Openings for 1600-rated players
This guide ranks openings by the points players rated 1500 to 1700 score with them on Lichess. There is one table for White and one for Black, with 10 rows each. A win counts as one point and a draw as half. For White, the Danish Gambit sits at the top: after 1. 2. 3., White scores 56 points out of every 100 across 41,544 games. For Black the gaps are much smaller, and almost everything lands between 50 and 51 out of 100.
Check how many games sit behind each row, too. The Sicilian, with , has 1,003,580; the Lion Defense has 2,728. A number built on few games moves around more. Use the tables to choose between openings you already like. One point of difference is not a reason to rebuild your repertoire.
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
For White, the table runs from 53 to 56 points out of 100. The Réti, 1. and 2., and the Scotch, 1. 2. 3., both score 55. The Scotch gets there on 277,853 games against 11,324, so its number is far firmer. After 1. you have more options: the King's Gambit, 2., scores 54 with 191,158 games, and the Vienna Game, 2., comes in at 53 with 159,544. The Queen's Gambit, 2., is the most played line here: 517,410 games and 54 out of 100. The Catalan, with 3., has only 3,984 games, so its true score could sit anywhere from 52.5 to 55.6 out of 100.
| 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. |
| Polish Opening | 54.2%between 53.8% and 54.6% | 59,912 | 0.6% | 1. |
| Catalan Opening | 54.1%between 52.5% and 55.6% | 3,984 | under 0.1% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Queen's Gambit | 54.0%between 53.9% and 54.1% | 517,410 | 5.1% | 1. 2. |
| King's Gambit | 53.7%between 53.5% and 54.0% | 191,158 | 1.9% | 1. 2. |
| Vienna Game | 53.4%between 53.2% and 53.7% | 159,544 | 1.6% | 1. 2. |
| Blackmar-Diemer Gambit | 53.3%between 52.9% and 53.8% | 46,728 | 0.5% | 1. 2. |
| Rapport-Jobava System | 53.3%between 52.9% and 53.7% | 65,052 | 0.6% | 1. 2. 3. |
With Black
For Black the table is much flatter: it runs from 50 to 51 points out of 100. The Elephant Gambit, after 2., leads with 51 across 35,889 games. The Caro-Kann, , and the French, , sit at 50 with 592,402 and 658,109 games. With rows this close, pick the kind of position you feel at home in. The Grünfeld, after 3., has only 9,397 games, so its true score could be anywhere from 49.4 to 51.4 out of 100.
| 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. |