Caissa Codex

Most popular chess openings

Named lines ranked by the number of rated Lichess games that reached them.

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

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.

https://chesscodex.org/popular-openings