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 since 1991. This page should give you a good idea on what openings and variations are the most successful for white and black.

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

- Four Pawns Attack

 36 42 22

...2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 

- Modern Variation

 42 26 32

...2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3

Anderssen's Opening

 28 46 27

1. a3

Anti-Veresov Opening 35 37 28 1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bg5
Benko Opening 37 28 34 1. g3
- Lasker Simul Special 57 14 29 1...h5
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 Gambit 51 37 12 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nd4
Blackmar Diemer Gambit 47 38 15 1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. e4
Bogo-Indian Defence 37 23 40 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+
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 Variation 36 27 37 ...2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 cxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5
- Panov-Botvinnik Attack 37 30 33 ...2. d4 d5 3. exd5
Centre Counter Game 43 30 27 1. e4 d5
- Mieses-Kotroc Gambit 42 28 30 ...2. exd5 Qxd5
- 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 Defence 36 24 40 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6
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 Variation 27 31 42 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5
- MacCutcheon Variation 38 29 33 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4
- Main Line 39 29 32 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6
- St George's Variation 41 26 33 2. d4 a6
- Tarrasch Variation 39 17 44 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2
- Winawer Variation 44 30 26 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4
Giucco Piano / Italian Game 43 31 26 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4
- 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 Defence 42 41 17 3...Nc6
Grob Opening 36 49 15 1. g4
Grunfeld Defence 38 22 40 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5
Gunderam Defence 51 26 23 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Qe7
Horwitz Defence 40 27 33 1. d4 e6
King's Gambit 43 37 20 1. e4 e5 2. f4
- Abbazia / Modern Defence 39 35 26 2...exf4 3. Nf3 d5 4. exd5 Nf6
- Allgaier Gambit 41 40 19 2...exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ng5
- Cunningham Defence 43 38 19 2...exf4 3. Nf3 Be7
- Falkbeer Counter Gambit 42 36 22 2....d5
- King's Gambit Accepted 41 38 19 2...exf4
- Muzio Gambit 40 43 17 2...exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 g4 5. O-O
King's Indian Attack 37 23 40 1. Nf3
Konstantinopolsky Opening 30 52 18 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. g3
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 Defence 41 34 25 1. e4 Nc6
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 Opening 41 29 30 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3
Queen's Gambit 41 25 34 1. d4 d5 2. c4
- Albin Counter-Gambit 50 31 19 2...e5
- Benko Gambit 40 33 27 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5
- Cambridge Springs Defence 44 27 29 2...e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Nbd7
- Chigorin Variation 46 29 25 2...Nc6
- Meran Variation 35 27 38 2...e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 c6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 cxd4 7. Bxd4 b5
- Old Line 36 26 38 2...e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 c6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 cxd4 7. Bxd4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 c5
- Queen's Gambit Accepted 37 25 38 2...dxc4
- Queen's Gambit Declined 41 24 35 2...e6
- 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 Main Line 34 25 41 2...c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. c4 dxc4
Queen's Indian Defence 41 29 30 1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nf3 b6
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 / Spanish Game 40 27 33 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5
- Arkhangelsk Variation 40 27 33 3...a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5
- Avoiding the Marshall Counter-Gambit 44 23 33 3...a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. a4
- Berlin Defence 41 27 32 3...Nf6
- Bird's Defence 53 24 23 3...Nd4
- Breyer Variation 34 24 42 3...a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. 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
- Chigorin Variation 41 22 37 3...a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Na5
- Classical / Cordel Defence 47 29 24 3...Bc5
- Closed Defence 38 25 37 3...a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7
- Exchange Variation 35 29 36 3...a6 4. Bxc6
- Kere's Attack 36 24 40 3...a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. Qe2 
- Marshall Counter-Gambit 36 36 28 3...a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. 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 Variation 32 28 40 3...Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4
- Schliemann Gambit 42 31 27 3...f5
- Smyslov's / Zaitsev Variation 39 25 36 3...a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 h6
- Steinitz Defence 61 23 16 3...d6
- Worrall Attack 40 30 30 3...a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Qe2 
- 9...Be6 Variation 34 25 41 3...a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. 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 Defence 42 30 28 1. e4 d5
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
- Dragon Variation 43 32 25 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. 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 Hunting Variation 37 34 29 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4
- Najdorf Variation 39 34 27 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6
- Schveningen Variation 41 32 27 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6
St George's Defence 53 30 17 1. e4 a6
Three Knight's Defence 37 28 35 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3
Torre Attack 33 28 39 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6
Van't Kruijs Attack 28 46 26 1. e3
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 %)

Position Opening Difference %
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 %)

Position Opening Difference %
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 %)

Position Opening Difference %
=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 %)

Position Opening Difference %
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 %)

Position Opening Draw %
=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 %)

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

3

 Blackburne Gambit 12
=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