Chess Opening's Statistics

These statistics show the percentages of games won by white and black and the amount
of games drawn from over 500000 matches between players rated over 2300 since 1991.
This page should give you a good idea on what openings and variations are the most
successful for white and black.

White Black
Draw
Opening Win Win Moves
%
% %
Alapin's Opening 16 58 26 1. e4 e5 2. Ne2
Alekhine Defence 38 32 30 1. e4 Nf6

36 42 22 ...2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5.

- Four Pawns Attack
f4

42 26 32
- Modern Variation ...2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3

Anderssen's 28 46 27
1. a3
Opening
Anti-Veresov
35 37 28 1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bg5
Opening
Benko Opening 37 28 34 1. g3
- Lasker Simul
57 14 29 1...h5
Special
Benoni Defence 50 27 23 1. d4 c5
Bird's Opening 35 39 26 1. f4
- Dutch Variation 35 39 26 1...d5
- From Gambit 41 41 18 1...e5 2. fxe5 d6
Bishop's Opening 42 31 27 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4
Blackburne
51 37 12 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nd4
Gambit
Blackmar Diemer
47 38 15 1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. e4
Gambit
Bogo-Indian
37 23 40 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+
Defence
Borg Defence 56 34 10 1. e4 g5
Budapest Gambit 48 28 26 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5
Caro-Kann 39 30 31 1. e4 c6
- Advance Variation 41 31 28 ...2. d4 d5 3. e5
- Capablanca 36 27 37 ...2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 cxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5
Variation
- Panov-Botvinnik
37 30 33 ...2. d4 d5 3. exd5
Attack
Centre Counter
43 30 27 1. e4 d5
Game
- Mieses-Kotroc
42 28 30 ...2. exd5 Qxd5
Gambit
- 2...Nf6 Variation 42 30 28 ...2. exd5 Nf6
Centre Game 43 36 21 1. e4 e5 2. d4
Clemenz Opening 39 38 23 1. h3
Colle System 37 35 28 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3
Damiano Defence 82 15 3 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f6
Deprez Opening 29 38 33 1. h4
Dresden Variation 13 69 18 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c4
Dunst Opening 38 37 25 1. Nc3
Dutch Defence 49 29 22 1. d4 f5
English Opening 37 23 40 1. c4
Four Knight's
36 24 40 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6
Defence
Fred Defence 43 36 21 1. e4 f5
French Defence 39 34 27 1. e4 e6
- Advance Variation 39 36 25 2. d4 d5 3. e5
- Exchange
27 31 42 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5
Variation
- MacCutcheon
38 29 33 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4
Variation
- Main Line 39 29 32 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6
- St George's
41 26 33 2. d4 a6
Variation
- Tarrasch Variation 39 17 44 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2
- Winawer Variation 44 30 26 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4
Giucco Piano /
43 31 26 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4
Italian Game
- Evans Gambit 44 36 20 3...Bc5 4. b4
- Main Line 40 32 27 3...Bc5
- Max Lange Attack 26 41 33 3...Nf6 4. d4
- Two Knight's
42 41 17 3...Nc6
Defence
Grob Opening 36 49 15 1. g4
Grunfeld Defence 38 22 40 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5
Gunderam
51 26 23 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Qe7
Defence
Horwitz Defence 40 27 33 1. d4 e6
King's Gambit 43 37 20 1. e4 e5 2. f4
- Abbazia / Modern
39 35 26 2...exf4 3. Nf3 d5 4. exd5 Nf6
Defence
- Allgaier Gambit 41 40 19 2...exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ng5
- Cunningham
43 38 19 2...exf4 3. Nf3 Be7
Defence
- Falkbeer Counter
42 36 22 2....d5
Gambit
- King's Gambit
41 38 19 2...exf4
Accepted
- Muzio Gambit 40 43 17 2...exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 g4 5. O-O
King's Indian
37 23 40 1. Nf3
Attack
Konstantinopolsky
30 52 18 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. g3
Opening
Larsen's Defence 38 32 30 1. b3
- Classical Variation 35 35 30 1...d5
- Indian Variation 36 30 34 1...Nf6
- Modern Variation 40 33 27 1...e5
Latvian Gambit 41 29 30 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5
Mason's Variation 32 49 19 1. d4 d5 2. f4
Mieses Opening 38 35 27 1. d3
Modern Defence 43 29 28 1. d4 g6
Nimzo Indian 34 31 35 1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Bb4
Nimzowitsch
41 34 25 1. e4 Nc6
Defence
Owen Defence 47 29 34 1. e4 b6
Petroff's Defence 40 24 36 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6
Philidor's Defence 48 29 23 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6
Pirc Defence 37 34 29 1. e4 d6
- Austrian Attack 44 29 27 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f4
- Classical Variation 38 29 33 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3
Polish Defence 39 40 21 1. b4
Polish Opening 50 27 23 1. d4 b5
Ponziani's
41 29 30 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3
Opening
Queen's Gambit 41 25 34 1. d4 d5 2. c4
- Albin Counter-
50 31 19 2...e5
Gambit
- Benko Gambit 40 33 27 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5
- Cambridge
44 27 29 2...e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Nbd7
Springs Defence
- Chigorin Variation 46 29 25 2...Nc6
2...e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 c6 5. e3
- Meran Variation 35 27 38
Nbd7 6. Bd3 cxd4 7. Bxd4 b5
2...e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 c6 5. e3
- Old Line 36 26 38 Nbd7 6. Bd3 cxd4 7. Bxd4 b5 8.
Bd3 a6 9. e4 c5
- Queen's Gambit
37 25 38 2...dxc4
Accepted
- Queen's Gambit
41 24 35 2...e6
Declined
- Semi Slav 39 26 35 2...e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 c6
- Tarrasch Variation 39 27 34 2...e6 3. Nc3 c5
- Slav Defence 39 23 38 2...c6
- Slav Defence
34 25 41 2...c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. c4 dxc4
Main Line
Queen's Indian
41 29 30 1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nf3 b6
Defence
Rat 38 30 32 1. d4 d6
Reti's Opening 36 25 37 1. c4 c6
Robatsch Defence 39 33 28 1. e4 g6
Ruy Lopez /
40 27 33 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5
Spanish Game
- Arkhangelsk
40 27 33 3...a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5
Variation
- Avoiding the
3...a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6.
Marshall Counter- 44 23 33
Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. a4
Gambit
- Berlin Defence 41 27 32 3...Nf6
- Bird's Defence 53 24 23 3...Nd4
3...a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6.
- Breyer Variation 34 24 42 Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3
Bb8
- Centre Attack 39 28 33 3...a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d4
 3...a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6.
- Chigorin Variation 41 22 37 Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3
Na5
- Classical / Cordel
47 29 24 3...Bc5
Defence
- Closed Defence 38 25 37 3...a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7
- Exchange
35 29 36 3...a6 4. Bxc6
Variation
3...a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6.
- Kere's Attack 36 24 40 d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9.
Qe2
- Marshall Counter- 3...a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6.
36 36 28
Gambit Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d5
- Morphy Defence 40 27 33 3...a6 4. Ba4
- Open Defence 39 25 36 3...a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4
- Rio de Janiero
32 28 40 3...Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4
Variation
- Schliemann
42 31 27 3...f5
Gambit
3...a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6.
- Smyslov's /
39 25 36 Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3
Zaitsev Variation
h6
- Steinitz Defence 61 23 16 3...d6
3...a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6.
- Worrall Attack 40 30 30
Qe2
3...a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6.
- 9...Be6 Variation 34 25 41 Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. c3 O-O 9. h3
Be6
Saragossa Opening 30 45 25 1. c3
Sarratt Attack 37 30 33 1. d4 d5 2. Bf4
Scandinavian
42 30 28 1. e4 d5
Defence
Scotch Game 40 29 31 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4
Sicilian Defence 37 34 29 1. e4 c5
- Alapin Variation 35 32 33 2. c3
2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5.
- Dragon Variation 43 32 25
Nc3 g6
- Grand Prix Attack 34 44 23 2. f4
- Kan Variation 35 37 28 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6
- Lowenthal
37 34 29 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4
Hunting Variation
 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5.
- Najdorf Variation 39 34 27
Nc3 a6
- Schveningen 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5.
41 32 27
Variation Nc3 e6
St George's
53 30 17 1. e4 a6
Defence
Three Knight's
37 28 35 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3
Defence
Torre Attack 33 28 39 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6
Van't Kruijs
28 46 26 1. e3
Attack
Vienna Game 41 30 29 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3
- Vienna Gambit 42 31 27 2...Nf6 3. f4

White's Best 10 Openings (Based on White Win % minus Black Win %)

Difference
Position Opening
%
1 Queen's Gambit +16
=2 English Opening +14
=2 King's Indian Attack +14
4 Ruy Lopez +13
=5 Four Knight's Defence +12
=5 Giucco Piano +12
=5 Ponziani's Opening +12
8 Bishop's Opening +11
=9 Benko Opening +9
=9 Blackmar Diemer Gambit +9

White's Worst 10 Openings (Based on White Win % minus Black Win %)

Difference
Position Opening
%
1 Dresden Variation -56
2 Alapin's Opening -42
3 Konstantinopolsky Opening -22
=4 Anderssen's Opening -18
=4 Van't Kruijs Opening -18
6 Mason's Variation -17
7 Saragossa Opening -15
 8 Grob Opening -13
9 Deprez Opening -9
10 Bird's Opening -4

Black's Best 10 Openings (Based on Black Win % minus White Win %)

Difference
Position Opening
%
=1 Nimzo Indian -3
=1 Pirc Defence -3
=1 Sicilian Defence -3
4 French Defence -5
=5 Alekhine Defence -6
=5 Robatsch Defence -6
=7 Fred Defence -7
=7 Nimzowitsch Defence -7
9 Rat -8
10 Caro-Kann -9

Black's Worst 10 Openings (Based on Black Win % minus White Win %)

Difference
Position Opening
%
1 Damiano Defence -67
2 Lasker Simul Special -43
=3 Benoni Defence -23
=3 Gunderam Defence -23
=3 Polish Defence -23
=3 St George's Defence -23
=7 Borg Defence -22
=7 Budapest Gambit -22
9 Dutch Defence -20
10 Philidor's Defence -19

10 Most Drawish Openings (Based on openings with the highest Draw %)

Draw
Position Opening
%
=1 Bogo-Indian Defence 40
=1 English Opening 40
 =1 Four Knight's Defence 40
=1 Grunfeld Defence 40
=1 King's Indian Attack 40
6 Torre Attack 39
7 Reti's Opening 37
8 Petroff's Defence 36
=9 Nimzo Indian 35
=9 Three Knight's Defence 35

10 Least Drawish Openings (Based on openings with the lowest Draw %)

Draw
Position Opening
%
1 Damiano Defence 3
2 Borg Defence 10

Blackburne Gambit 12
3
=4 Blackmar Diemer Gambit 15
=4 Grob Opening 15
6 St George's Defence 17
7 Konstantinopolsky Opening 18
8 Mason's Variation 19
9 King's Gambit 20
=10 Centre Game 21
=10 Fred Defence 21
=10 Polish Defence 21

If there are statistics for other openings or variations that I have missed that you are
interested in then position searches can be done at
www.chesslab.com/PositionSearch.html . To do the search, set the position up on the
board and click the "Position Stats" button.