Opening Statistics
Courtesy of About.com
Edited by Andrew Latham
White's Best 10 Openings
Rank Opening White Win % Draw %
1 Queen's Gambit 40 36
2 Blackmar Diemer Gambit 49 16
3 Ruy Lopez 40 33
4 Bishop's Opening 41 30
5 Benko Opening 38 35
6 Reti Opening 37 37
7 Vienna Game 41 29
8 Centre Game 44 22
9 English Opening 38 34
10 Scotch Game 40 30
White's Worst 10 Openings
Rank Opening White Win % Draw %
1 Van't Kruijs Attack 28 25
2 Anderssen's Opening 30 27
3 Grob Opening 36 18
4 Saragossa Opening 34 23
5 Bird's Opening 34 25
6 Polish Defence 38 23
7 Dunst Opening 36 28
8 Anti-Veresov Opening 36 28
9 Colle System 35 31
10 Mieses Opening 39 24
Black's Best 10 Openings
Rank Opening Black Win % Draw %
1 Sicilian Defence 34 29
2 Nimzo Indian 30 37
3 Robatsch Defence 33 29
4 Alekhine Defence 32 30
5 Nimzowitsch Defence 34 25
6 Rat 30 33
7 Benko Gambit 32 28
8 Modern Defence 31 30
9 Queen's Indian Defence 25 42
10 Pseudo King's Indian 29 33
Black's Worst 10 Openings
Rank Opening Black Win % Draw %
1 Gunderam Defence 25 25
2 Polish Opening 28 23
3 St George's Defence 30 20
4 Budapest Gambit 27 27
5 Philidor's Defence 27 27
6 Latvian Gambit 33 17
7 Petroff's Defence 22 39
8 Queenside Fianchetto 29 25
9 Bogo-Indian Defence 22 42
10 Dutch Defence 28 30
Guide to Opening Lines
Courtesy of Chessmaster 10
Compiled by Andrew Latham
Use Ctrl+F to search for a particular opening line.
Alapin's Opening
1. e4 e5
2. Ne2
Alekhine's Defense
1. e4 Nf6
Anderssen's Opening
1. a3
Anti-Veresov Variation
1. d4 d5
2. Nc3 Bg4
Barnes Defense
1. e4 f6
Benko Opening
1. g3
Benoni Defense
1. d4 c5
Bird System
1. f4
Bishop's Opening
1. e4 e5
2. Bc4
Blackburne Gambit
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bc4 Nd4
4. Nxe5 Qg5
5. Nxf7 Qxg2
6. Rf1 Qxe4+
7. Be2 Nf3#
Blackmar-Diemer Gambit
1. d4 d5
2. e4
Borg Defense
1. e4 g5
Caro-Kann Defense
1. e4 c6
Center-Counter Game
1. e4 d5
Center Game
1. e4 e5
2. d4
Clemenz Opening
1. h3
Corn Stalk Defense
1. e4 a5
Damiano Defense
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 f6
Deprez Opening
1. h4
Doctor Cusick Attack
1. e4 e5
2. Bc4 Nc6
3. Qf3 Nf6
4. g4
Dresden Variation
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. c4
Dunst Opening
1. Nc3
Durkin's Attack
1. Na3
Dutch Defense
1. d4 f5
English Opening
1. c4
Englund Gambit
1. d4 e5
Euwe Defense
1. d4 d5
2. Nc3 Nf6
3. e4 dxe4
4. f3 exf3
5. Nxf3 e6
Four Knights Opening
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 N6
3. Nc3 Nf6
Fred Defense
1. e4 f5
French Defense
1. e4 e6
Gedult's Opening
1. f3
Greco Defense
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Qf6
Grob Opening
1. g4
Grunfeld Reversed
1. d4 d5
2. Nf3
Gunderam Defense
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Qe7
Hippopotamus Defense
1. e4 Nh6
2. d4 g6
3. c4 f6
Horwitz Defense
1. d4 e6
Hungarian Defense
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bc4 Be7
Indian Defense
1. d4 Nf6
Irish/Chicago Gambit Accepted
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Nxe5 Nxe5
4. d4
Italian Game
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bc4 Bc5
King's Gambit
1. e4 e5
2. f4
King's Head Variation
1. e4 e5
2. f3
King's Indian Attack
1. Nf3
King's Knight Opening
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3
King's Pawn Game
1. e4 e5
King's Pawn Opening
1. e4
Konstantinopolsky Opening
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. g3
Latvian Gambit
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 f5
Lemberg Countergambit
1. d4 d5
2. Nc3 Nf6
3. e4 e5
Lemming Defense
1. e4 Na6
Lenoardis Defense
1. e4 e5
2. d3
Levitsky Attack
1. d4 d5
2. Bg5
Lopez Variation
1. e4 e5
2. c3
Lowe Defense
1. d4 c6
2. c4 d6
Lundin-Kevitz-Mikenas Defense
1. d4 Nc6
2. c4 e5
3. dxe5 Nxe5
4. Nc3 Nxc4
Mason's Variation
1. d4 d5
2. f4
Mengarini's Variation
1. e4 e5
2. a3
Mieses Opening
1. d3
Modern Defense 1. d4 g6
1. d4 g6
Napoleon's Opening
1. e4 e5
2. Qf3
Nimzowitsch Defense
1. e4 Nc6
Nimzowitch-Larsen Attack
1. b3
Paris Opening
1. Nh3
Petrov's Defense
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nf6
Philidor's Defense
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 d6
Pirc Defense
1. e4 d6
Polish Defense
1. d4 b5
Polish Opening
1. b4
Ponziani Opening
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. c3
Queen's Fianchetto
1. e4 b6
Queen's Gambit
1. d4 d5
2. c4
Queen's Knight Variation
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
Queen's Pawn Counter-Gambit
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 d5
Queen's Pawn Game 1. d4 d5
1. d4 d5
Queen's Pawn Opening
1. d4
Rat
1. d4 d6
Richter Veresov Attack
1. d4 d5
2. Nc3 Nf6
3. Bg5
Robatsch Defense
1. e4 g6
Rousseau Gambit
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bc4 f5
Ruy Lopez (Spanish Opening)
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5
Saragossa Opening
1. c3
Sarratt Attack
1. d4 d5
2. Bf4
Schlechter Variation
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Nc3 Bb4
4. Nd5 Nf6
Schlenker Gambit
1. e4 e5
2. g3 f5
Scotch Game
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. d4
Sicilian Defense
1. e4 c5
St. George Defense
1. e4 a6
Steinitz Variation
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Nc3 g6
Stonewall Attack
1. d4 d5
2. e3 Nf6
3. Bd3
Tayler Opening
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Be2
Three Knights Game
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Nc3 Bc5
Three Knights Opening
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Nc3
Two Knights Defense
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bc4 Nf6
Van't Kruijs Opening
1. e3
Vienna Game
1. e4 e5
2. Nc3
Ware Opening
1. a4
Winawer Defense
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Nc3 f5