Tier list
Chess opening tier list
for 1400 rated players.
Openings graded S to D by what actually wins at rating band 1400 (1400-1600), 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 310 graded openings at band 1400.
King's Pawn GameB0049.4%n = 6,813,943Queen's Pawn GameA4050.5%n = 2,614,908King's Knight OpeningC4050.7%n = 1,979,043French DefenseC0048.4%n = 632,985Queen's GambitD0652.8%n = 415,763Scotch GameC4453.2%n = 282,455English OpeningA1051.2%n = 270,653Zukertort OpeningA0450.3%n = 260,541Ruy LopezC6051.3%n = 251,104Caro-Kann DefenseB1248.9%n = 245,998Center GameC2052.2%n = 191,440Nimzo-Larsen AttackA0150.1%n = 116,665Scandinavian Defense: Modern VariationB0149.1%n = 90,848Scotch Game: Lolli VariationC4454.5%n = 70,745King's Gambit Accepted: King's Knight's GambitC3454.2%n = 68,544Scotch Game: Scotch GambitC4454.8%n = 54,398Polish OpeningA0052.2%n = 48,586Danish GambitC2154.9%n = 44,803Caro-Kann Defense: Main LineB1550.7%n = 35,277Queen's Gambit Accepted: Saduleto VariationD2054.3%n = 34,799Vienna Game: Stanley VariationC2651.0%n = 32,353Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra GambitB2150.9%n = 23,210Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco PianissimoC5452.5%n = 19,701Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Linksspringer VariationB0053.1%n = 19,470Ruy Lopez: Steinitz DefenseC6253.0%n = 18,993Modern Defense: Standard LineB0652.0%n = 12,275Sicilian Defense: Kan VariationB4152.7%n = 6,435
Sicilian DefenseB2048.8%n = 937,107Scandinavian DefenseB0147.4%n = 669,283Italian GameC5050.3%n = 602,367Caro-Kann DefenseB1048.9%n = 576,216Sicilian DefenseB2748.1%n = 466,086Bishop's OpeningC2350.8%n = 385,812Indian DefenseA4547.2%n = 360,947Scandinavian Defense: Mieses-Kotroc VariationB0146.0%n = 339,514Philidor DefenseC4145.5%n = 326,807Queen's Pawn Game: Accelerated London SystemD0051.1%n = 298,278French Defense: Normal VariationC0048.7%n = 295,280Horwitz DefenseA4045.3%n = 252,437Pirc DefenseB0046.7%n = 241,975Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort VariationD0251.1%n = 240,861Caro-Kann DefenseB1247.5%n = 234,556Sicilian Defense: Old SicilianB3047.7%n = 231,635Vienna GameC2551.1%n = 229,998French Defense: Knight VariationC0047.6%n = 210,542Italian Game: Two Knights DefenseC5545.6%n = 207,526Englund GambitA4048.1%n = 205,528Modern DefenseB0647.2%n = 192,251Italian Game: Giuoco PianoC5046.8%n = 190,700French DefenseC0048.7%n = 189,927King's GambitC3053.4%n = 182,940Van't Kruijs OpeningA0047.4%n = 175,330Philidor DefenseC4150.2%n = 152,319Owen DefenseB0046.9%n = 141,803Scotch GameC4551.7%n = 138,276Sicilian Defense: Bowdler AttackB2046.0%n = 138,041Queen's Pawn GameD0050.2%n = 137,781Hungarian OpeningA0048.9%n = 125,762Indian Defense: Normal VariationA5049.6%n = 121,319Queen's Pawn Game: Modern DefenseA4047.3%n = 119,087Sicilian Defense: Modern VariationsB5048.7%n = 119,088Pirc DefenseB0049.7%n = 117,113Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin VariationD0049.9%n = 111,703Philidor DefenseC4151.7%n = 101,052Bird OpeningA0249.9%n = 97,912Sicilian Defense: French VariationB4049.4%n = 91,886Scandinavian Defense: Main LineB0148.4%n = 87,418Queen's Pawn GameA4146.7%n = 86,083French Defense: Advance VariationC0251.9%n = 85,914Modern DefenseB0647.0%n = 85,809Sicilian Defense: OpenB3247.4%n = 78,646Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra GambitB2147.9%n = 78,312Benoni Defense: Old BenoniA4348.4%n = 75,568Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's OpeningC5551.5%n = 72,884Sicilian Defense: ClosedB2347.4%n = 72,094French Defense: Exchange VariationC0148.5%n = 70,863Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight VariationD3152.0%n = 69,144Indian Defense: Knights VariationA4648.9%n = 63,813Pirc DefenseB0047.5%n = 61,962English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed SicilianA2152.3%n = 60,221Four Knights Game: Italian VariationC5048.0%n = 60,101Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Knight AttackC5751.8%n = 59,351French Defense: Exchange VariationC0149.0%n = 59,044Petrov's Defense: Italian VariationC4251.5%n = 57,749Sicilian Defense: Alapin VariationB2250.2%n = 57,231Ponziani OpeningC4450.9%n = 55,340Blackmar-Diemer GambitD0051.6%n = 54,777Italian Game: Classical VariationC5352.3%n = 54,251English DefenseA4046.5%n = 52,235Caro-Kann DefenseB1551.8%n = 50,023Sicilian DefenseB5048.2%n = 48,958Slav DefenseD1051.6%n = 47,590Nimzowitsch Defense: Declined VariationB0051.6%n = 43,202Queen's Pawn Game: London SystemD0251.2%n = 42,504Center Game: Normal VariationC2249.7%n = 41,768Rapport-Jobava SystemD0152.4%n = 41,746Indian Defense: West Indian DefenseE6048.2%n = 40,812King's Pawn Game: Wayward Queen AttackC2049.1%n = 40,006Queen's Pawn Game: London System, with e6D0250.9%n = 38,492Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Botvinnik-Carls DefenseB1251.0%n = 37,564Philidor Defense: Exchange VariationC4150.7%n = 37,346Queen's Pawn Game: Colle SystemD0450.2%n = 36,074French Defense: Paulsen VariationC1050.9%n = 35,325Sicilian Defense: Closed, TraditionalB2348.8%n = 34,291English Opening: Anglo-Indian DefenseA1546.5%n = 32,210Grob OpeningA0048.8%n = 31,516Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo AttackB3049.5%n = 30,864French Defense: Advance VariationC0251.7%n = 30,583Englund Gambit: Main LineA4049.0%n = 30,519Pirc Defense: Classical VariationB0846.7%n = 30,416Four Knights Game: Scotch VariationC4752.8%n = 30,272French Defense: Franco-Sicilian DefenseC0047.4%n = 29,999French Defense: La Bourdonnais VariationC0049.3%n = 27,820Vienna Game: Vienna GambitC2957.4%n = 26,112Old Indian DefenseA4150.0%n = 25,626Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights VariationD3751.4%n = 24,909Center Game: Kieseritzky VariationC2152.8%n = 24,889Englund Gambit Declined: Reversed FrenchA4048.8%n = 23,970King's Pawn Game: MacLeod AttackC2050.3%n = 23,275Nimzowitsch DefenseB0051.8%n = 23,238Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Main LineB5449.5%n = 22,020Petrov's Defense: Stafford GambitC4251.7%n = 21,847East Indian DefenseA4848.3%n = 21,414Benoni Defense: Old BenoniA4350.7%n = 20,797Queen's Pawn Game: Levitsky AttackD0053.3%n = 20,749Philidor DefenseC4149.1%n = 20,228Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern VariationD5051.1%n = 19,862Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio DefenseC5850.8%n = 19,437Slav Defense: Modern LineD1151.5%n = 18,282Italian Game: Hungarian DefenseC5048.6%n = 18,031Petrov's Defense: Stafford Gambit AcceptedC4253.3%n = 17,989King's Indian Defense: Normal VariationE7047.3%n = 17,503Italian Game: Classical Variation, Center AttackC5454.8%n = 17,331King's Indian AttackA0750.2%n = 17,197French Defense: King's Indian AttackC0047.1%n = 16,973Mieses Opening: Reversed RatA0049.3%n = 15,552Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Advance VariationB0050.8%n = 15,532King's Indian Defense: Normal VariationE7050.0%n = 14,778English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal VariationA3451.7%n = 14,758Trompowsky AttackA4549.3%n = 14,618English Opening: Great Snake VariationA1046.7%n = 14,139Nimzo-Indian DefenseE2046.6%n = 13,689King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer CountergambitC3148.6%n = 12,463Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with d6B5050.3%n = 12,147Réti OpeningA0952.4%n = 11,994Sicilian Defense: Najdorf VariationB9049.1%n = 11,796Indian Defense: Budapest GambitA5148.7%n = 7,689Petrov's Defense: Stafford Gambit AcceptedC4252.2%n = 6,892Benoni DefenseA5650.8%n = 5,692French Defense: Tarrasch VariationC0351.7%n = 5,213Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Accepted: Ryder GambitD0054.5%n = 3,962Vienna Game: Frankenstein-Dracula VariationC2752.8%n = 1,772Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Lasker TrapD0868.0%n = 425
King's Pawn GameC2045.4%n = 3,190,593King's Knight Opening: Normal VariationC4445.3%n = 1,313,622Queen's Pawn GameD0044.5%n = 1,269,910Scotch GameC4443.4%n = 232,950Petrov's DefenseC4246.3%n = 182,358Three Knights OpeningC4648.3%n = 168,111Center Game AcceptedC2145.5%n = 132,349Queen's Gambit DeclinedD3044.4%n = 128,803Four Knights GameC4746.7%n = 120,143Bishop's Opening: Berlin DefenseC2445.3%n = 118,081Caro-Kann Defense: Advance VariationB1247.5%n = 115,529French Defense: Advance VariationC0245.7%n = 109,055English Opening: King's English VariationA2044.5%n = 105,512Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver DefenseC5044.4%n = 101,486Zukertort OpeningA0645.4%n = 96,400Scandinavian Defense: Valencian VariationB0145.8%n = 92,354King's Pawn Game: Leonardis VariationC2047.7%n = 91,930Slav DefenseD1044.9%n = 90,731Nimzowitsch DefenseB0045.2%n = 89,107Petrov's Defense: Three Knights GameC4250.1%n = 88,760Four Knights Game: Italian VariationC4747.4%n = 85,069Sicilian Defense: OpenB3249.9%n = 82,883Indian Defense: Accelerated London SystemA4548.7%n = 79,269Queen's Pawn Game: Symmetrical VariationD0245.6%n = 78,559King's Gambit AcceptedC3343.3%n = 75,198Sicilian Defense: OpenB3249.0%n = 71,592Alekhine DefenseB0246.9%n = 64,296Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin VariationA4546.3%n = 63,432Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange VariationB1348.3%n = 61,370Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange VariationB1347.6%n = 60,882Queen's Gambit Declined: Normal DefenseD3544.8%n = 59,995Mieses OpeningA0046.3%n = 56,506Italian Game: Paris DefenseC5045.4%n = 54,702Caro-Kann Defense: Hillbilly AttackB1043.9%n = 53,595Petrov's DefenseC4249.3%n = 52,195Zukertort Opening: Tennison GambitA0647.6%n = 51,021French Defense: Advance VariationC0245.4%n = 50,209Center GameC2147.0%n = 50,189King's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight DefenseC3044.5%n = 50,096Dutch DefenseA8046.4%n = 47,895Italian Game: Giuoco PianissimoC5048.2%n = 45,968Sicilian DefenseB5048.5%n = 45,517Ruy Lopez: Morphy DefenseC7044.1%n = 44,765Sicilian Defense: McDonnell AttackB2148.6%n = 44,618Queen's Pawn GameD0046.1%n = 44,117Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern VariationA0146.0%n = 44,075French Defense: Queen's KnightC0047.8%n = 41,140Caro-Kann DefenseB1046.4%n = 39,424King's Pawn Game: McConnell DefenseC4046.3%n = 39,127Bird Opening: Dutch VariationA0346.6%n = 38,025Van Geet OpeningA0047.8%n = 37,994Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Italian Four Knights VariationC5050.3%n = 37,658Elephant GambitC4048.5%n = 37,617Caro-Kann DefenseB1050.1%n = 36,592Englund Gambit: Hartlaub-Charlick GambitA4049.3%n = 34,542Pirc DefenseB0745.5%n = 34,365Four Knights Game: Spanish VariationC4849.7%n = 33,512Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Short VariationB1247.0%n = 33,452Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange VariationB1349.5%n = 32,471Italian Game: Classical VariationC5443.9%n = 32,327Zukertort Opening: Black Mustang DefenseA0445.8%n = 31,995Sicilian Defense: French Variation, OpenB4049.6%n = 31,363Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin VariationD0046.6%n = 30,857French Defense: Advance Variation, Paulsen AttackC0245.2%n = 30,672King's Pawn Game: Napoleon AttackC2048.9%n = 30,358King's Indian DefenseE6148.8%n = 30,354Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical VariationA0146.8%n = 29,915Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy VariationB0043.9%n = 29,385Rat Defense: Small Center DefenseC0045.1%n = 28,080King's Gambit Accepted: MacLeod DefenseC3442.0%n = 27,110English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian DefenseA1043.2%n = 26,919English Opening: Symmetrical VariationA3044.9%n = 26,659French Defense: Exchange VariationC0147.8%n = 26,584Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern VariationA0146.3%n = 26,012English Opening: Agincourt DefenseA1345.3%n = 25,235Italian Game: Blackburne-Kostić GambitC5050.2%n = 24,841Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch CounterattackC4446.4%n = 24,764English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights VariationA2244.7%n = 24,288Zukertort OpeningA0546.8%n = 24,137Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit InvitationA0445.0%n = 23,900Alekhine Defense: Normal VariationB0246.6%n = 23,255Vienna Game: Anderssen DefenseC2546.7%n = 22,589Queen's Pawn Game: Colle SystemD0544.4%n = 21,875Pirc Defense: Classical VariationB0849.0%n = 21,730Saragossa OpeningA0047.2%n = 21,472Ruy Lopez: Exchange VariationC6849.5%n = 20,469Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit AcceptedA4347.2%n = 20,179Zukertort Opening: Sicilian InvitationA0447.9%n = 19,926Sicilian Defense: Hyperaccelerated DragonB2748.9%n = 19,879French Defense: Steinitz AttackC0045.0%n = 19,860St. George DefenseB0046.3%n = 19,654Old Indian DefenseA5347.0%n = 18,771Sicilian Defense: Accelerated DragonB3248.7%n = 18,444Modern Defense: Two Knights VariationB0649.5%n = 18,406Caro-Kann Defense: Classical VariationB1845.4%n = 17,935English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight VariationA1650.2%n = 17,498Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne-Kloosterboer GambitB0147.3%n = 17,187Sicilian Defense: ClosedB2350.1%n = 17,092Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit AcceptedB2146.0%n = 16,695Slav Defense: Three Knights VariationD1550.7%n = 15,996Semi-Slav Defense: Accelerated Move OrderD3144.7%n = 15,194Zukertort Opening: Pirc InvitationA0446.3%n = 14,782English Opening: Caro-Kann Defensive SystemA1146.8%n = 14,239Dutch DefenseA8448.8%n = 14,228English Opening: The WhaleC2047.4%n = 13,360Sicilian Defense: Staunton-Cochrane VariationB2045.5%n = 13,278King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Rare DefensesE9048.2%n = 12,091Sicilian Defense: Taimanov VariationB4549.7%n = 11,451Scandinavian Defense: Gubinsky-Melts DefenseB0146.4%n = 10,868Petrov's DefenseC4247.3%n = 10,841French Defense: Classical VariationC1148.8%n = 10,100Alekhine DefenseB0348.9%n = 9,138King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, King's Knight VariationE6047.9%n = 8,640Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-IndianE1050.4%n = 8,604Sicilian Defense: OpenB3349.7%n = 8,505Alekhine Defense: Scandinavian VariationB0251.0%n = 7,289Sicilian Defense: Dragon VariationB7050.0%n = 5,289Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, Knight Sacrifice LineC5748.3%n = 3,721Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz DefenseC7145.2%n = 2,075Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Knight DefenseD5149.2%n = 1,098Indian Defense: Budapest Gambit Accepted, Main Line, Rubinstein VariationA5251.0%n = 443
Queen's Gambit AcceptedD2041.2%n = 115,410Vienna Game: Max Lange DefenseC2545.8%n = 90,896Queen's Gambit Declined: Marshall DefenseD0643.0%n = 89,013Ruy Lopez: Steinitz DefenseC6244.1%n = 73,558Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin VariationD0243.1%n = 71,973Vienna Game: Falkbeer VariationC2644.2%n = 70,179King's Pawn Game: Busch-Gass GambitC4045.4%n = 61,848Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, NormalC5045.6%n = 55,145Philidor Defense: Exchange VariationC4145.5%n = 53,592Bishop's Opening: Boi VariationC2344.4%n = 49,542Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Knight Attack, Normal VariationC5745.6%n = 46,331Ruy Lopez: Berlin DefenseC6543.5%n = 43,371French Defense: Advance Variation, Nimzowitsch SystemC0243.8%n = 35,611Caro-Kann DefenseB1545.3%n = 35,590Danish Gambit AcceptedC2141.0%n = 32,590Ruy Lopez: Classical VariationC6446.1%n = 30,120Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Three Knights VariationC2845.4%n = 29,371Scotch Game: Classical VariationC4546.3%n = 26,986Queen's Pawn Game: London System, with e6D0244.5%n = 24,929Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation AcceptedC4743.0%n = 22,531Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Dubois Réti DefenseC4443.5%n = 21,779King's Pawn Game: Maróczy DefenseB0743.0%n = 20,154Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights AttackB1048.4%n = 19,302Blackmar-Diemer GambitD0045.1%n = 18,211Sicilian Defense: Löwenthal VariationB3247.4%n = 18,029Mikenas DefenseA4042.1%n = 17,907Sicilian Defense: Taimanov VariationB4448.5%n = 17,785Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin CountergambitD0846.3%n = 13,995King's Pawn Game: Damiano DefenseC4036.4%n = 11,734Queen's Gambit DeclinedD5345.9%n = 10,776Semi-Slav DefenseD4344.7%n = 8,872Petrov's Defense: Damiano VariationC4237.1%n = 7,362Barnes OpeningA0039.8%n = 6,794King's Pawn Game: Wayward Queen Attack, Kiddie CountergambitC2049.6%n = 4,022
Band 1400. 310 graded openings, sample sizes from 425 to 6,813,943 games, win rates shown for each opening's own color. Source period 2026-05.