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 53 of 308 graded openings at band 1000.
King's Pawn GameB0050.0%n = 9,343,706Queen's Pawn GameA4050.9%n = 3,174,376Italian 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 = 329,560Caro-Kann DefenseB1249.7%n = 259,700King's GambitC3053.6%n = 164,805Nimzo-Larsen AttackA0149.9%n = 117,782Queen'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 = 44,295Vienna Game: Vienna GambitC2958.0%n = 34,510Nimzowitsch DefenseB0053.3%n = 32,596Englund Gambit: Main LineA4051.8%n = 30,834Center Game: Kieseritzky VariationC2153.0%n = 28,156Petrov's Defense: Stafford GambitC4252.5%n = 25,774Ruy Lopez: Berlin DefenseC6557.7%n = 20,805Petrov's Defense: Stafford Gambit AcceptedC4254.1%n = 20,426Queen's Pawn Game: Levitsky AttackD0052.5%n = 20,058Modern Defense: Two Knights VariationB0649.9%n = 18,978Ruy Lopez: Steinitz DefenseC6253.6%n = 18,026Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra GambitB2151.3%n = 12,427Slav Defense: Three Knights VariationD1551.2%n = 11,906Modern Defense: Standard LineB0652.4%n = 9,479Petrov's Defense: Stafford Gambit AcceptedC4255.1%n = 5,297Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Accepted: Ryder GambitD0055.6%n = 3,957Sicilian Defense: Kan VariationB4152.0%n = 2,360French Defense: Tarrasch VariationC0351.7%n = 2,350
King's Pawn GameC2045.2%n = 5,115,257King's Knight Opening: Normal VariationC4445.2%n = 2,126,690Queen's Pawn GameD0044.4%n = 1,684,690Scandinavian 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 DefenseB2748.4%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 VariationC0049.3%n = 308,923Van't Kruijs OpeningA0047.4%n = 290,446Englund GambitA4047.3%n = 268,668French Defense: Knight VariationC0048.1%n = 266,170English OpeningA1051.2%n = 265,462Italian Game: Giuoco PianoC5047.0%n = 262,080Caro-Kann DefenseB1247.0%n = 246,316Philidor DefenseC4150.8%n = 211,998Queen's Pawn GameD0049.6%n = 207,171Modern DefenseB0647.3%n = 201,267Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin VariationD0050.4%n = 184,843French DefenseC0048.3%n = 181,193Scotch GameC4552.2%n = 168,092King'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 = 147,272Pirc DefenseB0049.9%n = 145,937French Defense: Advance VariationC0247.7%n = 130,608Philidor DefenseC4152.1%n = 121,586Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's OpeningC5551.5%n = 117,165Queen's Pawn Game: Modern DefenseA4047.7%n = 113,724Queen's Pawn GameA4145.9%n = 112,305Petrov's Defense: Italian VariationC4252.0%n = 104,420Bird OpeningA0249.0%n = 104,297Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra GambitB2147.8%n = 90,636Indian Defense: Normal VariationA5050.3%n = 88,164Center Game: Normal VariationC2251.5%n = 87,038Petrov's DefenseC4252.3%n = 86,607French 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 = 71,293Nimzowitsch Defense: Declined VariationB0051.6%n = 70,355Blackmar-Diemer GambitD0049.4%n = 69,221English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed SicilianA2152.0%n = 63,473Rapport-Jobava SystemD0153.6%n = 60,731Italian Game: Classical VariationC5353.1%n = 59,735Caro-Kann DefenseB1551.7%n = 56,592Vienna Game: Stanley VariationC2650.8%n = 54,715Sicilian Defense: OpenB3250.5%n = 54,581Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight VariationD3152.7%n = 53,005French Defense: Exchange VariationC0149.3%n = 51,341Queen's Pawn Game: London SystemD0252.1%n = 47,342Caro-Kann DefenseB1049.9%n = 44,073Pirc DefenseB0745.9%n = 43,165Englund Gambit Declined: Reversed FrenchA4048.5%n = 42,081Queen's Pawn Game: London System, with e6D0251.6%n = 42,017Bird Opening: Dutch VariationA0347.8%n = 41,611French Defense: Advance VariationC0246.6%n = 39,963Slav DefenseD1051.5%n = 37,637French Defense: Paulsen VariationC1050.8%n = 37,632Sicilian Defense: Alapin VariationB2250.4%n = 37,465French Defense: Steinitz AttackC0047.7%n = 35,777Caro-Kann Defense: Main LineB1550.4%n = 32,898King's Pawn Game: MacLeod AttackC2049.4%n = 31,757French Defense: Franco-Sicilian DefenseC0047.7%n = 31,723Philidor Defense: Exchange VariationC4150.4%n = 31,434Mieses Opening: Reversed RatA0050.2%n = 30,147Indian Defense: West Indian DefenseE6048.7%n = 29,043Caro-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 = 24,624Old Indian DefenseA4150.7%n = 24,608Sicilian Defense: McDonnell AttackB2148.7%n = 24,482King'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 = 20,458East Indian DefenseA4850.1%n = 20,347Queen's Pawn Game: Colle SystemD0545.3%n = 19,902Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights VariationD3752.2%n = 17,238Slav Defense: Modern LineD1151.6%n = 15,982Italian Game: Hungarian DefenseC5049.6%n = 15,449Sicilian Defense: ClosedB2349.9%n = 14,727Philidor DefenseC4149.0%n = 14,583Benoni Defense: Old BenoniA4351.5%n = 13,708English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal VariationA3452.4%n = 12,336English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight VariationA1650.2%n = 11,778King's Indian Defense: Normal VariationE7048.9%n = 11,111King's Indian Defense: Normal VariationE7049.3%n = 9,404Alekhine DefenseB0352.1%n = 8,761King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Rare DefensesE9047.3%n = 8,717Nimzo-Indian DefenseE2046.5%n = 7,892Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with d6B5049.8%n = 7,339King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, King's Knight VariationE6047.7%n = 6,735Sicilian Defense: Taimanov VariationB4549.6%n = 6,078Sicilian 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 = 289,062Scotch GameC4443.3%n = 272,516Four Knights GameC4746.6%n = 268,414Bishop's Opening: Berlin DefenseC2446.1%n = 197,739Four Knights Game: Italian VariationC4748.7%n = 196,184Sicilian Defense: Old SicilianB3048.1%n = 190,959Center Game AcceptedC2147.8%n = 190,895Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver DefenseC5045.4%n = 167,407King's Pawn Game: Leonardis VariationC2047.6%n = 159,311Sicilian Defense: Bowdler AttackB2046.0%n = 146,640Nimzowitsch DefenseB0044.7%n = 143,537Caro-Kann Defense: Advance VariationB1249.2%n = 133,351Zukertort OpeningA0646.3%n = 130,039Four Knights Game: Italian VariationC5047.0%n = 129,405Vienna Game: Max Lange DefenseC2546.1%n = 121,391Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin VariationD0244.2%n = 120,471English Opening: King's English VariationA2045.2%n = 119,515Queen's Gambit DeclinedD3044.4%n = 112,347Center GameC2145.5%n = 105,249Alekhine DefenseB0244.2%n = 104,834Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin VariationA4545.6%n = 102,142Scandinavian Defense: Main LineB0147.3%n = 96,635Sicilian Defense: Modern VariationsB5048.6%n = 95,162Mieses OpeningA0046.2%n = 89,371Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, NormalC5046.0%n = 88,025Queen's Pawn Game: Symmetrical VariationD0245.3%n = 86,252Zukertort 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 = 71,554Sicilian Defense: ClosedB2346.9%n = 69,437Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Italian Four Knights VariationC5051.0%n = 65,735Van Geet OpeningA0047.0%n = 64,490Indian Defense: Knights VariationA4648.8%n = 60,366Queen's Pawn GameD0047.2%n = 57,658Elephant GambitC4046.2%n = 55,201Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange VariationB1348.0%n = 54,344Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange VariationB1348.2%n = 52,813Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern VariationA0146.6%n = 51,671English DefenseA4046.4%n = 50,544French Defense: Queen's KnightC0048.0%n = 49,723Philidor Defense: Exchange VariationC4146.0%n = 47,833Sicilian Defense: OpenB3247.8%n = 47,158Zukertort Opening: Black Mustang DefenseA0447.2%n = 46,014French Defense: Exchange VariationC0149.5%n = 45,851King's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight DefenseC3044.7%n = 43,460Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Three Knights VariationC2846.0%n = 42,246Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin VariationD0046.4%n = 41,973Grob OpeningA0047.6%n = 41,936Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Short VariationB1248.8%n = 41,802Sicilian Defense: OpenB3249.0%n = 41,555Queen'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 = 40,067Italian Game: Classical VariationC5444.1%n = 39,659Ruy Lopez: Exchange VariationC6851.4%n = 39,439Pirc Defense: Classical VariationB0846.6%n = 39,191Italian Game: Blackburne-Kostić GambitC5051.9%n = 37,360Englund Gambit: Hartlaub-Charlick GambitA4048.2%n = 35,431Saragossa OpeningA0048.1%n = 34,887Sicilian DefenseB5049.2%n = 32,711Rat Defense: Small Center DefenseC0044.7%n = 32,527Sicilian Defense: Closed, TraditionalB2349.9%n = 32,213Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit InvitationA0445.9%n = 30,625Vienna Game: Anderssen DefenseC2547.2%n = 30,396Pirc Defense: Classical VariationB0849.5%n = 30,332English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian DefenseA1043.7%n = 30,317Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern VariationA0147.3%n = 29,067Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical VariationA0146.9%n = 28,088Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Advance VariationB0051.3%n = 27,855Zukertort OpeningA0547.0%n = 26,130St. George DefenseB0045.1%n = 25,428French 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 = 23,390English Opening: Symmetrical VariationA3044.6%n = 23,230English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights VariationA2245.9%n = 23,170Alekhine Defense: Normal VariationB0244.1%n = 23,079English Opening: Anglo-Indian DefenseA1546.1%n = 23,026English Opening: The WhaleC2047.9%n = 22,989Queen's Pawn Game: London System, with e6D0244.3%n = 22,256French Defense: Exchange VariationC0149.5%n = 22,165English Opening: Agincourt DefenseA1345.4%n = 21,378French Defense: King's Indian AttackC0047.0%n = 20,723Blackmar-Diemer GambitD0046.6%n = 20,424French Defense: La Bourdonnais VariationC0048.3%n = 20,089King's Indian DefenseE6148.5%n = 19,382Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne-Kloosterboer GambitB0145.6%n = 19,091Zukertort Opening: Sicilian InvitationA0448.5%n = 18,667Zukertort Opening: Pirc InvitationA0446.2%n = 18,565Sicilian Defense: Hyperaccelerated DragonB2748.9%n = 18,041Sicilian Defense: Staunton-Cochrane VariationB2045.9%n = 17,928Caro-Kann Defense: Classical VariationB1847.7%n = 17,678Sicilian Defense: French Variation, OpenB4049.6%n = 17,656Old Indian DefenseA5347.2%n = 16,850Trompowsky AttackA4548.8%n = 13,476Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern VariationD5052.8%n = 12,413English Opening: Caro-Kann Defensive SystemA1146.6%n = 11,675Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Main LineB5449.5%n = 11,313Réti OpeningA0952.9%n = 11,305Dutch DefenseA8450.7%n = 10,914English Opening: Great Snake VariationA1047.4%n = 10,520Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, Knight Sacrifice LineC5748.4%n = 10,373Semi-Slav Defense: Accelerated Move OrderD3144.4%n = 10,361Sicilian Defense: Accelerated DragonB3250.2%n = 10,287French Defense: Classical VariationC1148.2%n = 9,104Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit AcceptedB2146.1%n = 8,717King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer CountergambitC3148.1%n = 7,385Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-IndianE1052.2%n = 5,967Indian Defense: Budapest GambitA5147.6%n = 3,577Vienna Game: Frankenstein-Dracula VariationC2751.3%n = 1,906
Queen's Gambit AcceptedD2041.1%n = 164,935Vienna Game: Falkbeer VariationC2644.6%n = 116,988King's Pawn Game: Busch-Gass GambitC4044.2%n = 105,995Scandinavian Defense: Valencian VariationB0143.8%n = 102,584Queen's Gambit Declined: Marshall DefenseD0643.5%n = 96,039Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Knight Attack, Normal VariationC5743.7%n = 92,122Ruy Lopez: Berlin DefenseC6543.1%n = 89,395Italian Game: Paris DefenseC5045.0%n = 80,249Ruy Lopez: Steinitz DefenseC6245.0%n = 76,870King's Gambit AcceptedC3343.2%n = 71,025Bishop's Opening: Boi VariationC2343.3%n = 69,201Ruy Lopez: Morphy DefenseC7043.2%n = 67,840King's Pawn Game: Damiano DefenseC4038.1%n = 56,331Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy VariationB0042.1%n = 53,920Caro-Kann DefenseB1046.7%n = 47,204Dutch DefenseA8045.5%n = 46,979French Defense: Advance Variation, Nimzowitsch SystemC0244.9%n = 45,480Mikenas DefenseA4040.9%n = 43,527Ruy Lopez: Classical VariationC6446.6%n = 41,047King's Pawn Game: Maróczy DefenseB0742.9%n = 40,807Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation AcceptedC4743.8%n = 37,217Caro-Kann DefenseB1546.2%n = 33,407Danish Gambit AcceptedC2142.1%n = 32,777Sicilian DefenseB5048.4%n = 27,962Caro-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 = 26,739Scotch Game: Classical VariationC4546.7%n = 26,024Petrov's Defense: Damiano VariationC4233.6%n = 24,255Queen'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 = 11,865Sicilian Defense: Taimanov VariationB4448.6%n = 9,316Sicilian Defense: Löwenthal VariationB3248.8%n = 8,661Queen's Gambit DeclinedD5344.1%n = 5,758Semi-Slav DefenseD4344.8%n = 5,644Sicilian Defense: OpenB3348.7%n = 4,908Benoni DefenseA5647.2%n = 3,312Ruy 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.