Tier list
Chess opening tier list
for 1000 rated players.
Openings graded S to D by what actually wins at rating band 1000 (1000-1400), rapid and blitz pooled. Every grade is backed by win rate, popularity, blunder resistance and sample size. Switch the band in the header to see the ladder rearrange.
Showing 52 of 308 graded openings at band 1000.
King's Pawn GameB0050.0%n = 9,343,706King's Pawn GameC2051.0%n = 5,115,257Queen's Pawn GameA4050.9%n = 3,174,376King's Knight Opening: Normal VariationC4451.0%n = 2,126,690Queen's Pawn GameD0051.7%n = 1,684,690Italian GameC5050.9%n = 965,410French DefenseC0048.1%n = 724,903Bishop's OpeningC2351.0%n = 582,830Queen's GambitD0653.3%n = 455,625Scotch GameC4454.1%n = 394,743Ruy LopezC6051.6%n = 369,070Zukertort OpeningA0449.9%n = 336,836Center GameC2051.0%n = 329,560Scotch GameC4453.2%n = 272,516Queen's Gambit AcceptedD2055.3%n = 164,935King's GambitC3053.6%n = 164,805English Opening: King's English VariationA2051.3%n = 119,515Nimzo-Larsen AttackA0149.9%n = 117,782King's Gambit AcceptedC3354.2%n = 71,025Queen's Gambit Accepted: Saduleto VariationD2054.8%n = 62,516King's Gambit Accepted: King's Knight's GambitC3454.9%n = 61,167Four Knights Game: Scotch VariationC4752.6%n = 56,649Scotch Game: Scotch GambitC4455.5%n = 50,294Polish OpeningA0052.5%n = 45,809Danish GambitC2154.0%n = 44,295Italian Game: Classical VariationC5452.6%n = 39,659Vienna Game: Vienna GambitC2958.0%n = 34,510Danish Gambit AcceptedC2155.2%n = 32,777Englund Gambit: Main LineA4051.8%n = 30,834Center Game: Kieseritzky VariationC2153.0%n = 28,156Petrov's Defense: Stafford GambitC4252.5%n = 25,774Queen's Pawn Game: London System, with e6D0252.0%n = 22,256Petrov's Defense: Stafford Gambit AcceptedC4254.1%n = 20,426Queen's Pawn Game: Levitsky AttackD0052.5%n = 20,058Queen's Pawn Game: Colle SystemD0550.9%n = 19,902Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra GambitB2151.3%n = 12,427Petrov's Defense: Stafford Gambit AcceptedC4255.1%n = 5,297Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Accepted: Ryder GambitD0055.6%n = 3,957Sicilian Defense: Kan VariationB4152.0%n = 2,360
Scandinavian DefenseB0146.3%n = 947,614Sicilian DefenseB2049.1%n = 850,797Caro-Kann DefenseB1048.7%n = 658,827Queen's Pawn Game: Accelerated London SystemD0052.4%n = 438,927Sicilian DefenseB2748.2%n = 385,369Indian DefenseA4547.2%n = 338,880Vienna GameC2550.7%n = 332,383Pirc DefenseB0046.6%n = 321,699Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort VariationD0251.1%n = 311,568French Defense: Normal VariationC0047.0%n = 308,923Van't Kruijs OpeningA0047.4%n = 290,446Englund GambitA4047.3%n = 268,668Four Knights GameC4749.0%n = 268,414French Defense: Knight VariationC0048.2%n = 266,170English OpeningA1051.2%n = 265,462Italian Game: Giuoco PianoC5049.4%n = 262,080Caro-Kann DefenseB1246.7%n = 259,700Caro-Kann DefenseB1247.0%n = 246,316Queen's Pawn GameD0049.6%n = 207,171Modern DefenseB0647.3%n = 201,267Center Game AcceptedC2148.8%n = 190,895Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin VariationD0050.4%n = 184,843French DefenseC0048.3%n = 181,193Scotch GameC4552.2%n = 168,092Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver DefenseC5050.7%n = 167,407King's Pawn Game: Wayward Queen AttackC2049.3%n = 160,451Petrov's Defense: Three Knights GameC4251.4%n = 154,188Hungarian OpeningA0049.1%n = 153,628Owen DefenseB0046.8%n = 147,272French Defense: Advance VariationC0248.7%n = 130,608Zukertort OpeningA0649.8%n = 130,039Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin VariationD0251.8%n = 120,471Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's OpeningC5551.5%n = 117,165Vienna Game: Falkbeer VariationC2651.6%n = 116,988Queen's Pawn Game: Modern DefenseA4047.7%n = 113,724Queen's Gambit DeclinedD3051.9%n = 112,347Queen's Pawn GameA4150.1%n = 112,305King's Pawn Game: Busch-Gass GambitC4052.6%n = 105,995Bird OpeningA0249.0%n = 104,297Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin VariationA4550.4%n = 102,142Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Knight Attack, Normal VariationC5753.4%n = 92,122Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra GambitB2147.8%n = 90,636Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, NormalC5050.3%n = 88,025Queen's Pawn Game: Symmetrical VariationD0250.7%n = 86,252French Defense: Advance VariationC0251.2%n = 85,885Indian Defense: Accelerated London SystemA4549.6%n = 84,172Ponziani OpeningC4450.4%n = 80,428Pirc DefenseB0047.7%n = 77,171Scandinavian Defense: Modern VariationB0148.8%n = 77,012King's Pawn Game: Napoleon AttackC2048.9%n = 76,896Four Knights Game: Spanish VariationC4850.1%n = 73,728Italian Game: Giuoco PianissimoC5048.9%n = 73,034Sicilian Defense: French VariationB4049.6%n = 71,293Sicilian Defense: ClosedB2349.7%n = 69,437Blackmar-Diemer GambitD0049.4%n = 69,221Bishop's Opening: Boi VariationC2353.1%n = 69,201English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed SicilianA2152.0%n = 63,473Rapport-Jobava SystemD0153.6%n = 60,731Italian Game: Classical VariationC5353.1%n = 59,735Queen's Pawn GameD0048.8%n = 57,658Vienna Game: Stanley VariationC2650.8%n = 54,715Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight VariationD3152.7%n = 53,005Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern VariationA0149.8%n = 51,671French Defense: Exchange VariationC0146.6%n = 51,341Queen's Pawn Game: London SystemD0252.1%n = 47,342Caro-Kann DefenseB1049.9%n = 44,073Pirc DefenseB0745.9%n = 43,165Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Three Knights VariationC2850.4%n = 42,246Englund Gambit Declined: Reversed FrenchA4047.8%n = 42,081Queen's Pawn Game: London System, with e6D0251.6%n = 42,017Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin VariationD0049.5%n = 41,973Bird Opening: Dutch VariationA0348.4%n = 41,611French Defense: Advance VariationC0250.0%n = 39,963French Defense: Steinitz AttackC0047.7%n = 35,777Caro-Kann Defense: Main LineB1546.2%n = 32,898King's Pawn Game: MacLeod AttackC2049.4%n = 31,757French Defense: Franco-Sicilian DefenseC0047.7%n = 31,723Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit InvitationA0450.2%n = 30,625Indian Defense: West Indian DefenseE6048.7%n = 29,043Zukertort OpeningA0549.0%n = 26,130Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights AttackB1047.1%n = 25,342Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio DefenseC5851.2%n = 25,149Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo AttackB3049.7%n = 24,624Sicilian Defense: McDonnell AttackB2148.7%n = 24,482English Opening: Symmetrical VariationA3051.6%n = 23,230English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights VariationA2250.6%n = 23,170King's Indian AttackA0750.4%n = 22,828Italian Game: Classical Variation, Center AttackC5455.5%n = 22,768French Defense: Advance VariationC0251.1%n = 22,472Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco PianissimoC5451.6%n = 20,458Blackmar-Diemer GambitD0050.3%n = 20,424East Indian DefenseA4850.1%n = 20,347Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne-Kloosterboer GambitB0151.2%n = 19,091Modern Defense: Two Knights VariationB0645.8%n = 18,978Zukertort Opening: Pirc InvitationA0449.7%n = 18,565Sicilian Defense: Staunton-Cochrane VariationB2050.3%n = 17,928Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights VariationD3752.2%n = 17,238Italian Game: Hungarian DefenseC5049.6%n = 15,449Sicilian Defense: ClosedB2349.9%n = 14,727Philidor DefenseC4149.0%n = 14,583English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal VariationA3452.4%n = 12,336English Opening: Caro-Kann Defensive SystemA1149.8%n = 11,675King's Indian Defense: Normal VariationE7048.9%n = 11,111English Opening: Great Snake VariationA1049.1%n = 10,520King's Indian Defense: Normal VariationE7047.4%n = 9,404King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Rare DefensesE9049.0%n = 8,717Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit AcceptedB2151.3%n = 8,717Nimzo-Indian DefenseE2046.5%n = 7,892Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with d6B5046.9%n = 7,339King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, King's Knight VariationE6048.7%n = 6,735Sicilian Defense: Taimanov VariationB4547.0%n = 6,078Queen's Gambit DeclinedD5351.7%n = 5,758Sicilian Defense: Najdorf VariationB9049.4%n = 5,223Sicilian Defense: Dragon VariationB7048.7%n = 3,312
Philidor DefenseC4145.0%n = 451,204Scandinavian Defense: Mieses-Kotroc VariationB0143.6%n = 433,246Italian Game: Two Knights DefenseC5544.6%n = 375,890Three Knights OpeningC4648.1%n = 366,559Petrov's DefenseC4244.4%n = 301,435Horwitz DefenseA4045.3%n = 289,062Philidor DefenseC4145.2%n = 211,998Bishop's Opening: Berlin DefenseC2446.1%n = 197,739Four Knights Game: Italian VariationC4748.7%n = 196,184Sicilian Defense: Old SicilianB3048.1%n = 190,959King's Pawn Game: Leonardis VariationC2047.6%n = 159,311Sicilian Defense: Bowdler AttackB2046.0%n = 146,640Pirc DefenseB0046.2%n = 145,937Nimzowitsch DefenseB0044.7%n = 143,537Caro-Kann Defense: Advance VariationB1247.2%n = 133,351Four Knights Game: Italian VariationC5048.8%n = 129,405Philidor DefenseC4143.7%n = 121,586Vienna Game: Max Lange DefenseC2546.1%n = 121,391Center GameC2145.5%n = 105,249Alekhine DefenseB0244.2%n = 104,834Petrov's Defense: Italian VariationC4245.1%n = 104,420Scandinavian Defense: Main LineB0147.3%n = 96,635Sicilian Defense: Modern VariationsB5048.6%n = 95,162Mieses OpeningA0046.2%n = 89,371Indian Defense: Normal VariationA5046.3%n = 88,164Zukertort Opening: Tennison GambitA0647.2%n = 80,706Slav DefenseD1045.4%n = 79,276King's Pawn Game: McConnell DefenseC4045.5%n = 77,506Modern DefenseB0647.2%n = 77,247Caro-Kann Defense: Hillbilly AttackB1043.9%n = 73,277Benoni Defense: Old BenoniA4348.0%n = 71,554Nimzowitsch Defense: Declined VariationB0044.6%n = 70,355Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Italian Four Knights VariationC5051.0%n = 65,735Van Geet OpeningA0047.0%n = 64,490Indian Defense: Knights VariationA4647.5%n = 60,366Elephant GambitC4046.2%n = 55,201Sicilian Defense: OpenB3246.2%n = 54,581Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange VariationB1348.0%n = 54,344Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange VariationB1348.2%n = 52,813English DefenseA4046.4%n = 50,544French Defense: Queen's KnightC0048.1%n = 49,723Philidor Defense: Exchange VariationC4146.0%n = 47,833Caro-Kann DefenseB1049.7%n = 47,204Sicilian Defense: OpenB3247.8%n = 47,158Zukertort Opening: Black Mustang DefenseA0447.2%n = 46,014French Defense: Exchange VariationC0146.3%n = 45,851King's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight DefenseC3044.7%n = 43,460Grob OpeningA0047.6%n = 41,936Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Short VariationB1247.8%n = 41,802Queen's Gambit Declined: Normal DefenseD3544.5%n = 41,273Queen's Pawn Game: Colle SystemD0450.3%n = 40,322Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch CounterattackC4447.3%n = 40,196Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Botvinnik-Carls DefenseB1249.7%n = 40,067Ruy Lopez: Exchange VariationC6851.4%n = 39,439Pirc Defense: Classical VariationB0846.6%n = 39,191Slav DefenseD1044.8%n = 37,637French Defense: Paulsen VariationC1045.7%n = 37,632Sicilian Defense: Alapin VariationB2246.2%n = 37,465Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation AcceptedC4751.8%n = 37,217Englund Gambit: Hartlaub-Charlick GambitA4048.2%n = 35,431Saragossa OpeningA0048.1%n = 34,887Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Linksspringer VariationB0040.9%n = 34,600Nimzowitsch DefenseB0043.1%n = 32,596Rat Defense: Small Center DefenseC0044.7%n = 32,527Sicilian Defense: Closed, TraditionalB2349.9%n = 32,213Philidor Defense: Exchange VariationC4145.7%n = 31,434Vienna Game: Anderssen DefenseC2547.2%n = 30,396English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian DefenseA1043.7%n = 30,317Mieses Opening: Reversed RatA0045.5%n = 30,147Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern VariationA0149.2%n = 29,067Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical VariationA0149.4%n = 28,088Scotch Game: Classical VariationC4549.7%n = 26,024St. George DefenseB0045.1%n = 25,428Old Indian DefenseA4145.6%n = 24,608French Defense: Advance Variation, Paulsen AttackC0246.1%n = 24,383King's Pawn Game: Wayward Queen Attack, Kiddie CountergambitC2049.6%n = 24,179Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit AcceptedA4348.0%n = 23,390Alekhine Defense: Normal VariationB0244.1%n = 23,079English Opening: Anglo-Indian DefenseA1546.1%n = 23,026English Opening: The WhaleC2047.9%n = 22,989French Defense: Exchange VariationC0146.4%n = 22,165English Opening: Agincourt DefenseA1345.4%n = 21,378French Defense: King's Indian AttackC0047.0%n = 20,723French Defense: La Bourdonnais VariationC0048.8%n = 20,089King's Indian DefenseE6148.0%n = 19,382Zukertort Opening: Sicilian InvitationA0447.8%n = 18,667Sicilian Defense: Hyperaccelerated DragonB2748.9%n = 18,041Caro-Kann Defense: Classical VariationB1847.7%n = 17,678Sicilian Defense: French Variation, OpenB4049.6%n = 17,656Old Indian DefenseA5347.2%n = 16,850Slav Defense: Modern LineD1144.8%n = 15,982Benoni Defense: Old BenoniA4345.8%n = 13,708Trompowsky AttackA4548.8%n = 13,476Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern VariationD5052.8%n = 12,413Slav Defense: Three Knights VariationD1545.1%n = 11,906English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight VariationA1645.8%n = 11,778Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Main LineB5449.5%n = 11,313Réti OpeningA0952.9%n = 11,305Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, Knight Sacrifice LineC5749.2%n = 10,373Semi-Slav Defense: Accelerated Move OrderD3144.4%n = 10,361Sicilian Defense: Accelerated DragonB3250.2%n = 10,287Modern Defense: Standard LineB0644.2%n = 9,479French Defense: Classical VariationC1148.2%n = 9,104King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer CountergambitC3148.1%n = 7,385Indian Defense: Budapest GambitA5147.6%n = 3,577French Defense: Tarrasch VariationC0345.1%n = 2,350
Scandinavian Defense: Valencian VariationB0143.8%n = 102,584Queen's Gambit Declined: Marshall DefenseD0643.5%n = 96,039Ruy Lopez: Berlin DefenseC6543.1%n = 89,395Center Game: Normal VariationC2244.6%n = 87,038Petrov's DefenseC4244.3%n = 86,607Italian Game: Paris DefenseC5045.0%n = 80,249Ruy Lopez: Steinitz DefenseC6245.0%n = 76,870Ruy Lopez: Morphy DefenseC7043.2%n = 67,840Caro-Kann DefenseB1545.0%n = 56,592King's Pawn Game: Damiano DefenseC4038.1%n = 56,331Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy VariationB0042.1%n = 53,920Dutch DefenseA8045.5%n = 46,979French Defense: Advance Variation, Nimzowitsch SystemC0244.9%n = 45,480Mikenas DefenseA4040.9%n = 43,527Sicilian Defense: OpenB3247.5%n = 41,555Ruy Lopez: Classical VariationC6446.6%n = 41,047King's Pawn Game: Maróczy DefenseB0742.9%n = 40,807Italian Game: Blackburne-Kostić GambitC5045.0%n = 37,360Caro-Kann DefenseB1546.2%n = 33,407Sicilian DefenseB5047.3%n = 32,711Pirc Defense: Classical VariationB0846.2%n = 30,332Sicilian DefenseB5048.4%n = 27,962Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Advance VariationB0045.0%n = 27,855Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange VariationB1347.8%n = 27,600King's Gambit Accepted: MacLeod DefenseC3442.9%n = 26,751Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Dubois Réti DefenseC4443.5%n = 26,739Petrov's Defense: Damiano VariationC4233.6%n = 24,255Ruy Lopez: Berlin DefenseC6539.2%n = 20,805Ruy Lopez: Steinitz DefenseC6242.1%n = 18,026Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin CountergambitD0844.3%n = 14,773Scandinavian Defense: Gubinsky-Melts DefenseB0144.3%n = 13,198Petrov's DefenseC4245.0%n = 12,701Barnes OpeningA0041.0%n = 12,008Alekhine Defense: Scandinavian VariationB0246.7%n = 11,865Dutch DefenseA8445.9%n = 10,914Sicilian Defense: Taimanov VariationB4448.6%n = 9,316Alekhine DefenseB0344.6%n = 8,761Sicilian Defense: Löwenthal VariationB3248.8%n = 8,661Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-IndianE1044.4%n = 5,967Semi-Slav DefenseD4344.8%n = 5,644Sicilian Defense: OpenB3348.7%n = 4,908Benoni DefenseA5647.2%n = 3,312Vienna Game: Frankenstein-Dracula VariationC2745.7%n = 1,906Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz DefenseC7143.6%n = 1,478Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Knight DefenseD5145.8%n = 612
Band 1000. 308 graded openings, sample sizes from 612 to 9,343,706 games, win rates shown for each opening's own color. Source period 2026-05.