The Grob Opening starts with 1.: you push the g-pawn two squares to put your bishop on g2, aiming down the long diagonal at d5 and b7. On Lichess (September 2026, N = 87,311 games), you score 50.7% with it, and it turns up in 0.3% of club games. Over the board, players rated 2300+ have 1 game with it. Strong online players prefer , which takes the center and leaves your g4 pawn hanging to the c8 bishop.
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.
20 named lines in this family; 1 with their own page.
The opening's share in each Lichess rating band.
After 1., club players split between , in 34 of every 100 games, and , in 32 of every 100. Online players rated over 2200 choose in 57 of every 100, and only 11 in 100 go for . Against you play 2. in 58 of every 100 games; among strong players that rises to 76. From there, club players grab the pawn with 39 times in 100, while strong players lean slightly toward , at 42 in 100. After , the usual move at your level is 3.; strong players prefer 3., and there the reply jumps from 35 in 100 among club players to 67 in 100 among strong ones.
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34.0% | 50.3% | 10.9% | no data | |
| 32.0% | 51.0% | 57.1% | no data | |
| 6.6% | 50.0% | no data | no data | |
| 5.2% | 49.3% | 6.2% | no data | |
| 4.0% | 50.8% | 4.7% | no data | |
| 3.7% | 51.1% | 6.2% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 5.1% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57.6% | 53.6% | 75.7% | no data | |
| 24.9% | 50.2% | 9.1% | no data | |
| 6.1% | 51.5% | 10.5% | no data | |
| 4.3% | 49.1% | 0.7% | no data | |
| 1.2% | 20.9% | no data | no data | |
| 1.0% | 35.7% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 4.0% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39.3% | 56.1% | 38.1% | no data | |
| 18.2% | 53.0% | 7.0% | no data | |
| 11.7% | 49.6% | 42.2% | no data | |
| 11.1% | 51.0% | 1.4% | no data | |
| 7.8% | 54.9% | no data | no data | |
| 5.5% | 51.8% | 5.4% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 4.7% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42.3% | 55.8% | 34.6% | no data | |
| 20.7% | 51.1% | 41.4% | no data | |
| 17.4% | 52.6% | 24.1% | no data | |
| 4.9% | 38.6% | no data | no data | |
| 3.7% | 39.8% | no data | no data | |
| 3.7% | 55.0% | no data | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34.7% | 50.8% | 67.4% | no data | |
| 27.5% | 53.9% | 15.8% | no data | |
| 14.9% | 53.6% | no data | no data | |
| 9.1% | 47.0% | 16.8% | no data | |
| 8.3% | 44.3% | no data | no data | |
| 2.8% | 47.6% | no data | no data |
The strong-player line is 1. 2. 3. 4. . It revolves around two things: your bishop's long diagonal and the pawn you pushed. The g4 pawn clears g2 for the bishop, but it sits out on its own, and nearly every move you make on that wing is an answer to an attack on it.
With your opponent takes the center and opens the diagonal for the c8 bishop, which now hits g4. Nothing defends that pawn. Your 2. doesn't protect it; it counterattacks. The bishop bears down on d5, and if that pawn ever goes, it sees b7 at the far end of the diagonal. That is why accepts a gambit: your opponent takes the pawn, and you answer with 3. to hit d5 twice, with pawn and bishop. And once is played, the c8 bishop no longer guards b7, which is exactly the pawn your g2 bishop ends up eyeing.
Strong players more often reply , which adds a second defender to d5 and shuts the diagonal. Your bishop now runs into the c6 and d5 pawns, and g4 is still attacked by the c8 bishop. With 3. you move it out of that attack and gain space: from g5 the pawn covers f6 and h6, so the g8 knight can no longer use its natural square on f6.
Your opponent answers , building a pawn center on d5 and e5. That move also opens the queen's diagonal from d8 to g5, so your pawn is under attack again. This is why 4. comes right now: it props the pawn up with another pawn instead of retreating. With your opponent hits g5 a second time, with queen and pawn, and you have to decide what to do about that tension on the kingside. That is where the strong-player line stops.
At your level the game usually goes elsewhere sooner. After the most common move is 3., which hits d5 head-on instead of gaining space with the g-pawn. And after 3., only 35 in 100 opponents reply ; 28 in 100 develop the bishop first with , outside the c6 and d5 chain. The rule that holds in every one of these lines: your g-pawn moves or gets defended when it is attacked, and the g2 bishop only really works once d5 is exchanged or falls.
| Move | Strong games | Chosen by |
|---|---|---|
| 1,331 | 57.1% | |
| 750 | 75.7% | |
| 557 | 42.2% | |
| 266 | 41.4% | |
| 95 | 67.4% | |
| 64 | 51.6% | |
| 22 | 54.5% |
A game-losing blunder. After 1. 2. , 3. opens the diagonal from h4 to your king, and is mate: the f-pawn no longer blocks it and g3 is empty. About 3 in 100 players walk into it from this position. With 3. you score 31 in 100; with 3., 54 in 100.
3 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 10 pawns of advantage. It scores 31.0%; scores 54.2%.
An inaccuracy. After 1. 2. , 3. hits d5 but leaves g4 on its own. Then 4. attacks g4 with pawn and bishop, and after 5., hits h5 and f2. About 48 in 100 play it and you score 55 in 100, a touch more than with 3., so it rarely gets punished at your level.
48 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1 pawn of advantage. It scores 54.9%; scores 54.1%.
A mistake. After 1. , 2. pushes another pawn without developing, and after your h-pawn can no longer defend g4 from h3. Then 3. 4. , and your opponent challenges g5. About 7 in 100 play it; you score 51 in 100 against 53 with 2., so it often goes unpunished at your level.
7 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1 pawn of advantage. It scores 51.1%; scores 52.6%.
An inaccuracy. After 1. 2. , 3. gets the pawn away from the c8 bishop, but defends e5 and eyes d4. If you strike with 4., after 5. you're a pawn down with g5 under fire. About 22 in 100 choose it and you score 56 in 100: it rarely gets punished at your level.
22 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.8 pawns of advantage. It scores 55.5%; scores 54.1%.
A mistake. After 1. 2. , 3. does nothing for g4, and picks it up for free. With 4. 5. you hit b7 and d5, but after 6. you are still two pawns down. About 8 in 100 play it and you score 57 in 100: at your level opponents often let it slide.
8 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1.7 pawns of advantage. It scores 56.5%; scores 54.1%.
An inaccuracy. After 1. , 2. allows : your diagonal runs into c6 and d5, and the c8 bishop attacks g4. After 3. 4. 5., your opponent owns the center. Better is 2., defending g4 in advance. At your level it hardly shows: you score 53 in 100 with 2. and 51 with 2..
67 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.6 pawns of advantage. It scores 52.6%; scores 50.5%.
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Not castled | Not castled | 31,129 |
| Not castled | 20,093 | |
| Not castled | 8,133 | |
| 7,083 | ||
| 6,528 | ||
| Not castled | 4,912 |
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
1. 2. · 12,497 amateur games · 1 over the board
With 1. 2. you offer the g4 pawn for pressure on d5; you score 54 in 100.
1. 2. 3. · 5,582 amateur games
After 1. 2. , 3. hits d5 with a pawn; you score 55 in 100.
1. 2. · A00
2,864 amateur games · White's score: 51.2%
1. · A00
930 amateur games · White's score: 55.4%
1. 2. 3. · A00
867 amateur games · White's score: 51.2%
1. 2. · A00
545 amateur games · White's score: 42.2%
1. 2. 3. · A00
506 amateur games · White's score: 48.8%
1. · A00
257 amateur games · White's score: 55.4%
1. 2. 3. · A00
85 amateur games · White's score: 77.1%
1. 2. 3. · A00
44 amateur games · White's score: 59.1%
1. 2. · A00
9 amateur games · White's score: 50.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. · A00
6 amateur games · White's score: 66.7%
1. 2. 3. · A00
3 amateur games · White's score: 66.7%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · A00
2 amateur games · White's score: 0.0%