Openings by rating
This guide ranks openings by how they score in real Lichess games, split by color and by rating band from 900 to 1700. Each table shows three openings, how many games sit behind them, from 1,110 to 529,208, and how many points they score out of every 100.
The same names recur from band to band. With White, the Danish Gambit, the Scotch and the Réti each appear in 3 of the 4 tables: the Danish with 3., the Scotch with 3., the Réti with 1. and 2.. With Black, the East Indian Defense, and , shows up in all 4 tables. Black's numbers are lower: no defense scores more than 53 out of 100.
Watch the game counts too. The Sicilian has 405,432 games in the 1100 to 1300 band; the Tarrasch Defense has 1,110 in the 900 to 1100 band. With few games, a score of 52 may be no different from 50. That is why each row comes with a margin: the range where the true score probably sits. If the margin reaches 50, you can't say the opening does better than an even one. The Tarrasch is that case: its margin dips below 50.
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.
With White, 900 to 1100
From 900 to 1100, all three White openings score 55 points out of 100. The Rapport-Jobava System, with 2. and 3., has 24,303 games. The Scotch has 97,327 and has you open the center with 3. right away. The Danish Gambit offers a pawn with 3. after and shows up in 7,251 games, the smallest sample of the three.
| Opening | Score | Games | Share | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapport-Jobava System | 55.2%between 54.6% and 55.9% | 24,303 | 0.6% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Scotch Game | 55.1%between 54.8% and 55.5% | 97,327 | 2.5% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Danish Gambit | 54.9%between 53.8% and 56.1% | 7,251 | 0.2% | 1. 2. 3. |
With Black, 900 to 1100
With Black from 900 to 1100, the numbers drop. The East Indian Defense, and against 1. and 2., scores 53 out of 100 in 2,171 games. The Tarrasch, with , scores 52 in just 1,110 games, and its margin dips below 50: you can't be sure it does better than an even opening. The Sicilian, , sits at 50 with 170,663 games, the biggest sample in this table.
| 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. |
With White, 1100 to 1300
From 1100 to 1300, the Scotch holds at 55 points out of 100 across 208,745 games, about 3 in every 100 games in the band. The Queen's Gambit, 1. 2., also scores 55 and is the most played of the three, with 256,249 games. The Réti gets there too with 2. after 1., but from only 4,476 games.
| Opening | Score | Games | Share | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotch Game | 55.4%between 55.1% and 55.6% | 208,745 | 3.0% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Queen's Gambit | 55.1%between 55.0% and 55.3% | 256,249 | 3.7% | 1. 2. |
| Réti Opening | 55.1%between 53.7% and 56.6% | 4,476 | 0.1% | 1. 2. |
With Black, 1100 to 1300
With Black from 1100 to 1300, the East Indian shows up again: 53 out of 100 in 4,307 games. The Lion Defense, with , and , scores just over 52 in 2,113 games, and its margin stays barely above 50. The Sicilian has 405,432 games, nearly 6 in every 100 in the band, and scores 50. Lots of people play it here and the results split evenly.
| 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. |
With White, 1300 to 1500
From 1300 to 1500, the Danish Gambit moves to the top: 56 points out of 100 in 36,548 games. The Réti, with 1. and 2., scores 55 in 7,620. The Catalan, 3. after 1. 2. , also scores 55, but with 2,121 games its margin is wide. If you want an opening from this table with a large sample behind it, pick the Danish.
| Opening | Score | Games | Share | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danish Gambit | 55.7%between 55.2% and 56.2% | 36,548 | 0.4% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Réti Opening | 55.4%between 54.3% and 56.5% | 7,620 | 0.1% | 1. 2. |
| Catalan Opening | 55.2%between 53.1% and 57.3% | 2,121 | under 0.1% | 1. 2. 3. |
With Black, 1300 to 1500
With Black from 1300 to 1500, the East Indian stays on top at 52 out of 100 in 6,372 games. The Lion Defense slips to just under 52 in 2,508 games, and its margin now falls below 50. The Caro-Kann, against 1., scores 50 with 529,208 games, more than 5 in every 100 in the band. That is the largest sample in this guide.
| 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. |
With White, 1500 to 1700
From 1500 to 1700, the Danish Gambit reaches 56 out of 100 with 41,544 games, the highest score in the whole guide. The Réti scores 55 in 11,324 games. The Scotch stays at 55 with 277,853 games, the largest sample of the three. The Danish stays on top with more games behind it than in the 1300 to 1500 band, where it had 36,548.
| Opening | Score | Games | Share | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danish Gambit | 56.3%between 55.8% and 56.7% | 41,544 | 0.4% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Réti Opening | 54.9%between 54.0% and 55.8% | 11,324 | 0.1% | 1. 2. |
| Scotch Game | 54.7%between 54.5% and 54.8% | 277,853 | 2.7% | 1. 2. 3. |
With Black, 1500 to 1700
From 1500 to 1700, no defense scores above 51 out of 100. The Elephant Gambit, after 1. 2., scores 51 in 35,889 games. The East Indian and the Grünfeld sit at 50, with 7,770 and 9,397 games, and both margins cross 50. With these defenses at this level, expect an even result.
| 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. |