Chess opening trends
Which openings are played more and which less than in 2016: the share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 that reach each of the 1,500 most played lines, year by year from 2016 to 2025.
The line that gained the most ground since 2016 is the Caro-Kann Defense (1. e4 c6): 5.7% of the games in 2025, up from 3.5%. The fastest risers: Petrov's Defense: Stafford Gambit (×19.0), the Caro-Kann Defense: Endgame Offer (×5.5), the Italian Game: Rousseau Gambit (×5.5). The biggest loss: the King's Pawn Game (1. e4 e5), from 22.9% to 19.4%.
Caro-Kann Defense
1. e4 c6
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 3.5% | 1,234,793 |
| 2017 | 4.0% | 2,174,453 |
| 2018 | 4.3% | 3,351,678 |
| 2019 | 4.2% | 5,235,678 |
| 2020 | 4.1% | 12,037,682 |
| 2021 | 4.5% | 17,647,350 |
| 2022 | 5.0% | 18,918,858 |
| 2023 | 5.4% | 20,191,542 |
| 2024 | 5.6% | 20,070,675 |
| 2025 | 5.7% | 19,846,818 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 5.8% | 6,401,075 |
King's Pawn Game
1. e4 e5
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 22.9% | 8,185,372 |
| 2017 | 20.9% | 11,480,823 |
| 2018 | 19.1% | 14,973,378 |
| 2019 | 19.2% | 23,938,781 |
| 2020 | 20.3% | 59,485,109 |
| 2021 | 21.8% | 85,420,364 |
| 2022 | 21.1% | 79,214,220 |
| 2023 | 20.6% | 77,643,251 |
| 2024 | 20.1% | 71,961,415 |
| 2025 | 19.4% | 67,436,276 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 19.1% | 20,894,810 |
Rising: played more than in 2016
| Opening | 2016 | 2025 | Change | Share by year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
C42 Petrov's Defense: Stafford Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nc6 4. Nxc6 dxc6 | 0.0064% | 0.12% | ×19.0 | |
B10 Caro-Kann Defense: Endgame Offer1. e4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. d3 | 0.014% | 0.078% | ×5.5 | |
C50 Italian Game: Rousseau Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 f5 | 0.03% | 0.17% | ×5.5 | |
A40 Englund Gambit: Hartlaub-Charlick Gambit1. d4 e5 2. dxe5 d6 | 0.066% | 0.3% | ×4.6 | |
D00 Queen's Pawn Game: Accelerated London System, Steinitz Countergambit1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 c5 | 0.038% | 0.15% | ×3.8 | |
D01 Rapport-Jobava System1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bf4 e6 | 0.046% | 0.15% | ×3.4 | |
C21 Center Game: Halasz-McDonnell Gambit1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. f4 | 0.015% | 0.051% | ×3.3 | |
A40 Englund Gambit Declined: Reversed Alekhine1. d4 e5 2. Nf3 | 0.022% | 0.067% | ×3.0 | |
A45 Indian Defense: Accelerated London System1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 | 0.39% | 0.99% | ×2.5 | |
C29 Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Main Line1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 | 0.026% | 0.057% | ×2.2 | |
B20 Sicilian Defense: Mengarini Variation1. e4 c5 2. a3 | 0.06% | 0.13% | ×2.1 | |
A04 Zukertort Opening: Ross Gambit1. Nf3 e5 | 0.039% | 0.081% | ×2.0 | |
C40 Elephant Gambit: Paulsen Countergambit1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d5 3. exd5 e4 | 0.072% | 0.15% | ×2.0 | |
D00 Blackmar-Diemer Gambit: Blackmar Gambit1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. f3 | 0.033% | 0.059% | +79% | |
C24 Bishop's Opening: Vienna Hybrid1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 Nc6 4. Nc3 | 0.087% | 0.15% | +74% | |
A48 London System1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bf4 Bg7 4. e3 d6 | 0.073% | 0.13% | +73% | |
B07 Czech Defense1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 c6 | 0.07% | 0.12% | +72% | |
E06 Catalan Opening: Closed1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 | 0.041% | 0.071% | +71% | |
C00 French Defense: Schlechter Variation1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Bd3 | 0.045% | 0.074% | +66% | |
A01 Nimzo-Larsen Attack: English Variation1. b3 c5 | 0.044% | 0.071% | +60% |
Falling: played less than in 2016
| Opening | 2016 | 2025 | Change | Share by year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
C40 King's Pawn Game: Damiano Defense1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f6 | 0.085% | 0.03% | −65% | |
B00 Nimzowitsch Defense: Colorado Countergambit1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 f5 | 0.065% | 0.024% | −64% | |
C68 Ruy Lopez: Exchange Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 | 0.35% | 0.16% | −54% | |
C57 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Fried Liver Attack1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5 6. Nxf7 | 0.079% | 0.036% | −54% | |
C00 French Defense: Steinitz Attack1. e4 e6 2. e5 | 0.18% | 0.088% | −50% | |
C33 King's Gambit Accepted: Bishop's Gambit1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Bc4 | 0.1% | 0.054% | −47% | |
C20 King's Pawn Opening1. e4 e5 2. b3 | 0.052% | 0.028% | −46% | |
C20 English Opening: The Whale1. e4 e5 2. c4 | 0.16% | 0.089% | −43% | |
D20 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Old Variation1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e3 | 0.33% | 0.19% | −43% | |
B92 Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Opocensky Variation1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 | 0.11% | 0.063% | −43% | |
D45 Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 | 0.075% | 0.044% | −41% | |
A45 Indian Defense: Tartakower Attack1. d4 Nf6 2. g3 | 0.078% | 0.048% | −38% | |
C40 Latvian Gambit Accepted1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. exf5 | 0.061% | 0.038% | −38% | |
D94 Grünfeld Defense: Three Knights Variation, Burille Variation1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. e3 | 0.06% | 0.037% | −38% | |
C41 Philidor Defense: Exchange Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 | 0.19% | 0.12% | −37% | |
C24 Bishop's Opening: Berlin Defense1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 | 0.94% | 0.61% | −35% | |
E32 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 | 0.12% | 0.081% | −34% | |
E92 King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 | 0.089% | 0.059% | −34% | |
A00 Van Geet Opening: Reversed Nimzowitsch1. Nc3 e5 | 0.1% | 0.069% | −32% | |
C31 King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Staunton Line1. e4 e5 2. f4 d5 3. exd5 e4 | 0.092% | 0.063% | −32% |
First moves
| Opening | 2016 | 2025 | Change | Share by year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
B00 King's Pawn Game1. e4 | 60.5% | 58.4% | −3% | |
A40 Queen's Pawn Game1. d4 | 25.7% | 27.0% | +5% | |
A10 English Opening1. c4 | 3.6% | 3.9% | +10% | |
A04 Zukertort Opening1. Nf3 | 3.3% | 3.8% | +13% | |
A01 Nimzo-Larsen Attack1. b3 | 0.84% | 1.2% | +38% | |
A02 Bird Opening1. f4 | 1.2% | 1.2% | −3% | |
A00 Van't Kruijs Opening1. e3 | 1.4% | 1.1% | −17% | |
A00 Hungarian Opening1. g3 | 1.1% | 1.1% | +5% | |
A00 Mieses Opening1. d3 | 0.4% | 0.48% | +20% | |
A00 Polish Opening1. b4 | 0.63% | 0.47% | −25% | |
A00 Van Geet Opening1. Nc3 | 0.46% | 0.39% | −16% | |
A00 Grob Opening1. g4 | 0.24% | 0.3% | +21% | |
A00 Saragossa Opening1. c3 | 0.14% | 0.21% | +51% | |
A00 Anderssen's Opening1. a3 | 0.081% | 0.076% | −6% | |
A00 Barnes Opening1. f3 | 0.05% | 0.065% | +31% | |
A00 Kádas Opening1. h4 | 0.049% | 0.054% | +11% | |
A00 Clemenz Opening1. h3 | 0.045% | 0.043% | −5% | |
A00 Ware Opening1. a4 | 0.04% | 0.038% | −5% | |
A00 Amar Opening1. Nh3 | 0.015% | 0.015% | 0% |
Share: the games that reach a line's position in a year, out of all the year's rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (the Lichess opening explorer; the number of games grew about tenfold over these years, so the share is what compares them). Rising and falling: lines whose share moved by a fifth or more, with at least 0.05% of the games at the higher end; one line per opening, the one that moved most. Each opening's page has its chart with every year, 2026 so far included.
See also the most popular openings, best openings for White, for Black and chess gambits