Best chess openings for Black in master games
Lines where Black makes the last move, ranked by Black's score — wins plus half the draws — in over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ (the Lichess masters database). Among the 500 most-played lines, those reached in at least 300 games at this level.
| # | Opening | Moves | Games | White / Draw / Black | Black score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B21 Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted | 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 |
1,528 | 23 / 41 / 36 | 56.4% |
| 2 | C33 King's Gambit Accepted | 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 |
3,315 | 26 / 37 / 36 | 54.9% |
| 3 | A03 Bird Opening: Dutch Variation | 1. f4 d5 |
3,556 | 25 / 41 / 33 | 54.0% |
| 4 | C21 Center Game Accepted | 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 |
1,780 | 30 / 36 / 34 | 52.3% |
| 5 | B13 Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation | 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Nf3… |
467 | 29 / 39 / 32 | 51.6% |
| 6 | A01 Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation | 1. b3 e5 |
4,987 | 31 / 40 / 29 | 49.0% |
| 7 | B23 Sicilian Defense: Closed, Traditional | 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 |
26K | 31 / 41 / 28 | 48.7% |
| 8 | C50 Four Knights Game: Italian Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Nc3… |
482 | 23 / 57 / 20 | 48.7% |
| 9 | C26 Vienna Game: Falkbeer Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 |
6,551 | 29 / 45 / 26 | 48.3% |
| 10 | C47 Four Knights Game | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 |
17K | 27 / 50 / 23 | 48.2% |
| 11 | D31 Semi-Slav Defense: Accelerated Move Order | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 |
13K | 31 / 43 / 26 | 47.8% |
| 12 | C25 Vienna Game: Max Lange Defense | 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 |
1,976 | 33 / 40 / 28 | 47.6% |
| 13 | C44 Scotch Game | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 |
23K | 30 / 46 / 25 | 47.6% |
| 14 | E20 Nimzo-Indian Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 |
88K | 29 / 47 / 24 | 47.5% |
| 15 | C50 Italian Game: Giuoco Piano | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 |
26K | 27 / 50 / 22 | 47.4% |
| 16 | B90 Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4… |
127K | 27 / 51 / 22 | 47.4% |
| 17 | C54 Italian Game: Classical Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 |
13K | 26 / 53 / 21 | 47.4% |
| 18 | B06 Modern Defense | 1. e4 g6 |
35K | 36 / 33 / 31 | 47.2% |
| 19 | A22 English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation | 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 |
25K | 26 / 54 / 20 | 47.2% |
| 20 | B44 Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4… |
35K | 33 / 40 / 27 | 47.2% |
| 21 | B20 Sicilian Defense | 1. e4 c5 |
601K | 31 / 43 / 26 | 47.2% |
| 22 | B32 Sicilian Defense: Open | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 |
78K | 30 / 45 / 24 | 47.1% |
| 23 | A20 English Opening: King's English Variation | 1. c4 e5 |
50K | 29 / 48 / 23 | 47.0% |
| 24 | B50 Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 |
231K | 30 / 46 / 24 | 47.0% |
| 25 | B40 Sicilian Defense: French Variation | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 |
115K | 34 / 37 / 28 | 47.0% |
| 26 | A04 Zukertort Opening: Sicilian Invitation | 1. Nf3 c5 |
33K | 31 / 44 / 25 | 46.8% |
| 27 | B40 Sicilian Defense: French Variation, Open | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 |
83K | 35 / 37 / 28 | 46.7% |
| 28 | D02 Queen's Pawn Game: Symmetrical Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 |
73K | 28 / 51 / 21 | 46.6% |
| 29 | B54 Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Main Line | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4… |
172K | 30 / 47 / 23 | 46.6% |
| 30 | C55 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 |
21K | 31 / 44 / 25 | 46.6% |
Numbers: the Lichess masters database — over-the-board games between players rated 2200 and up — fetched for the 500 most-played lines and refreshed monthly. 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.