Chess openings by rating

Chess Openings for Players Rated 1400–1599

In rated Lichess games, players rated 1400–1599 open with 1.e4 66% of the time. Against 1.e4 their most common reply is 1...e5 (48%), and against 1.d4 it is 1...d5 (52%). Below are the openings this level reaches most, and the ones it plays noticeably more or less than other levels.

The first moves

White's first move

  1. 1. e466%
  2. 1. d423%
  3. 1. c43%
  4. 1. Nf32%

Black against 1.e4

  1. 1... e548%
  2. 1... c519%
  3. 1... e611%
  4. 1... d57%

Black against 1.d4

  1. 1... d552%
  2. 1... Nf615%
  3. 1... e612%
  4. 1... g64%

The openings players rated 1400–1599 reach most

The share of this level's games that follow each opening's moves in order. Longer lines are part of shorter ones, so the shares overlap.

  1. King's Knight Opening1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 · 18.8% of games
  2. Sicilian Defense1. e4 c5 · 12.4% of games
  3. King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 · 10.5% of games
  4. French Defense1. e4 e6 · 7% of games
  5. Queen's Gambit1. d4 d5 2. c4 · 5.1% of games
  6. Philidor Defense1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 · 5% of games
  7. Scandinavian Defense1. e4 d5 · 4.5% of games
  8. Bishop's Opening1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 · 4.3% of games
  9. Italian Game1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 · 3.9% of games
  10. Indian Defense1. d4 Nf6 · 3.5% of games
  11. French Defense: Normal Variation1. e4 e6 2. d4 · 2.9% of games
  12. Ruy Lopez1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 · 2.8% of games
  13. Horwitz Defense1. d4 e6 · 2.7% of games
  14. King's Gambit1. e4 e5 2. f4 · 2.6% of games
  15. Caro-Kann Defense1. e4 c6 · 2.4% of games

Played more at this level

Openings this level reaches clearly more often than the average across all six rating groups.

  1. Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver Defense0.9% of games here, 0.5% across all ratings
  2. Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack2.4% of games here, 1.3% across all ratings
  3. Owen Defense1.6% of games here, 1% across all ratings
  4. Philidor Defense: Exchange Variation0.8% of games here, 0.5% across all ratings
  5. Bishop's Opening: Berlin Defense1.7% of games here, 1% across all ratings
  6. Philidor Defense5% of games here, 3.2% across all ratings

Played less at this level

Openings this level reaches clearly less often than the average across all six rating groups.

  1. Indian Defense: Knights Variation0.5% of games here, 1.1% across all ratings
  2. Indian Defense: Normal Variation1.4% of games here, 3.1% across all ratings
  3. Indian Defense3.5% of games here, 5.8% across all ratings
  4. Zukertort Opening2.1% of games here, 3.4% across all ratings
  5. Sicilian Defense: Closed0.6% of games here, 0.9% across all ratings
  6. Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation0.5% of games here, 0.8% across all ratings

Openings by rating

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