Best openings for Black
This guide ranks Black's defenses by how they score on Lichess for players rated 900 to 1700. Each table covers one rating band and mixes answers to 1. and 1.. A win counts as 1 point and a draw as half.
Read two columns together: score and games. The top rows hold defenses almost nobody plays, like the East Indian ( and against 1. and 2.), with 20,620 games in total. The big ones, the Sicilian () and the Caro-Kann (), run into the millions of games and sit close to 50 points out of every 100.
Each row also has a range: the interval where the defense's true score most likely falls. Few games make the range wide, while millions of games keep it tight. From the top of each table to the bottom, the score spans at most 53 to 49 points out of 100. Over 100 games, that is about 4 points.
Lichess games from September 2026 (30,577,162 rated 900 to 1700) and 31,791 over-the-board games rated 2300+ from the last 12 months. Data updated: October 14, 2026.
All bands together
Across all bands, the East Indian scores 52 points out of every 100 in 20,620 games. The Lion (, and ) follows with 51 out of 100 in 8,746 games. The Sicilian, with 2,331,565 games, and the Caro-Kann, with 1,633,127, both land on 50 out of 100. The French () is level with them, and the Modern () drops to 49.
| Opening | Score | Games | Share | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Indian Defense | 51.7%between 51.1% and 52.4% | 20,620 | 0.1% | 1. 2. |
| Lion Defense | 51.1%between 50.0% and 52.1% | 8,746 | under 0.1% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 50.1%between 50.1% and 50.2% | 1,633,127 | 5.3% | 1. |
| Grünfeld Defense | 50.1%between 49.3% and 50.9% | 16,753 | 0.1% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Sicilian Defense | 50.1%between 50.1% and 50.2% | 2,331,565 | 7.6% | 1. |
| French Defense | 49.9%between 49.8% and 49.9% | 1,826,778 | 6.0% | 1. |
| Benoni Defense | 49.6%between 49.4% and 49.8% | 213,714 | 0.7% | 1. 2. |
| Englund Gambit | 49.6%between 49.5% and 49.8% | 592,052 | 1.9% | 1. |
| Indian Defense | 49.2%between 49.1% and 49.4% | 267,306 | 0.9% | 1. |
| Elephant Gambit | 49.1%between 48.8% and 49.4% | 113,670 | 0.4% | 1. 2. |
900 to 1100
At 900 to 1100 the East Indian stays on top, with 53 points out of every 100 in 2,171 games. The Tarrasch (1., , 2., , 3., ) scores 52 out of 100, but with 1,110 games its range runs from 49 to 55, so it may be plain average. Among the popular defenses, the Sicilian gives you 50 out of 100 in 170,663 games. At this level the French slips to 49. The English Defense ( against 1.) scores 49 out of 100 in 12,318 games.
| Opening | Score | Games | Share | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Indian Defense | 52.6%between 50.5% and 54.7% | 2,171 | 0.1% | 1. 2. |
| Tarrasch Defense | 52.2%between 49.2% and 55.1% | 1,110 | under 0.1% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Sicilian Defense | 50.4%between 50.2% and 50.7% | 170,663 | 4.5% | 1. |
| Indian Defense | 50.2%between 49.6% and 50.8% | 26,756 | 0.7% | 1. |
| Modern Defense | 50.0%between 49.6% and 50.5% | 48,286 | 1.3% | 1. |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 49.8%between 49.6% and 50.1% | 165,112 | 4.3% | 1. |
| Lion Defense | 49.6%between 47.0% and 52.2% | 1,397 | under 0.1% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Pirc Defense | 49.6%between 49.3% and 50.0% | 74,967 | 2.0% | 1. |
| French Defense | 49.3%between 49.1% and 49.6% | 189,781 | 5.0% | 1. |
| English Defense | 49.0%between 48.1% and 49.8% | 12,318 | 0.3% | 1. |
1100 to 1300
At 1100 to 1300 the East Indian (4,307 games) and the Lion (2,113 games) both sit around 53 points out of every 100. The Sicilian scores 51 out of 100 in 405,432 games, and the Caro-Kann and the French land on 50. The Pirc () is at the bottom of the table with 49 out of 100 in 134,363 games. Keep in mind when you compare the two rows: the Pirc row counts every game after , Lion games included.
| Opening | Score | Games | Share | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Indian Defense | 52.7%between 51.2% and 54.2% | 4,307 | 0.1% | 1. 2. |
| Lion Defense | 52.5%between 50.4% and 54.6% | 2,113 | under 0.1% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Sicilian Defense | 50.5%between 50.3% and 50.6% | 405,432 | 5.9% | 1. |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 50.1%between 50.0% and 50.3% | 346,405 | 5.0% | 1. |
| French Defense | 50.0%between 49.8% and 50.1% | 385,348 | 5.6% | 1. |
| Grünfeld Defense | 49.9%between 47.7% and 52.1% | 1,967 | under 0.1% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Benoni Defense | 49.5%between 49.0% and 50.0% | 38,529 | 0.6% | 1. 2. |
| Englund Gambit | 49.5%between 49.3% and 49.8% | 137,203 | 2.0% | 1. |
| Modern Defense | 49.3%between 49.0% and 49.6% | 111,905 | 1.6% | 1. |
| Indian Defense | 49.0%between 48.6% and 49.5% | 50,765 | 0.7% | 1. |
1300 to 1500
At 1300 to 1500 the East Indian holds 52 points out of every 100 in 6,372 games. The Lion also shows 52, but with 2,508 games its range dips to nearly 50. The Caro-Kann (529,208 games) and the Sicilian (751,890) sit on 50 out of 100. The Englund Gambit ( against 1.) matches the French, with 50 out of 100 in 191,103 games.
| Opening | Score | Games | Share | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Indian Defense | 52.4%between 51.2% and 53.6% | 6,372 | 0.1% | 1. 2. |
| Lion Defense | 51.6%between 49.7% and 53.6% | 2,508 | under 0.1% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 50.3%between 50.1% and 50.4% | 529,208 | 5.5% | 1. |
| Sicilian Defense | 50.3%between 50.2% and 50.4% | 751,890 | 7.8% | 1. |
| Englund Gambit | 50.0%between 49.8% and 50.2% | 191,103 | 2.0% | 1. |
| French Defense | 49.9%between 49.8% and 50.1% | 593,540 | 6.2% | 1. |
| Grünfeld Defense | 49.9%between 48.5% and 51.3% | 4,775 | 0.1% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Indian Defense | 49.4%between 49.0% and 49.7% | 83,481 | 0.9% | 1. |
| Benoni Defense | 49.3%between 48.9% and 49.7% | 68,622 | 0.7% | 1. 2. |
| Elephant Gambit | 49.3%between 48.8% and 49.9% | 33,765 | 0.4% | 1. 2. |
1500 to 1700
At 1500 to 1700 the top of the table changes. The Elephant Gambit (1., , 2., ) scores 51 points out of every 100 in 35,889 games, and its whole range sits above 50. The East Indian falls to 50, level with the Grünfeld (1., , 2., , 3., ) at 9,397 games. The Czech Defense (1., , 2., , 3., ) also scores 50 out of 100 in 9,089 games. The Sicilian, the most played here at 1,003,580 games, scores 50 out of 100 and sits at the bottom of the list.
| Opening | Score | Games | Share | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elephant Gambit | 51.3%between 50.8% and 51.8% | 35,889 | 0.4% | 1. 2. |
| East Indian Defense | 50.4%between 49.3% and 51.5% | 7,770 | 0.1% | 1. 2. |
| Grünfeld Defense | 50.4%between 49.4% and 51.4% | 9,397 | 0.1% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Lion Defense | 50.2%between 48.3% and 52.1% | 2,728 | under 0.1% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 50.1%between 50.0% and 50.3% | 592,402 | 5.8% | 1. |
| Benoni Defense | 50.0%between 49.7% and 50.3% | 90,163 | 0.9% | 1. 2. |
| Englund Gambit | 49.9%between 49.7% and 50.1% | 189,697 | 1.9% | 1. |
| French Defense | 49.9%between 49.8% and 50.0% | 658,109 | 6.5% | 1. |
| Czech Defense | 49.8%between 48.8% and 50.8% | 9,089 | 0.1% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Sicilian Defense | 49.8%between 49.7% and 49.9% | 1,003,580 | 9.9% | 1. |