Best openings for White
This page ranks White openings by how they score in Lichess games between players rated 900 to 1700. The data is from September 2026. Score means points: a win counts 1 and a draw counts 0.5. Across all bands, the Danish Gambit scores 56 points out of every 100 in 105,539 games. The Scotch Game, with 3., scores 55 over 872,247 games. The ten openings in the table sit close together: less than 3 points out of every 100 separate top from bottom.
Find the table for your rating band. Each one lists the ten best-scoring openings there and how many games stand behind each number. Read both columns. From 1300 to 1500 the Catalan scores 55 on just 2,121 games, a far shakier number than the Scotch's 55 on 288,322.
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
With all four bands together, the Danish Gambit leads: after 3. it scores 56 out of every 100 points. Next come the Scotch (3.) and the Réti (1. and 2.), at 55 each. The Réti rests on 25,588 games, so its real score is probably between 54 and 56. Treat the Catalan with more care: on 7,339 games, its real score could be anywhere from 53 to 56. The Queen's Gambit (2.) has 1,317,441 games and scores almost 55. That is the most solid number here. The Ruy Lopez, with 3., closes the list at 53.
| Opening | Score | Games | Share | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danish Gambit | 55.7%between 55.4% and 56.0% | 105,539 | 0.4% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Scotch Game | 55.1%between 55.0% and 55.2% | 872,247 | 2.9% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Réti Opening | 55.0%between 54.4% and 55.6% | 25,588 | 0.1% | 1. 2. |
| Catalan Opening | 54.5%between 53.3% and 55.6% | 7,339 | under 0.1% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Polish Opening | 54.5%between 54.3% and 54.8% | 145,328 | 0.5% | 1. |
| Queen's Gambit | 54.5%between 54.4% and 54.6% | 1,317,441 | 4.3% | 1. 2. |
| King's Gambit | 54.2%between 54.1% and 54.4% | 435,567 | 1.4% | 1. 2. |
| Rapport-Jobava System | 54.0%between 53.7% and 54.2% | 200,334 | 0.7% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Vienna Game | 53.4%between 53.3% and 53.6% | 516,568 | 1.7% | 1. 2. |
| Ruy Lopez | 53.3%between 53.2% and 53.5% | 701,005 | 2.3% | 1. 2. 3. |
900 to 1100
In this band the Rapport-Jobava System moves up: 1., 2. and 3. score 55 out of every 100 points over 24,303 games. The Scotch scores the same with 97,327 games behind it. The Bishop's Opening (2.) and the Queen's Gambit are the most played in this table, each about 3 in every 100 games in this band. The King's Knight Opening (2.) enters at 54 over 38,162 games. The Réti has only 2,168 games, so its real score could be anywhere from 52 to 56.
| 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. |
| Queen's Gambit | 54.8%between 54.5% and 55.1% | 120,293 | 3.1% | 1. 2. |
| King's Gambit | 54.5%between 54.0% and 55.1% | 31,585 | 0.8% | 1. 2. |
| London System | 54.0%between 53.8% and 54.3% | 147,540 | 3.9% | 1. 2. |
| Ruy Lopez | 53.9%between 53.6% and 54.3% | 77,885 | 2.0% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Réti Opening | 53.8%between 51.7% and 55.8% | 2,168 | 0.1% | 1. 2. |
| King's Knight Opening | 53.7%between 53.2% and 54.2% | 38,162 | 1.0% | 1. 2. |
| Polish Opening | 53.6%between 52.7% and 54.5% | 11,750 | 0.3% | 1. |
1100 to 1300
The Scotch leads this band: 3. scores 55 out of every 100 points over 208,745 games. The Queen's Gambit is right behind, also at 55, over 256,249 games, the largest sample in the table. The Réti also scores 55, but on just 4,476 games. The King's Gambit (2.) and the Rapport-Jobava score almost 55. The Vienna Game (2.) and the Bishop's Opening close the table at 53.
| 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. |
1300 to 1500
The Danish Gambit is back on top: 56 out of every 100 points over 36,548 games. The Catalan shows up, with 3., scoring 55 on only 2,121 games; its range runs from 53 to 57. The Scotch scores the same over 288,322 games, a much firmer number. The Polish Opening, 1., also scores 55, over 47,450 games. The Queen's Gambit is the most played in this table: about 4 in every 100 games in this band.
| 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. |
| Scotch Game | 55.2%between 55.0% and 55.4% | 288,322 | 3.0% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Polish Opening | 55.0%between 54.5% and 55.4% | 47,450 | 0.5% | 1. |
| King's Gambit | 54.7%between 54.4% and 54.9% | 139,749 | 1.5% | 1. 2. |
| Queen's Gambit | 54.6%between 54.4% and 54.7% | 423,489 | 4.4% | 1. 2. |
| Rapport-Jobava System | 53.8%between 53.4% and 54.1% | 63,406 | 0.7% | 1. 2. 3. |
| Vienna Game | 53.6%between 53.4% and 53.8% | 163,673 | 1.7% | 1. 2. |
| Bishop's Opening | 53.3%between 53.1% and 53.5% | 264,223 | 2.8% | 1. 2. |
1500 to 1700
The Danish Gambit posts its best number here: 56 out of every 100 points over 41,544 games. The Réti and the Scotch follow at 55, the Scotch with 277,853 games. The Queen's Gambit rises to about 5 in every 100 games in this band and scores 54. The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, 1. and 2., enters at 53 over 46,728 games. The Rapport-Jobava, which led the 900 to 1100 band, drops to the bottom at 53.
| 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. |