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 Knight OpeningC4050.5%n = 2,751,526Sicilian DefenseB2047.6%n = 2,610,015Queen's GambitD0651.9%n = 911,642English OpeningA1050.7%n = 741,296Zukertort OpeningA0450.8%n = 644,679Scotch GameC4452.3%n = 407,445Ruy LopezC6051.4%n = 407,219Sicilian Defense: OpenB3248.9%n = 288,986Center GameC2053.1%n = 277,754Scandinavian Defense: Modern VariationB0148.5%n = 252,135Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra GambitB2149.1%n = 209,515Philidor DefenseC4151.9%n = 166,111Scotch Game: Scotch GambitC4453.3%n = 107,830Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra GambitB2150.5%n = 104,990Polish OpeningA0051.3%n = 100,838Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights VariationD3751.0%n = 94,551Danish GambitC2154.4%n = 88,052Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo AttackB3050.2%n = 81,702King's Indian Defense: Normal VariationE7050.1%n = 64,176King's Indian AttackA0752.4%n = 47,033Queen's Pawn Game: Levitsky AttackD0052.6%n = 46,467Center Game: Kieseritzky VariationC2154.0%n = 44,106French Defense: Tarrasch VariationC0350.6%n = 43,232Réti OpeningA0953.5%n = 41,177Queen's Gambit Accepted: Saduleto VariationD2053.5%n = 40,221Ruy Lopez: Steinitz DefenseC6254.6%n = 33,627Ruy Lopez: Berlin DefenseC6554.0%n = 29,270Indian Defense: Budapest Gambit Accepted, Main Line, Rubinstein VariationA5251.3%n = 3,315Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Lasker TrapD0862.8%n = 1,278
Queen's Pawn GameA4050.1%n = 5,546,280King's Pawn GameC2045.0%n = 4,409,977Queen's Pawn GameD0043.9%n = 2,338,822Sicilian DefenseB2748.0%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 VariationC0048.5%n = 736,226Sicilian Defense: Old SicilianB3046.8%n = 649,527Caro-Kann DefenseB1249.0%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 VariationA5048.5%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 VariationC0047.1%n = 361,148Englund GambitA4047.1%n = 327,688Vienna GameC2551.7%n = 323,236Italian Game: Giuoco PianoC5046.3%n = 305,864Pirc DefenseB0049.0%n = 299,093Sicilian Defense: OpenB3246.9%n = 289,689Italian 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: ClosedB2349.1%n = 233,562Nimzo-Larsen AttackA0149.3%n = 232,339Sicilian Defense: Bowdler AttackB2045.9%n = 231,195Indian Defense: Knights VariationA4649.0%n = 227,803Scotch GameC4551.4%n = 213,580Modern DefenseB0646.1%n = 213,390Queen's Pawn GameD0050.0%n = 206,615Benoni Defense: Old BenoniA4348.2%n = 206,593French Defense: Exchange VariationC0146.6%n = 206,307French Defense: Advance VariationC0245.8%n = 202,113Indian Defense: Accelerated London SystemA4548.7%n = 198,966Philidor DefenseC4150.5%n = 198,254Queen's Pawn GameA4146.9%n = 192,947Sicilian Defense: Alapin VariationB2249.6%n = 191,864Sicilian 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 = 160,509Slav DefenseD1051.0%n = 154,955Pirc DefenseB0046.9%n = 151,940Indian Defense: West Indian DefenseE6047.4%n = 150,831King's Gambit Accepted: King's Knight's GambitC3451.3%n = 149,968Caro-Kann DefenseB1550.9%n = 146,633English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed SicilianA2152.0%n = 139,165French Defense: Advance VariationC0246.2%n = 134,430English Opening: Anglo-Indian DefenseA1545.5%n = 132,655Sicilian Defense: French Variation, OpenB4049.3%n = 124,847French Defense: Paulsen VariationC1050.4%n = 124,648Caro-Kann Defense: Main LineB1550.4%n = 121,328Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Main LineB5448.5%n = 119,987Blackmar-Diemer GambitD0052.0%n = 111,362Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's OpeningC5550.3%n = 108,174Mieses OpeningA0047.6%n = 106,460Italian Game: Classical VariationC5350.8%n = 102,444Ruy Lopez: Morphy DefenseC7044.7%n = 101,491French Defense: Advance VariationC0250.1%n = 94,498Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange VariationB1349.2%n = 91,442Alekhine Defense: Normal VariationB0249.1%n = 90,152Zukertort Opening: Tennison GambitA0648.5%n = 88,372Petrov's DefenseC4249.6%n = 82,952Ponziani OpeningC4450.2%n = 82,579King's Indian Defense: Normal VariationE7046.2%n = 81,854English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight VariationA1650.0%n = 78,644Rapport-Jobava SystemD0151.4%n = 76,908Benoni Defense: Old BenoniA4348.6%n = 76,217Philidor Defense: Exchange VariationC4151.5%n = 75,896Van Geet OpeningA0050.0%n = 74,836Old Indian DefenseA4148.3%n = 73,020Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Botvinnik-Carls DefenseB1250.4%n = 72,038Sicilian Defense: Najdorf VariationB9048.4%n = 70,702Slav Defense: Three Knights VariationD1551.1%n = 69,029Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern VariationD5050.4%n = 67,163Grob OpeningA0051.2%n = 65,755Slav Defense: Modern LineD1151.7%n = 63,497Nimzo-Indian DefenseE2047.0%n = 62,586Sicilian Defense: Hyperaccelerated DragonB2748.7%n = 62,294Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy VariationB0047.9%n = 58,769Old Indian DefenseA5346.7%n = 57,399King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer CountergambitC3148.8%n = 53,688English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal VariationA3450.6%n = 51,349Center GameC2150.8%n = 50,468Englund Gambit: Main LineA4045.8%n = 48,463Vienna Game: Stanley VariationC2650.7%n = 48,387Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with d6B5049.3%n = 46,817Sicilian Defense: Taimanov VariationB4548.6%n = 45,643Saragossa OpeningA0048.7%n = 45,076Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne-Kloosterboer GambitB0149.9%n = 44,386Indian Defense: Budapest GambitA5148.6%n = 44,102Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-IndianE1050.0%n = 43,797English Opening: Great Snake VariationA1045.5%n = 43,265Benoni DefenseA5650.5%n = 42,977Vienna Game: Vienna GambitC2955.3%n = 42,560Trompowsky AttackA4548.4%n = 42,190Modern Defense: Standard LineB0652.8%n = 41,598Four 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 = 38,728Modern Defense: Two Knights VariationB0648.8%n = 37,370French Defense: King's Indian AttackC0047.9%n = 36,107Englund Gambit Declined: Reversed FrenchA4049.7%n = 34,979King'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 = 20,119Vienna Game: Frankenstein-Dracula VariationC2749.3%n = 4,599
King's Knight Opening: Normal VariationC4444.9%n = 1,851,834Philidor DefenseC4144.4%n = 443,787Scotch GameC4443.3%n = 370,720Queen's Gambit DeclinedD3044.1%n = 353,257Slav DefenseD1044.1%n = 276,512Petrov's DefenseC4246.1%n = 270,039Sicilian Defense: OpenB3248.4%n = 267,403Caro-Kann Defense: Advance VariationB1247.2%n = 224,223English Opening: King's English VariationA2043.7%n = 221,158Queen's Pawn Game: Symmetrical VariationD0244.6%n = 216,984Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight VariationD3150.9%n = 216,416Queen's Gambit Declined: Normal DefenseD3544.4%n = 204,336Sicilian DefenseB5048.2%n = 194,876Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange VariationB1346.4%n = 191,925Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange VariationB1348.4%n = 189,310French Defense: Exchange VariationC0147.3%n = 183,245Nimzowitsch DefenseB0047.2%n = 167,979King's Gambit AcceptedC3345.2%n = 163,974Scandinavian Defense: Valencian VariationB0145.1%n = 162,749Bishop's Opening: Berlin DefenseC2445.5%n = 138,734Dutch DefenseA8045.8%n = 136,290King's Indian DefenseE6147.9%n = 124,899Petrov's Defense: Three Knights GameC4249.2%n = 124,511Caro-Kann DefenseB1544.5%n = 117,206Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin VariationA4545.4%n = 113,689Sicilian Defense: Closed, TraditionalB2346.5%n = 109,350English DefenseA4045.4%n = 103,608Bird Opening: Dutch VariationA0345.2%n = 101,683Queen's Pawn Game: London SystemD0249.8%n = 96,884King's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight DefenseC3044.8%n = 95,492King's Pawn Game: Leonardis VariationC2048.0%n = 93,626Zukertort OpeningA0545.6%n = 91,178Caro-Kann DefenseB1047.1%n = 89,240Elephant GambitC4049.5%n = 85,652Queen's Pawn GameD0045.4%n = 85,244English Opening: Symmetrical VariationA3044.2%n = 84,984French Defense: Advance Variation, Paulsen AttackC0246.2%n = 84,308Caro-Kann DefenseB1048.4%n = 83,185Queen's Pawn Game: Colle SystemD0449.3%n = 81,405French Defense: Queen's KnightC0047.6%n = 80,806French Defense: La Bourdonnais VariationC0048.3%n = 79,980Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, NormalC5046.3%n = 79,675English Opening: Agincourt DefenseA1345.3%n = 78,316Pirc DefenseB0744.9%n = 78,005Petrov's Defense: Italian VariationC4249.7%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 VariationB0048.9%n = 72,201Queen's Pawn Game: London System, with e6D0250.9%n = 71,584Englund Gambit: Hartlaub-Charlick GambitA4048.1%n = 71,110Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit AcceptedB2144.9%n = 70,598Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern VariationA0145.8%n = 68,462Sicilian Defense: Accelerated DragonB3247.7%n = 67,466Zukertort Opening: Sicilian InvitationA0445.8%n = 64,951Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical VariationA0146.4%n = 63,963Queen's Pawn Game: London System, with e6D0243.7%n = 62,461Semi-Slav Defense: Accelerated Move OrderD3144.7%n = 61,748English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights VariationA2243.7%n = 60,717Nimzowitsch DefenseB0048.0%n = 59,973English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian DefenseA1042.7%n = 58,425French Defense: Franco-Sicilian DefenseC0046.3%n = 57,529Pirc Defense: Classical VariationB0846.4%n = 57,340Italian Game: Giuoco PianissimoC5047.4%n = 56,958Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights AttackB1050.1%n = 56,569Italian Game: Classical VariationC5444.4%n = 56,142Sicilian Defense: ClosedB2347.4%n = 55,037Rat Defense: Small Center DefenseC0044.2%n = 54,032Queen's Pawn Game: Colle SystemD0544.4%n = 53,426Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit InvitationA0443.8%n = 53,109Bishop's Opening: Boi VariationC2344.9%n = 52,898Philidor DefenseC4147.2%n = 52,122Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin VariationD0045.1%n = 51,977English Opening: Caro-Kann Defensive SystemA1146.4%n = 50,049French Defense: Classical VariationC1147.7%n = 49,472Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Italian Four Knights VariationC5049.6%n = 48,829Dutch DefenseA8448.2%n = 48,255Caro-Kann Defense: Classical VariationB1844.0%n = 46,787Sicilian Defense: OpenB3349.2%n = 42,663Italian Game: Hungarian DefenseC5046.9%n = 42,513King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Rare DefensesE9047.9%n = 41,454Pirc Defense: Classical VariationB0848.7%n = 39,114Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Linksspringer VariationB0046.2%n = 38,958Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin CountergambitD0846.0%n = 38,318Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit AcceptedA4345.6%n = 36,716Zukertort Opening: Pirc InvitationA0445.4%n = 35,856Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch CounterattackC4445.8%n = 35,106Petrov's Defense: Stafford GambitC4248.5%n = 33,185Sicilian Defense: Staunton-Cochrane VariationB2046.8%n = 32,965King's Pawn Game: McConnell DefenseC4045.9%n = 32,676King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, King's Knight VariationE6047.7%n = 32,629Mikenas DefenseA4046.4%n = 32,055Ruy Lopez: Exchange VariationC6848.6%n = 30,792Petrov'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 RatA0047.6%n = 21,880Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Advance VariationB0050.1%n = 21,653French 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 = 8,245Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Knight DefenseD5145.8%n = 4,543Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, Knight Sacrifice LineC5746.4%n = 3,340Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Siberian VariationB2150.3%n = 599Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Anti-Berlin Variation, Mortimer VariationC6552.9%n = 429
Zukertort OpeningA0643.8%n = 231,460Center Game AcceptedC2143.4%n = 207,511Queen's Gambit Declined: Marshall DefenseD0642.3%n = 178,384Queen's Gambit AcceptedD2041.4%n = 172,455Four Knights GameC4745.4%n = 149,398Vienna Game: Max Lange DefenseC2544.4%n = 138,964Ruy Lopez: Steinitz DefenseC6242.0%n = 106,599Vienna Game: Falkbeer VariationC2643.8%n = 105,885Philidor Defense: Exchange VariationC4143.4%n = 104,530Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin VariationD0241.8%n = 100,898Four Knights Game: Italian VariationC4746.6%n = 95,387Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver DefenseC5042.8%n = 86,677Sicilian Defense: Löwenthal VariationB3246.4%n = 74,012Sicilian Defense: Taimanov VariationB4447.3%n = 68,141Four Knights Game: Italian VariationC5047.5%n = 67,912Caro-Kann Defense: Hillbilly AttackB1043.7%n = 66,386Ruy Lopez: Berlin DefenseC6543.9%n = 64,019King's Pawn Game: Busch-Gass GambitC4044.4%n = 62,192Danish Gambit AcceptedC2140.4%n = 60,551Scotch Game: Classical VariationC4545.0%n = 59,335Ruy Lopez: Classical VariationC6445.9%n = 58,809Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Knight Attack, Normal VariationC5746.6%n = 58,682French Defense: Exchange VariationC0145.5%n = 57,121Zukertort Opening: Black Mustang DefenseA0443.5%n = 52,448Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Three Knights VariationC2844.9%n = 47,525Semi-Slav DefenseD4344.3%n = 47,463Blackmar-Diemer GambitD0043.9%n = 46,034Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Short VariationB1245.9%n = 43,782Queen's Gambit DeclinedD5344.7%n = 42,959Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Dubois Réti DefenseC4445.7%n = 42,873Center Game: Normal VariationC2245.4%n = 42,286King's Gambit Accepted: MacLeod DefenseC3443.2%n = 42,170French Defense: Advance Variation, Nimzowitsch SystemC0242.0%n = 40,472Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern VariationA0145.8%n = 40,110Alekhine DefenseB0346.4%n = 37,719King's Pawn Game: Maróczy DefenseB0745.3%n = 36,167Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation AcceptedC4742.4%n = 32,951Vienna Game: Anderssen DefenseC2545.0%n = 30,022Italian Game: Blackburne-Kostić GambitC5047.4%n = 28,859Petrov'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 = 2,131
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.