Tier list
Chess opening tier list
for 1800 rated players.
Openings graded S to D by what actually wins at rating band 1800 (1600-2000), 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 50 of 312 graded openings at band 1800.
King's Pawn GameB0049.1%n = 12,493,284King's Pawn GameC2050.7%n = 4,409,977King's Knight OpeningC4050.5%n = 2,751,526Sicilian DefenseB2047.6%n = 2,610,015Queen's Pawn GameD0051.2%n = 2,338,822King's Knight Opening: Normal VariationC4450.7%n = 1,851,834Queen's GambitD0651.9%n = 911,642English OpeningA1050.7%n = 741,296Zukertort OpeningA0450.8%n = 644,679Scotch GameC4452.3%n = 407,445Ruy LopezC6051.4%n = 407,219Scotch GameC4452.1%n = 370,720Queen's Gambit DeclinedD3050.9%n = 353,257Center GameC2053.1%n = 277,754Scandinavian Defense: Modern VariationB0148.5%n = 252,135English Opening: King's English VariationA2051.9%n = 221,158Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra GambitB2149.1%n = 209,515French Defense: Advance VariationC0249.8%n = 202,113Queen's Gambit AcceptedD2054.1%n = 172,455King's Gambit AcceptedC3351.5%n = 163,974Scotch Game: Scotch GambitC4453.3%n = 107,830Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra GambitB2150.5%n = 104,990Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin VariationD0253.4%n = 100,898Polish OpeningA0051.3%n = 100,838Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights VariationD3751.0%n = 94,551Danish GambitC2154.4%n = 88,052English Opening: Symmetrical VariationA3050.7%n = 84,984Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo AttackB3050.2%n = 81,702Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit AcceptedB2151.4%n = 70,598Danish Gambit AcceptedC2156.3%n = 60,551King's Indian AttackA0752.4%n = 47,033Queen's Pawn Game: Levitsky AttackD0052.6%n = 46,467Center Game: Kieseritzky VariationC2154.0%n = 44,106English Opening: Great Snake VariationA1049.6%n = 43,265Réti OpeningA0953.5%n = 41,177Queen's Gambit Accepted: Saduleto VariationD2053.5%n = 40,221Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Lasker TrapD0862.8%n = 1,278
Queen's Pawn GameA4050.1%n = 5,546,280Sicilian DefenseB2747.5%n = 1,381,673French DefenseC0047.5%n = 1,355,032Caro-Kann DefenseB1047.5%n = 1,246,228Scandinavian DefenseB0147.3%n = 1,232,963Indian DefenseA4546.6%n = 1,156,290Italian GameC5049.8%n = 833,888French Defense: Normal VariationC0046.9%n = 736,226Sicilian Defense: Old SicilianB3046.8%n = 649,527Caro-Kann DefenseB1246.4%n = 631,289Scandinavian Defense: Mieses-Kotroc VariationB0146.5%n = 608,396Caro-Kann DefenseB1246.4%n = 601,053French DefenseC0047.5%n = 540,213Pirc DefenseB0046.8%n = 522,930Horwitz DefenseA4044.8%n = 516,276Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort VariationD0250.9%n = 493,700Indian Defense: Normal VariationA5046.9%n = 486,110Bishop's OpeningC2350.1%n = 446,473Queen's Pawn Game: Accelerated London SystemD0050.4%n = 443,721Modern DefenseB0646.4%n = 402,250King's GambitC3051.3%n = 400,353Sicilian Defense: Modern VariationsB5047.5%n = 380,603French Defense: Knight VariationC0048.1%n = 361,148Englund GambitA4047.1%n = 327,688Vienna GameC2551.7%n = 323,236Italian Game: Giuoco PianoC5049.4%n = 305,864Sicilian Defense: OpenB3246.9%n = 289,689Sicilian Defense: OpenB3246.5%n = 288,986Italian Game: Two Knights DefenseC5546.0%n = 287,973Sicilian Defense: French VariationB4048.6%n = 270,099Bird OpeningA0250.0%n = 269,015Queen's Pawn Game: Modern DefenseA4046.2%n = 258,151Van't Kruijs OpeningA0047.3%n = 252,191Owen DefenseB0045.7%n = 249,606Hungarian OpeningA0049.1%n = 237,894Sicilian Defense: ClosedB2346.6%n = 233,562Nimzo-Larsen AttackA0149.3%n = 232,339Zukertort OpeningA0651.5%n = 231,460Sicilian Defense: Bowdler AttackB2045.9%n = 231,195Queen's Pawn Game: Symmetrical VariationD0250.0%n = 216,984Scotch GameC4551.4%n = 213,580Modern DefenseB0646.1%n = 213,390Center Game AcceptedC2153.0%n = 207,511Queen's Pawn GameD0050.0%n = 206,615Benoni Defense: Old BenoniA4348.2%n = 206,593French Defense: Exchange VariationC0147.8%n = 206,307Indian Defense: Accelerated London SystemA4548.7%n = 198,966Queen's Pawn GameA4148.5%n = 192,947Sicilian DefenseB5047.5%n = 189,732Three Knights OpeningC4649.9%n = 187,434Alekhine DefenseB0248.9%n = 180,096French Defense: Advance VariationC0250.5%n = 177,375Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin VariationD0050.5%n = 172,756Sicilian Defense: McDonnell AttackB2147.5%n = 169,259Scandinavian Defense: Main LineB0148.6%n = 160,509Pirc DefenseB0046.9%n = 151,940Indian Defense: West Indian DefenseE6047.4%n = 150,831King's Gambit Accepted: King's Knight's GambitC3451.3%n = 149,968English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed SicilianA2152.0%n = 139,165French Defense: Advance VariationC0249.4%n = 134,430English Opening: Anglo-Indian DefenseA1545.5%n = 132,655Sicilian Defense: French Variation, OpenB4049.3%n = 124,847Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Main LineB5448.5%n = 119,987Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin VariationA4550.3%n = 113,689Blackmar-Diemer GambitD0052.0%n = 111,362Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's OpeningC5550.3%n = 108,174Mieses OpeningA0047.6%n = 106,460Vienna Game: Falkbeer VariationC2651.9%n = 105,885Italian Game: Classical VariationC5350.8%n = 102,444Bird Opening: Dutch VariationA0350.3%n = 101,683Ruy Lopez: Morphy DefenseC7044.7%n = 101,491French Defense: Advance VariationC0250.1%n = 94,498Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange VariationB1349.2%n = 91,442Zukertort OpeningA0549.2%n = 91,178Alekhine Defense: Normal VariationB0249.1%n = 90,152Zukertort Opening: Tennison GambitA0648.5%n = 88,372Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver DefenseC5052.7%n = 86,677Queen's Pawn GameD0049.6%n = 85,244Ponziani OpeningC4450.2%n = 82,579King's Indian Defense: Normal VariationE7046.2%n = 81,854Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, NormalC5049.3%n = 79,675Rapport-Jobava SystemD0151.4%n = 76,908Benoni Defense: Old BenoniA4347.2%n = 76,217Van Geet OpeningA0050.0%n = 74,836Old Indian DefenseA4147.2%n = 73,020Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Botvinnik-Carls DefenseB1250.4%n = 72,038Sicilian Defense: Najdorf VariationB9048.4%n = 70,702Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern VariationA0150.0%n = 68,462Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern VariationD5050.4%n = 67,163Grob OpeningA0051.2%n = 65,755Zukertort Opening: Sicilian InvitationA0449.5%n = 64,951King's Indian Defense: Normal VariationE7045.7%n = 64,176Nimzo-Indian DefenseE2047.0%n = 62,586Queen's Pawn Game: London System, with e6D0250.9%n = 62,461Sicilian Defense: Hyperaccelerated DragonB2748.7%n = 62,294King's Pawn Game: Busch-Gass GambitC4052.0%n = 62,192English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights VariationA2251.4%n = 60,717Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy VariationB0047.9%n = 58,769Old Indian DefenseA5346.7%n = 57,399Italian Game: Classical VariationC5451.4%n = 56,142King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer CountergambitC3148.8%n = 53,688Queen's Pawn Game: Colle SystemD0550.5%n = 53,426Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit InvitationA0451.5%n = 53,109Bishop's Opening: Boi VariationC2350.9%n = 52,898Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin VariationD0050.5%n = 51,977English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal VariationA3450.6%n = 51,349Center GameC2150.8%n = 50,468English Opening: Caro-Kann Defensive SystemA1148.5%n = 50,049Englund Gambit: Main LineA4045.8%n = 48,463Vienna Game: Stanley VariationC2650.7%n = 48,387Blackmar-Diemer GambitD0052.5%n = 46,034Saragossa OpeningA0048.7%n = 45,076Indian Defense: Budapest GambitA5148.6%n = 44,102Benoni DefenseA5650.5%n = 42,977Vienna Game: Vienna GambitC2955.3%n = 42,560Trompowsky AttackA4548.4%n = 42,190Four Knights Game: Scotch VariationC4752.8%n = 40,827Four Knights Game: Spanish VariationC4850.5%n = 40,444Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco PianissimoC5450.4%n = 39,655Sicilian Defense: Kan VariationB4151.1%n = 38,728French Defense: King's Indian AttackC0047.9%n = 36,107Zukertort Opening: Pirc InvitationA0449.8%n = 35,856King's Pawn Game: MacLeod AttackC2049.4%n = 32,939Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio DefenseC5848.9%n = 32,320St. George DefenseB0046.9%n = 29,574Italian Game: Classical Variation, Center AttackC5453.7%n = 29,258Scandinavian Defense: Gubinsky-Melts DefenseB0148.8%n = 28,288King's Pawn Game: Wayward Queen AttackC2051.8%n = 26,386English Opening: The WhaleC2048.7%n = 20,119Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, Knight Sacrifice LineC5751.0%n = 3,340
Philidor DefenseC4144.4%n = 443,787Pirc DefenseB0046.6%n = 299,093Slav DefenseD1044.1%n = 276,512Petrov's DefenseC4246.1%n = 270,039Sicilian Defense: OpenB3246.8%n = 267,403Indian Defense: Knights VariationA4645.8%n = 227,803Caro-Kann Defense: Advance VariationB1248.4%n = 224,223Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight VariationD3150.9%n = 216,416Queen's Gambit Declined: Normal DefenseD3544.4%n = 204,336Philidor DefenseC4145.0%n = 198,254Sicilian DefenseB5047.3%n = 194,876Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange VariationB1346.4%n = 191,925Sicilian Defense: Alapin VariationB2245.9%n = 191,864Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange VariationB1346.4%n = 189,310French Defense: Exchange VariationC0147.1%n = 183,245Nimzowitsch DefenseB0047.2%n = 167,979Philidor DefenseC4143.3%n = 166,111Scandinavian Defense: Valencian VariationB0145.1%n = 162,749Slav DefenseD1044.1%n = 154,955Four Knights GameC4749.7%n = 149,398Caro-Kann DefenseB1544.5%n = 146,633Bishop's Opening: Berlin DefenseC2445.5%n = 138,734Dutch DefenseA8045.8%n = 136,290King's Indian DefenseE6147.3%n = 124,899Petrov's Defense: Three Knights GameC4249.2%n = 124,511Caro-Kann Defense: Main LineB1544.7%n = 121,328Caro-Kann DefenseB1544.5%n = 117,206Sicilian Defense: Closed, TraditionalB2346.5%n = 109,350English DefenseA4045.4%n = 103,608Queen's Pawn Game: London SystemD0249.8%n = 96,884King's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight DefenseC3044.8%n = 95,492Four Knights Game: Italian VariationC4746.6%n = 95,387King's Pawn Game: Leonardis VariationC2048.0%n = 93,626Caro-Kann DefenseB1048.1%n = 89,240Elephant GambitC4049.5%n = 85,652French Defense: Advance Variation, Paulsen AttackC0246.2%n = 84,308Caro-Kann DefenseB1048.4%n = 83,185Petrov's DefenseC4245.8%n = 82,952Queen's Pawn Game: Colle SystemD0449.3%n = 81,405French Defense: Queen's KnightC0047.8%n = 80,806French Defense: La Bourdonnais VariationC0047.9%n = 79,980English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight VariationA1645.1%n = 78,644English Opening: Agincourt DefenseA1345.3%n = 78,316Pirc DefenseB0744.9%n = 78,005Petrov's Defense: Italian VariationC4246.7%n = 72,970Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Knight AttackC5750.2%n = 72,587Italian Game: Paris DefenseC5044.7%n = 72,563East Indian DefenseA4846.7%n = 72,356Nimzowitsch Defense: Declined VariationB0046.8%n = 72,201Queen's Pawn Game: London System, with e6D0250.9%n = 71,584Englund Gambit: Hartlaub-Charlick GambitA4048.1%n = 71,110Four Knights Game: Italian VariationC5047.8%n = 67,912Sicilian Defense: Accelerated DragonB3247.7%n = 67,466Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical VariationA0149.1%n = 63,963Slav Defense: Modern LineD1143.1%n = 63,497Semi-Slav Defense: Accelerated Move OrderD3144.7%n = 61,748Nimzowitsch DefenseB0048.1%n = 59,973Scotch Game: Classical VariationC4550.4%n = 59,335Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Knight Attack, Normal VariationC5749.9%n = 58,682English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian DefenseA1042.7%n = 58,425French Defense: Franco-Sicilian DefenseC0046.3%n = 57,529Pirc Defense: Classical VariationB0846.4%n = 57,340French Defense: Exchange VariationC0149.4%n = 57,121Italian Game: Giuoco PianissimoC5047.4%n = 56,958Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights AttackB1050.1%n = 56,569Sicilian Defense: ClosedB2347.4%n = 55,037Rat Defense: Small Center DefenseC0044.2%n = 54,032Philidor DefenseC4147.2%n = 52,122French Defense: Classical VariationC1147.7%n = 49,472Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Italian Four Knights VariationC5049.6%n = 48,829Dutch DefenseA8447.3%n = 48,255Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Three Knights VariationC2850.7%n = 47,525Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with d6B5045.8%n = 46,817Caro-Kann Defense: Classical VariationB1844.0%n = 46,787Sicilian Defense: Taimanov VariationB4547.1%n = 45,643Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne-Kloosterboer GambitB0146.6%n = 44,386Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Short VariationB1249.6%n = 43,782Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-IndianE1045.1%n = 43,797French Defense: Tarrasch VariationC0344.6%n = 43,232Queen's Gambit DeclinedD5349.7%n = 42,959Sicilian Defense: OpenB3349.2%n = 42,663Italian Game: Hungarian DefenseC5046.9%n = 42,513Center Game: Normal VariationC2250.6%n = 42,286King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Rare DefensesE9047.5%n = 41,454Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern VariationA0150.2%n = 40,110Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Linksspringer VariationB0050.4%n = 38,958Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin CountergambitD0846.0%n = 38,318Alekhine DefenseB0349.4%n = 37,719Modern Defense: Two Knights VariationB0646.4%n = 37,370Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit AcceptedA4345.6%n = 36,716Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch CounterattackC4445.8%n = 35,106Englund Gambit Declined: Reversed FrenchA4046.1%n = 34,979Petrov's Defense: Stafford GambitC4248.5%n = 33,185Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation AcceptedC4752.4%n = 32,951Sicilian Defense: Staunton-Cochrane VariationB2048.0%n = 32,965King's Pawn Game: McConnell DefenseC4045.9%n = 32,676King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, King's Knight VariationE6047.2%n = 32,629Mikenas DefenseA4046.4%n = 32,055Ruy Lopez: Exchange VariationC6848.6%n = 30,792Ruy Lopez: Berlin DefenseC6541.4%n = 29,270Petrov's DefenseC4245.2%n = 28,143Petrov's Defense: Stafford Gambit AcceptedC4249.4%n = 27,659Alekhine Defense: Scandinavian VariationB0250.6%n = 26,411Sicilian Defense: Dragon VariationB7048.9%n = 26,111Mieses Opening: Reversed RatA0048.4%n = 21,880French Defense: Steinitz AttackC0044.2%n = 20,204King's Pawn Game: Napoleon AttackC2048.8%n = 17,058Petrov's Defense: Stafford Gambit AcceptedC4249.1%n = 13,442Barnes OpeningA0046.5%n = 13,106Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Accepted: Ryder GambitD0052.4%n = 8,245Vienna Game: Frankenstein-Dracula VariationC2746.8%n = 4,599Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Knight DefenseD5145.8%n = 4,543Indian Defense: Budapest Gambit Accepted, Main Line, Rubinstein VariationA5244.0%n = 3,315Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Anti-Berlin Variation, Mortimer VariationC6552.9%n = 429
Queen's Gambit Declined: Marshall DefenseD0642.3%n = 178,384Vienna Game: Max Lange DefenseC2544.4%n = 138,964French Defense: Paulsen VariationC1045.2%n = 124,648Ruy Lopez: Steinitz DefenseC6242.0%n = 106,599Philidor Defense: Exchange VariationC4143.4%n = 104,530Philidor Defense: Exchange VariationC4143.7%n = 75,896Sicilian Defense: Löwenthal VariationB3246.4%n = 74,012Slav Defense: Three Knights VariationD1543.8%n = 69,029Sicilian Defense: Taimanov VariationB4447.3%n = 68,141Caro-Kann Defense: Hillbilly AttackB1043.7%n = 66,386Ruy Lopez: Berlin DefenseC6543.9%n = 64,019Ruy Lopez: Classical VariationC6445.9%n = 58,809Zukertort Opening: Black Mustang DefenseA0443.5%n = 52,448Semi-Slav DefenseD4344.3%n = 47,463Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Dubois Réti DefenseC4445.7%n = 42,873King's Gambit Accepted: MacLeod DefenseC3443.2%n = 42,170Modern Defense: Standard LineB0643.5%n = 41,598French Defense: Advance Variation, Nimzowitsch SystemC0242.0%n = 40,472Pirc Defense: Classical VariationB0846.4%n = 39,114King's Pawn Game: Maróczy DefenseB0745.3%n = 36,167Ruy Lopez: Steinitz DefenseC6240.4%n = 33,627Vienna Game: Anderssen DefenseC2545.0%n = 30,022Italian Game: Blackburne-Kostić GambitC5048.4%n = 28,859Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Advance VariationB0045.8%n = 21,653Petrov's Defense: Damiano VariationC4242.4%n = 8,116Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz DefenseC7145.8%n = 7,490King's Pawn Game: Damiano DefenseC4037.3%n = 6,795King's Pawn Game: Wayward Queen Attack, Kiddie CountergambitC2047.2%n = 2,131Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Siberian VariationB2146.2%n = 599
Band 1800. 312 graded openings, sample sizes from 429 to 12,493,284 games, win rates shown for each opening's own color. Source period 2026-05.