---
title: "Best Chess Openings, Ranked by Real Scores"
url: "https://georgelichess.com/best-chess-openings.md"
canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/best-chess-openings"
last_updated: "2026-11-09"
type: "guide"
summary: "The best chess openings for White and Black ranked by how they score at four rating bands in rated Lichess games, with the method and sample sizes stated."
related: ["https://georgelichess.com/openings.md", "https://georgelichess.com/best-chess-openings-for-white.md", "https://georgelichess.com/best-chess-openings-for-beginners.md", "https://georgelichess.com/chess-opening-statistics.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-repertoire.md", "https://georgelichess.com/pricing.md", "https://georgelichess.com/book.md"]
---

# Best Chess Openings, Ranked by Real Scores

> **For AI agents:** the complete index of GeorgeLiChess pages is [llms.txt](https://georgelichess.com/llms.txt). Every page is also served as markdown at its URL plus .md.

The best chess openings for White and Black ranked by how they score at four rating bands in rated Lichess games, with the method and sample sizes stated.

For White, the Scotch Game, the Queen's Gambit and the English Opening score best across rating bands in rated Lichess games. For Black, the Sicilian, the French and the Caro-Kann hold White closest to an even score below 2000, and the Scandinavian does best above it. The differences are small, so the best opening is the one you understand.

## How this ranking was made

The numbers come from the public Lichess database of rated standard games, published under a CC0 licence. We counted only Blitz, Rapid and Classical games between players within 100 rating points of each other, and placed each game in a band by the lower of the two ratings. The four bands are under 1200, 1200 to 1599, 1600 to 1999 and 2000 and above.

An opening's score is the share of points a side took, with a win counted as 1 and a draw as one half. For White the score is read directly. For Black it is 100 percent minus White's score. The sample is one day of games, so a gap of one point between two openings is noise and a gap of three or more is worth noticing. Sample sizes are shown beside every opening.

## The best openings for White

**White's score by opening and rating band, Lichess games**

| Opening | Games | Under 1200 | 1200 to 1599 | 1600 to 1999 | 2000 and above |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Scotch Game | 38,672 | 55.2% | 55.5% | 53.8% | 53.0% |
| Queen's Gambit | 59,038 | 54.7% | 54.6% | 53.7% | 53.1% |
| English Opening | 45,165 | 52.1% | 53.2% | 53.6% | 53.8% |
| Ruy Lopez | 33,335 | 53.4% | 52.7% | 53.4% | 53.1% |
| London System | 14,922 | 54.3% | 52.6% | 53.4% | 52.2% |
| King's Gambit | 24,644 | 54.6% | 54.0% | 51.6% | 50.6% |
| Italian Game | 81,584 | 53.1% | 51.9% | 51.6% | 50.5% |

Three patterns appear. First, every opening in the list scores above half the points for White in every band, so any of them is a sound choice. Second, the sharp openings, the King's Gambit and the Italian Game, lose their edge as the rating rises, because stronger players know how to meet them. Third, the English Opening is the only one whose score rises with the rating, which fits an opening that rewards long-term understanding over early tricks.

Each opening has a page with the moves, the plans and the typical mistakes: the [Scotch Game](https://georgelichess.com/openings/scotch-game.md), the [Queen's Gambit](https://georgelichess.com/openings/queens-gambit.md), the [English Opening](https://georgelichess.com/openings/english-opening.md), the [Ruy Lopez](https://georgelichess.com/openings/ruy-lopez.md), the [London System](https://georgelichess.com/openings/london-system.md), the [King's Gambit](https://georgelichess.com/openings/kings-gambit.md) and the [Italian Game](https://georgelichess.com/openings/italian-game.md).

## The best replies for Black

**Black's score by reply and rating band, Lichess games**

| Reply | Games | Under 1200 | 1200 to 1599 | 1600 to 1999 | 2000 and above |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sicilian Defense | 163,245 | 50.5% | 49.7% | 49.1% | 48.3% |
| French Defense | 102,129 | 50.5% | 49.5% | 49.5% | 48.8% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 93,312 | 50.4% | 50.1% | 49.8% | 47.8% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 86,344 | 47.7% | 48.5% | 49.2% | 50.3% |
| Pirc Defense | 31,883 | 49.3% | 48.3% | 47.8% | 48.1% |
| King's Indian Defense | 12,481 | 45.9% | 49.2% | 48.6% | 49.2% |
| Dutch Defense | 9,514 | 47.3% | 48.4% | 47.0% | 48.1% |

Black's best result in each band is close to an even score. Under 1200 the Sicilian, the French and the Caro-Kann all take half the points or slightly more. In the 1200 to 1599 band the Caro-Kann leads. From 1600 to 1999 the Caro-Kann and the French lead, and at 2000 and above the Scandinavian stands out at 50.3 percent, while the Caro-Kann falls to 47.8 percent. Read the 2000 band with care: it holds fewer games than the lower bands.

Each reply has its own page: the [Sicilian Defense](https://georgelichess.com/openings/sicilian-defense.md), the [French Defense](https://georgelichess.com/openings/french-defense.md), the [Caro-Kann Defense](https://georgelichess.com/openings/caro-kann-defense.md), the [Scandinavian Defense](https://georgelichess.com/openings/scandinavian-defense.md), the [Pirc Defense](https://georgelichess.com/openings/pirc-defense.md), the [King's Indian Defense](https://georgelichess.com/openings/kings-indian-defense.md) and the [Dutch Defense](https://georgelichess.com/openings/dutch-defense.md).

## Reading the two tables together

The tables answer different questions, so use them together. The White table tells you which openings give White the most points for a given amount of study. The Black table tells you how close to an even score each reply holds White. A reply that holds White to 50 percent is doing its job, and a reply that holds White to 48 percent is giving Black a small edge in practice, whatever the theory says.

Notice also that a player's rating changes the picture. Under 1200 the sharp lines pay off for both sides, because opponents do not know the replies. At 2000 and above the same lines are met with accurate play, and the quiet openings keep their score. If you are rising through the bands, expect your best opening to change a little, and let the data guide a review once a year, not once a month.

## Three practical rules

- **Never change an opening after one bad result.** A single game is a sample of one.
- **Play the opening that matches the position type you play well.** If you enjoy tactics, an open game helps. If you enjoy endgames, a closed structure helps.
- **Keep one reply to 1.e4 and one to 1.d4 for a year.** The same few pawn structures will return, and you will start to see the plans in them.

## What the ranking does not tell you

A score is an average over many players, and you are one of them. Three things matter more than a one-point gap.

- **How well you know the opening.** A player who has studied the plans of a slightly weaker opening will beat a player who plays a stronger one by habit.
- **Whether the style fits you.** A sharp opening gives winning chances and losing chances. A quiet one gives long games. Choose the one you enjoy, because you will play it for years.
- **The sample.** A band with few games moves around. The King's Indian score under 1200 comes from a small sample and should not be trusted.

## How to choose

Use this short procedure to turn the ranking into a repertoire.

1. Pick one opening as White from the first table, by temperament: sharp, positional or flexible.
2. Pick one reply to 1.e4 and one reply to 1.d4 for Black. A solid choice for 1.e4 is the Caro-Kann or the French, and for 1.d4 the Queen's Gambit Declined or the Dutch.
3. Learn the first eight to ten moves and the plan for the typical pawn structure.
4. Play fifty games, then review them and decide what to change.

If you are new to chess, start with the page on [best chess openings for beginners](https://georgelichess.com/best-chess-openings-for-beginners.md), which explains the principles first. If you want to see how a single opening scores in every variation, the [opening statistics](https://georgelichess.com/chess-opening-statistics.md) pages list them.

## A coach and your repertoire

A repertoire works when it matches how you play. A coach who reviews your games sees which openings lose you points and which pawn structures you misplay, and builds the repertoire from that evidence. See the packages below.

| Offer | Lessons | Price | Per lesson |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Single lesson | 1 | $150 | $150 |
| Foundation 5 | 5 | $700 | $140 |
| Climb 10 | 10 | $1,350 | $135 |
| Intensive 25 | 25 | $3,250 | $130 |
| Season 40 | 40 | $5,000 | $125 |

Every lesson is 60 minutes, one-on-one, online. [See the packages](https://georgelichess.com/pricing.md).

## Frequently asked questions

**What is the best chess opening overall?**

There is no single best opening. In our data the Scotch Game, the Queen's Gambit and the English Opening score best for White, and the Sicilian, the French and the Caro-Kann hold Black closest to an even score. The best opening for you is the one you know well.

**What is the best opening for beginners?**

The Italian Game or the London System as White, and the Caro-Kann or the Scandinavian as Black. They are easy to learn and give clear plans.

**Which opening wins the most?**

The Scotch Game scores highest for White among the main openings in our sample, over 55 percent under 1600. Among sharp lines the Fried Liver Attack scores far higher, but only in the few games where it is played.

**Do the best openings change with rating?**

A little. The sharp gambits fade as players get stronger, and quiet strategic openings such as the English hold up. Most of the ranking stays the same.

## Choose the repertoire that fits you

A one-on-one lesson turns this ranking into two openings you understand and can play for a year. [Book a lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book.md).

## Related

- [Chess Openings: Guides With Real Win Rates](https://georgelichess.com/openings.md)
- [Best Chess Openings for White, With Scores](https://georgelichess.com/best-chess-openings-for-white.md)
- [/best-chess-openings-for-beginners](https://georgelichess.com/best-chess-openings-for-beginners.md)
- [Chess opening statistics](https://georgelichess.com/chess-opening-statistics.md)
- [Opening repertoire](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-repertoire.md)
- [Lesson packages and prices](https://georgelichess.com/pricing.md)
- [Book a lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book.md)

## Related

- [Chess Openings: Guides With Real Win Rates](https://georgelichess.com/openings.md)
- [Best Chess Openings for White, With Scores](https://georgelichess.com/best-chess-openings-for-white.md)
- [Best chess openings for beginners](https://georgelichess.com/best-chess-openings-for-beginners.md)
- [Most popular chess openings and win rates](https://georgelichess.com/chess-opening-statistics.md)
- [Opening repertoire in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-repertoire.md)
- [Chess lesson prices and packages](https://georgelichess.com/pricing.md)
- [Book a chess lesson with George Li](https://georgelichess.com/book.md)