Best chess openings for beginners
Among 274,199 rated Lichess games between players rated under 1200 on 1 September 2026, White scored 51.9% across all openings. As White, the Scotch Game scored highest of the 8 openings listed (55.2%, margin 1.1 points); as Black, White scored lowest against the Sicilian Defense (49.5%, margin 0.9 points). Scores show what happened at this level, not which opening is strongest.
Which openings do beginners play most?
Among 274,199 rated games between players rated under 1200, these eight opening families were played most. White scored 51.9% across all openings at this level, so a score near that figure means the opening does not stand out.
| Opening | Games | Share of games | White score | Margin (points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queen's Pawn Game | 29,782 | 10.9% | 52.7% | 0.6 |
| King's Pawn Game | 23,156 | 8.4% | 51.7% | 0.6 |
| Italian Game | 17,493 | 6.4% | 53.1% | 0.7 |
| Scandinavian Defense | 16,863 | 6.1% | 52.3% | 0.7 |
| French Defense | 13,600 | 5.0% | 49.5% | 0.8 |
| Sicilian Defense | 12,471 | 4.5% | 49.5% | 0.9 |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 12,076 | 4.4% | 49.6% | 0.9 |
| Bishop's Opening | 8,737 | 3.2% | 52.9% | 1.0 |
Which openings for White scored best for beginners?
These are the openings White starts, ranked by White's score in games between players rated under 1200. The Scotch Game had the highest score of the 8 listed, 55.2% with a margin of 1.1 points. A gap from the level average of 51.9% is called clear only when it is larger than the margin and at least 1 point.
| Opening | Games | White score | Margin (points) | Against the under 1200 average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotch Game | 6,937 | 55.2% | 1.1 | Clearly above the average |
| Ruy Lopez | 5,474 | 53.4% | 1.3 | Clearly above the average |
| Italian Game | 17,493 | 53.1% | 0.7 | Clearly above the average |
| Vienna Game | 4,952 | 52.9% | 1.4 | No clear difference |
| Bishop's Opening | 8,737 | 52.9% | 1.0 | No clear difference |
| English Opening | 4,066 | 52.1% | 1.5 | No clear difference |
| Four Knights Game | 7,490 | 51.4% | 1.1 | No clear difference |
| Zukertort Opening | 5,902 | 50.1% | 1.2 | Clearly below the average |
Which defenses for Black scored best for beginners?
These are replies Black chooses. For them a lower White score means Black did better, so the table is ranked from the lowest White score up. White scored 49.5% against the Sicilian Defense, the lowest of the 9 listed, with a margin of 0.9 points.
| Opening | Games | White score | Margin (points) | Against the under 1200 average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sicilian Defense | 12,471 | 49.5% | 0.9 | Black did clearly better |
| French Defense | 13,600 | 49.5% | 0.8 | Black did clearly better |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 12,076 | 49.6% | 0.9 | Black did clearly better |
| Modern Defense | 3,704 | 50.2% | 1.6 | Black did clearly better |
| Pirc Defense | 5,252 | 50.7% | 1.3 | No clear difference |
| Scandinavian Defense | 16,863 | 52.3% | 0.7 | No clear difference |
| Philidor Defense | 8,563 | 53.2% | 1.0 | White did clearly better |
| Nimzowitsch Defense | 4,700 | 53.9% | 1.4 | White did clearly better |
| Petrov's Defense | 6,744 | 54.1% | 1.2 | White did clearly better |
How should a beginner choose an opening?
Choose the opening whose ideas you understand and can repeat. Scores at this level move by a few points between openings, and that is small next to knowing what to do in the positions you reach, so the table is a guide to what players score with, not a ruling on which opening is strongest.
A workable plan is one opening as White, and one reply to each of the two most common first moves as Black. Play it for a few dozen games, then look at the positions you reach and where you lose points. A coach can review those games with you: a first lesson with George Li starts from them.
How were these opening statistics measured?
Rated Blitz, Rapid and Classical games on 1 September 2026 between players within 100 rating points, banded by the lower rating. A score is wins plus half the draws, with a 95 percent margin. The hub page explains the method in full.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best chess opening for beginners?
There is no single best one. Among the White openings listed, the Scotch Game had the highest White score under 1200, 55.2% with a margin of 1.1 points, and the tables show which gaps from the 51.9% average are larger than their margin. An opening you understand will usually serve a beginner better than one with a slightly higher score.
Which defense should a beginner play as Black?
White scored lowest against the Sicilian Defense among the defenses listed, 49.5% with a margin of 0.9 points. For a defense a lower White score is better for Black, and a gap inside the margin is no clear difference.
Do these scores show which opening is strongest?
No. They show how often White scored in games that reached each opening. The side that chooses an opening also chooses which games reach it, and players of different strength choose different openings, so a score is not a ranking of quality.
Sources
Related guides and tools
- Chess opening statistics for players rated under 1200
- Scotch Game win rate and statistics
- Ruy Lopez win rate and statistics
- Italian Game win rate and statistics
- Vienna Game win rate and statistics
- Bishop's Opening win rate and statistics
- English Opening win rate and statistics
- Queen's Gambit win rate and statistics
- London System win rate and statistics
- Most popular chess openings and win rates
- Plan chess improvement for a rating band
- Chess terms glossary
- Book your first lesson
Last updated 2026-11-05.
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