Carls Defense | 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 |
5.8M | 45 / 5 / 50 | 52.6% |
| 17 | C31 King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Staunton Line | 1. e4 e5 2. f4 d5 3. exd5 e4 |
1.8M | 46 / 4 / 50 | 52.2% |
| 18 | C50 Italian Game: Rousseau Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 f5 |
2.5M | 46 / 3 / 50 | 52.1% |
| 19 | A56 Benoni Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 |
9.8M | 45 / 6 / 49 | 52.0% |
| 20 | B21 Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Alapin Formation | 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 Nf6 |
1.1M | 45 / 6 / 49 | 51.8% |
| 21 | C41 Philidor Defense: Lion Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nbd7 |
1.5M | 46 / 5 / 49 | 51.7% |
| 22 | A57 Benko Gambit Accepted | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6 |
2.3M | 45 / 6 / 49 | 51.7% |
| 23 | B40 Sicilian Defense: French Variation, Open | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 |
20.5M | 46 / 5 / 49 | 51.6% |
| 24 | B29 Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 |
1.5M | 46 / 5 / 49 | 51.4% |
| 25 | C31 King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit | 1. e4 e5 2. f4 d5 |
6.2M | 47 / 4 / 49 | 51.3% |
| 26 | B70 Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4… |
6.1M | 46 / 5 / 49 | 51.3% |
| 27 | B02 Alekhine Defense | 1. e4 Nf6 |
28.2M | 46 / 5 / 49 | 51.2% |
| 28 | C40 Elephant Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d5 |
7.7M | 47 / 4 / 49 | 51.1% |
| 29 | B02 Alekhine Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Geschev Gambit | 1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. exd5 c6 |
1.1M | 47 / 4 / 49 | 51.1% |
| 30 | B01 Scandinavian Defense: Main Line, Mieses Variation | 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4… |
3M | 47 / 5 / 49 | 51.0% |
| 31 | C57 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5… |
1.3M | 47 / 3 / 49 | 51.0% |
| 32 | B40 Sicilian Defense: French Variation | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 |
39.5M | 47 / 5 / 49 | 51.0% |
| 33 | B27 Sicilian Defense: Hyperaccelerated Pterodactyl | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 Bg7 |
1.9M | 47 / 5 / 49 | 51.0% |
| 34 | B11 Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights Attack, Mindeno Variation | 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 |
1.7M | 46 / 6 / 48 | 51.0% |
| 35 | B02 Alekhine Defense: Normal Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 |
14.7M | 47 / 5 / 48 | 51.0% |
| 36 | B27 Sicilian Defense: Hyperaccelerated Dragon | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 |
10.3M | 46 / 5 / 48 | 51.0% |
| 37 | A00 Mieses Opening: Reversed Rat | 1. d3 e5 |
2.4M | 47 / 4 / 49 | 50.8% |
| 38 | B01 Scandinavian Defense: Modern Variation | 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 |
27.7M | 47 / 5 / 48 | 50.8% |
| 39 | C42 Petrov's Defense: Stafford Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nc6 |
4.6M | 47 / 4 / 49 | 50.8% |
| 40 | B01 Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne-Kloosterboer Gambit | 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 c6 |
5.1M | 47 / 4 / 49 | 50.7% |
| 41 | A46 Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian | 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c5 |
3.3M | 46 / 6 / 48 | 50.7% |
| 42 | B28 Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 |
4.7M | 47 / 5 / 48 | 50.7% |
| 43 | B32 Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4… |
9M | 47 / 5 / 48 | 50.6% |
| 44 | D80 Grünfeld Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 |
6.3M | 46 / 7 / 47 | 50.6% |
| 45 | A02 Bird Opening: From's Gambit | 1. f4 e5 |
2.9M | 47 / 4 / 49 | 50.6% |
| 46 | B22 Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Smith-Morra Declined | 1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. d4 cxd4 |
2.2M | 46 / 6 / 47 | 50.6% |
| 47 | D85 Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5… |
2.7M | 46 / 7 / 47 | 50.6% |
| 48 | B01 Scandinavian Defense: Main Line | 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 |
17.8M | 47 / 5 / 48 | 50.6% |
| 49 | C58 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5… |
4.5M | 48 / 4 / 49 | 50.5% |
| 50 | C31 King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Modern Transfer | 1. e4 e5 2. f4 d5 3. exd5 exf4 |
1.4M | 47 / 4 / 48 | 50.5% |
Numbers: rated blitz, rapid and classical games on Lichess between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer as cached by this site; a line's numbers are refreshed once they are a week old. Each name appears once, as its most-played line. At this level, sharp lines in which a natural-looking reply goes wrong score highest — a high score says how a line does in practice, not that it is objectively best.