To learn an opening, pick one as White and one defence as Black, understand what each move is for and know the mistakes that keep happening at your level, instead of memorising lines. The tables and mistakes on this page come from 30,577,162 Lichess games between players rated 900 to 1700, played in September 2026.
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.
Two openings are enough to start: one for when you open and one for when your opponent does. Check the table for your rating below and choose one you'd enjoy playing.
Every opening move has a goal: hold the centre, bring out a piece, get ready to castle. Know the goal and you'll find the move even when your opponent plays something you didn't study. On Planchetto, before each key move we ask you what it's for.
At your level, many games are decided by familiar mistakes: a knight that jumps too early, a queen that goes pawn-hunting. Learn the ones in your opening and your opponent's, with the move that punishes each one.
Daily review brings each position back when it's due, and after finishing a line you can keep playing that position against Stockfish at the level you choose.
In each rating band, the most played opening and the best scoring one among those with enough games to trust the figure. Pick a band to see the full table.
| Rating | As White | As Black |
|---|---|---|
| 900 to 1100 | As WhiteMost played: London SystemBest score: Scotch Game 55.1% (between 54.8% and 55.5%) | As BlackMost played: French DefenseBest score: East Indian Defense 52.6% (between 50.5% and 54.7%) |
| 1100 to 1300 | As WhiteMost played: London SystemBest score: Scotch Game 55.4% (between 55.1% and 55.6%) | As BlackMost played: Sicilian DefenseBest score: East Indian Defense 52.7% (between 51.2% and 54.2%) |
| 1300 to 1500 | As WhiteMost played: Queen's GambitBest score: Danish Gambit 55.7% (between 55.2% and 56.2%) | As BlackMost played: Sicilian DefenseBest score: East Indian Defense 52.4% (between 51.2% and 53.6%) |
| 1500 to 1700 | As WhiteMost played: Queen's GambitBest score: Danish Gambit 56.3% (between 55.8% and 56.7%) | As BlackMost played: Sicilian DefenseBest score: Elephant Gambit 51.3% (between 50.8% and 51.8%) |
These are serious mistakes that keep happening in the most played openings at your level. Each one is punished within a few moves: the board marks the mistake and the punishment is written below it.
Italian Game · 1. 2. 3.
Blunder, and a trap. After , 4. goes after f7, but there's no knight on f6 blocking the d8 queen's diagonal, so just takes it and hits g2 as well. After 5. you're still a piece down. Play 4. instead. 2 in 100 fall for it, and you score 33.8 against 54.1.
Punished by 5. 6. 7.
Scandinavian Defense · 1. 2. 3.
After 2. 3., opens the e8-h5 diagonal. 4. leaves as your only legal move, and 5. hits the h8 rook: after , 6. takes it. challenges the undefended knight instead. Players at your level do punish this: you score 35 in 100 after , 60 after .
Punished by 4. 5. 6.
London System · 1. 2.
A blunder, and a trap. After , the bishop is aimed at your queen through the e2 pawn. Play 3. and that pawn steps out of the way, so wins your queen, and after 4. you've lost the right to castle too. 8 in 100 fall for it, and then you score 11 in 100; with 3., 52.
Punished by 4. 5. 6.
Scotch Game · 1. 2. 3. 4.
A blunder that usually works out at your level. After , 5. gives up the knight: following 6. 7. 8. you have f7 and d5 for it, and the enemy king sits on g6 with no castling. 99 in 100 choose it; you score 69 in 100, and just over 1 in 3 with 5..
Punished by 6. 7. 8.
Each course teaches one opening from move one, with its plan, the mistakes most often made at this level, exercises and daily review.
The Italian is free and complete. Every other course opens with Premium: The first lesson of each is free.
Free course. Open with and learn the Italian Game plan for each Black reply: defending e4 with , building the centre with and , taking the centre with and gaining space with .
21 lines in 3 chapters. Free and complete.
See the syllabusOne setup, , and , against and , with a plan for each Black idea: against the d5 pawn, against and against .
17 lines in 2 chapters.
See the syllabusThe Accelerated Dragon: after and , and put your bishop on the long diagonal. If White exchanges on c6, you recapture with , towards the centre. And a plan against other frequent White replies: when the bishop comes out early to c4, and or against , hitting e4 at once.
34 lines in 4 chapters.
See the syllabusThe King's Indian set-up: , , and . You let White build a centre with pawns on c4, d4 and e4, then strike at it with the break. If White closes the centre with , you first slow down White's queenside advance and then attack on the kingside with . And a plan against each frequent White system: against the Sämisch (the system with ) and against the fianchetto.
30 lines in 3 chapters.
See the syllabusAgainst , the pawn backs up and you fight for the centre from the first move without shutting in your light-squared bishop: you get it out before blocks its path. Against the Advance, and then the break, which hits White's pawn chain at its base on d4. In the Classical, challenges the knight on e4 and, if White trades, opens the e-file so you develop quickly with your king safe. Against the Exchange, with puts pressure on d4; against the Panov, with or holds d5.
54 lines in 6 chapters.
See the syllabusFrom the first move: , and, when Black captures with , , the Danish Gambit. If Black accepts the pawns, your bishops on and aim at f7 and g7, and you develop before winning material back. If Black declines with or answers otherwise, you take the pawn back and play with a comfortable centre. The gambit is sound: with exact defence Black equalises, but at your level White scores better than in the rest of 1.e4 e5.
28 lines in 4 chapters.
See the syllabusFrom the first move: and, against , . If Black takes with , you win the pawn back with and . Against you develop with , trade on d5 and pin the knight with , without falling for the Elephant Trap. Against the Slav, , you stop with .
20 lines in 3 chapters.
See the syllabusFrom the first move: against , . If White trades, you recapture with and take the queen to a5, out of reach of their pieces. You develop the bishop before , give the queen a square with and know what to do when White doesn't trade.
30 lines in 7 chapters.
See the syllabus