Openings for 1200-rated players
This guide collects Lichess games from players rated 1100 to 1300, the band around 1200. There is one table for White and one for Black, with openings that start with 1., with 1. or with something less common, such as 1.. For each opening you see how many games there are, how often it is played, and how the side that picks it scores, in points per 100 games. A win is 1 point and a draw is half.
As White, the rows run from 53 to 55 points out of 100, from the Scotch with 3. and its 208,745 games down to the Bishop's Opening with 2.. The whole table fits within about 2 points, so any of the ten will do. Pick the one you enjoy playing.
As Black, the best row barely passes 52 and most sit near 50. That is expected: White moves first.
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
The Scotch Game leads the table: 3. after 2. scores 55 points out of 100 over 208,745 games. The Queen's Gambit, with 2., is almost level and has the biggest sample, 256,249 games.
The Réti scores the same, but with only 4,476 games the true result could sit anywhere from 54 to 57. The Danish Gambit with 3., the King's Gambit with 2., the Polish Opening with 1. and the Rapport-Jobava System all sit near 55, each on far fewer games than the Scotch. The Ruy Lopez with 3. and the Bishop's Opening with 2. are played far more often than that group near 55 and land at 53.5 and 53.3.
| 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. |
| Danish Gambit | 54.9%between 54.2% and 55.6% | 20,196 | 0.3% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Polish Opening | 54.8%between 54.1% and 55.4% | 26,216 | 0.4% | 1. |
| King's Gambit | 54.5%between 54.2% and 54.9% | 73,075 | 1.1% | 1. 2. |
| Rapport-Jobava System | 54.5%between 54.1% and 55.0% | 47,573 | 0.7% | 1. 2. 3. |
| London System | 53.5%between 53.4% and 53.7% | 286,999 | 4.1% | 1. 2. |
| Ruy Lopez | 53.5%between 53.3% and 53.8% | 175,794 | 2.5% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Vienna Game | 53.4%between 53.1% and 53.7% | 122,902 | 1.8% | 1. 2. |
With Black
As Black the numbers drop, and almost everything sits near 50 out of 100. At the top are the East Indian, which scores 52.7 with and against 1., and the Lion Defense, which scores 52.5. Both are small samples: 4,307 and 2,113 games.
Against 1., the Sicilian with , the Caro-Kann with and the French with all score 50 out of 100. That 50 rests on huge samples: 405,432 games for the Sicilian alone. Against 1., the Englund Gambit with scores 49.5 over 137,203 games, just under 50. The Pirc, with , is clearly lower at 48.8.
If you already meet 1. with the Sicilian, the Caro-Kann or the French, stay with it. The edge the East Indian and the Lion show comes from few games and is no reason to switch defenses.
| 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. |