Most popular chess openings
Named lines ranked by the number of rated Lichess games that reached them.
| # | Opening | Moves | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B | 2016–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B00 King's Pawn Game | 1. e4 |
1.5B | 49 / 5 / 46 | −3% |
| 2 | A40 Queen's Pawn Game | 1. d4 |
691.6M | 50 / 5 / 45 | +5% |
| 3 | B20 Sicilian Defense | 1. e4 c5 |
366.6M | 48 / 5 / 47 | −8% |
| 4 | C40 King's Knight Opening | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 |
340.4M | 51 / 5 / 45 | −16% |
| 5 | C44 King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 |
229.2M | 51 / 5 / 45 | −13% |
| 6 | A45 Indian Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 |
181.8M | 48 / 6 / 46 | 0% |
| 7 | C00 French Defense | 1. e4 e6 |
172.7M | 48 / 5 / 47 | −11% |
| 8 | B01 Scandinavian Defense | 1. e4 d5 |
132.2M | 48 / 5 / 47 | +20% |
| 9 | B10 Caro-Kann Defense | 1. e4 c6 |
129.3M | 47 / 5 / 48 | +65% |
| 10 | D06 Queen's Gambit | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 |
120.6M | 52 / 5 / 43 | −20% |
| 11 | C50 Italian Game | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 |
102.8M | 50 / 4 / 46 | −3% |
| 12 | A10 English Opening | 1. c4 |
101.5M | 50 / 5 / 44 | +10% |
| 13 | C00 French Defense: Normal Variation | 1. e4 e6 2. d4 |
99.3M | 49 / 5 / 46 | −13% |
| 14 | A04 Zukertort Opening | 1. Nf3 |
93.4M | 51 / 6 / 44 | +13% |
| 15 | B30 Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 |
86.9M | 49 / 5 / 47 | +1% |
| 16 | A50 Indian Defense: Normal Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 |
85.5M | 48 / 6 / 46 | −16% |
| 17 | B50 Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 |
69.6M | 48 / 5 / 47 | −23% |
| 18 | B01 Scandinavian Defense: Mieses-Kotroc Variation | 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 |
66M | 49 / 5 / 46 | +16% |
| 19 | A40 Horwitz Defense | 1. d4 e6 |
62.9M | 51 / 5 / 44 | −10% |
| 20 | D02 Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 |
61.3M | 51 / 6 / 43 | +4% |
| 21 | B00 Pirc Defense | 1. e4 d6 |
60M | 49 / 5 / 47 | +16% |
| 22 | C60 Ruy Lopez | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 |
59.7M | 51 / 5 / 44 | −33% |
| 23 | C41 Philidor Defense | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 |
53.2M | 52 / 5 / 44 | −37% |
| 24 | C23 Bishop's Opening | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 |
52.7M | 50 / 4 / 45 | −21% |
| 25 | D30 Queen's Gambit Declined | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 |
49.2M | 51 / 6 / 44 | −11% |
| 26 | C30 King's Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. f4 |
48.3M | 52 / 4 / 45 | −24% |
| 27 | B06 Modern Defense | 1. e4 g6 |
47.5M | 49 / 5 / 46 | +17% |
| 28 | D00 Queen's Pawn Game: Accelerated London System | 1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 |
46.4M | 51 / 5 / 44 | ×2.3 |
| 29 | C44 Scotch Game | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 |
43.8M | 52 / 5 / 43 | +2% |
| 30 | B32 Sicilian Defense: Open | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 |
42.5M | 49 / 5 / 46 | −8% |
| 31 | C00 French Defense: Knight Variation | 1. e4 e6 2. Nf3 |
42.2M | 47 / 5 / 48 | −6% |
| 32 | A46 Indian Defense: Knights Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 |
40.4M | 49 / 6 / 45 | +1% |
| 33 | C50 Italian Game: Giuoco Piano | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 |
40.1M | 49 / 4 / 46 | +13% |
| 34 | B40 Sicilian Defense: French Variation | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 |
39.5M | 47 / 5 / 49 | −7% |
| 35 | D10 Slav Defense | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 |
37.7M | 51 / 6 / 44 | −16% |
| 36 | C42 Petrov's Defense | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 |
37.4M | 50 / 5 / 46 | +10% |
| 37 | C55 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 |
35.1M | 50 / 4 / 46 | −5% |
| 38 | B23 Sicilian Defense: Closed | 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 |
33.2M | 49 / 5 / 46 | +14% |
| 39 | C20 Center Game | 1. e4 e5 2. d4 |
31.6M | 53 / 4 / 43 | −9% |
| 40 | C25 Vienna Game | 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 |
31.3M | 52 / 4 / 44 | +70% |
| 41 | D31 Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 |
31M | 51 / 5 / 43 | −12% |
| 42 | A40 Queen's Pawn Game: Modern Defense | 1. d4 g6 |
31M | 49 / 5 / 46 | +15% |
| 43 | D02 Queen's Pawn Game: Symmetrical Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 |
30.1M | 50 / 6 / 44 | +16% |
| 44 | A40 Englund Gambit | 1. d4 e5 |
29.7M | 49 / 4 / 47 | ×2.7 |
| 45 | D35 Queen's Gambit Declined: Normal Defense | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 |
29.4M | 51 / 6 / 44 | −5% |
| 46 | A00 Van't Kruijs Opening | 1. e3 |
29M | 46 / 4 / 49 | −17% |
| 47 | A20 English Opening: King's English Variation | 1. c4 e5 |
28.9M | 51 / 5 / 44 | −2% |
| 48 | B20 Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack | 1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 |
28.7M | 45 / 4 / 51 | −30% |
| 49 | A02 Bird Opening | 1. f4 |
28.6M | 50 / 5 / 46 | −3% |
| 50 | B54 Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Main Line | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4… |
28.3M | 47 / 5 / 48 | −28% |
| 51 | B02 Alekhine Defense | 1. e4 Nf6 |
28.2M | 46 / 5 / 49 | −10% |
| 52 | A00 Hungarian Opening | 1. g3 |
28.1M | 49 / 5 / 46 | +5% |
| 53 | A01 Nimzo-Larsen Attack | 1. b3 |
27.9M | 49 / 5 / 46 | +38% |
| 54 | B01 Scandinavian Defense: Modern Variation | 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 |
27.7M | 47 / 5 / 48 | +29% |
| 55 | B00 Owen Defense | 1. e4 b6 |
27.5M | 51 / 4 / 45 | −3% |
| 56 | B21 Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit | 1. e4 c5 2. d4 |
27.2M | 49 / 4 / 47 | −1% |
| 57 | A43 Benoni Defense: Old Benoni | 1. d4 c5 |
27.1M | 48 / 5 / 48 | +18% |
| 58 | E60 Indian Defense: West Indian Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 |
26.9M | 48 / 6 / 47 | −18% |
| 59 | C02 French Defense: Advance Variation | 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 |
25.9M | 46 / 4 / 50 | −10% |
| 60 | A45 Indian Defense: Accelerated London System | 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 |
25.4M | 48 / 5 / 47 | ×2.5 |
| 61 | B12 Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation | 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 |
24.3M | 47 / 5 / 48 | +58% |
| 62 | C21 Center Game Accepted | 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 |
24.3M | 53 / 4 / 43 | −13% |
| 63 | C01 French Defense: Exchange Variation | 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nf3 |
23.1M | 46 / 6 / 48 | +22% |
| 64 | E61 King's Indian Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 |
22.4M | 48 / 6 / 47 | −18% |
| 65 | D20 Queen's Gambit Accepted | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 |
22M | 55 / 5 / 41 | −33% |
| 66 | B22 Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation | 1. e4 c5 2. c3 |
21.8M | 49 / 5 / 45 | +30% |
| 67 | B00 Nimzowitsch Defense | 1. e4 Nc6 |
21.7M | 49 / 4 / 47 | −19% |
| 68 | C33 King's Gambit Accepted | 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 |
21.5M | 52 / 3 / 45 | −37% |
| 69 | A15 English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense | 1. c4 Nf6 |
21.2M | 49 / 6 / 45 | +9% |
| 70 | C46 Three Knights Opening | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 |
21M | 49 / 5 / 46 | +9% |
| 71 | B40 Sicilian Defense: French Variation, Open | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 |
20.5M | 46 / 5 / 49 | −13% |
| 72 | D06 Queen's Gambit Declined: Marshall Defense | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 Nf6 |
20.4M | 54 / 5 / 42 | −8% |
| 73 | B13 Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation | 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 |
20.3M | 48 / 6 / 46 | +92% |
| 74 | B21 Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack | 1. e4 c5 2. f4 |
20M | 47 / 4 / 49 | −8% |
| 75 | C10 French Defense: Paulsen Variation | 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 |
19.5M | 50 / 5 / 45 | −7% |
| 76 | C34 King's Gambit Accepted: King's Knight's Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 |
19.3M | 52 / 3 / 45 | −36% |
| 77 | C70 Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 |
18.9M | 50 / 6 / 45 | −40% |
| 78 | C47 Four Knights Game | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 |
18.7M | 49 / 5 / 46 | +9% |
| 79 | A21 English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed Sicilian | 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 |
18.5M | 52 / 5 / 43 | 0% |
| 80 | C24 Bishop's Opening: Berlin Defense | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 |
18M | 51 / 4 / 45 | −35% |
| 81 | B01 Scandinavian Defense: Main Line | 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 |
17.8M | 47 / 5 / 48 | +16% |
| 82 | B90 Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation | 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4… |
17.3M | 48 / 5 / 47 | −31% |
| 83 | B01 Scandinavian Defense: Valencian Variation | 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd8 |
17.1M | 50 / 5 / 45 | +22% |
| 84 | C42 Petrov's Defense: Three Knights Game | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 |
15.9M | 49 / 5 / 46 | +12% |
| 85 | A80 Dutch Defense | 1. d4 f5 |
15.9M | 50 / 5 / 45 | 0% |
| 86 | D37 Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 |
15.7M | 51 / 6 / 43 | +1% |
| 87 | D00 Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 |
15M | 50 / 5 / 45 | +38% |
| 88 | B02 Alekhine Defense: Normal Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 |
14.7M | 47 / 5 / 48 | −9% |
| 89 | B23 Sicilian Defense: Closed, Traditional | 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 |
14.7M | 49 / 5 / 46 | +23% |
| 90 | B15 Caro-Kann Defense: Main Line | 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 |
14.1M | 49 / 6 / 45 | +44% |
| 91 | E70 King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 |
13.8M | 50 / 5 / 45 | −10% |
| 92 | A48 East Indian Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 |
13.6M | 48 / 6 / 46 | −7% |
| 93 | C53 Italian Game: Classical Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 |
13.1M | 51 / 4 / 44 | +42% |
| 94 | C25 Vienna Game: Max Lange Defense | 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 |
13M | 51 / 5 / 45 | ×2.2 |
| 95 | C62 Ruy Lopez: Steinitz Defense | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 d6 |
12.9M | 53 / 5 / 42 | −31% |
| 96 | A16 English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation | 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 |
12.8M | 50 / 6 / 45 | +13% |
| 97 | A00 Polish Opening | 1. b4 |
12.5M | 51 / 5 / 45 | −25% |
| 98 | C41 Philidor Defense: Exchange Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 |
12.3M | 53 / 5 / 43 | −32% |
| 99 | A30 English Opening: Symmetrical Variation | 1. c4 c5 |
12.2M | 50 / 6 / 44 | +6% |
| 100 | C26 Vienna Game: Falkbeer Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 |
12M | 51 / 5 / 44 | +26% |
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. 2016–2025: the line's share of the games each year and how it changed. See also the openings that rose and fell the most.