Chess openings by rating

Chess Openings for Players Rated Under 1200

In rated Lichess games, players rated under 1200 open with 1.e4 64% of the time. Against 1.e4 their most common reply is 1...e5 (57%), and against 1.d4 it is 1...d5 (54%). 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. e464%
  2. 1. d420%
  3. 1. e34%
  4. 1. Nf33%

Black against 1.e4

  1. 1... e557%
  2. 1... d512%
  3. 1... e69%
  4. 1... c58%

Black against 1.d4

  1. 1... d554%
  2. 1... e615%
  3. 1... Nf68%
  4. 1... d65%

The openings players rated under 1200 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 · 17.5% of games
  2. Scandinavian Defense1. e4 d5 · 7.6% of games
  3. King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 · 7.5% of games
  4. French Defense1. e4 e6 · 5.5% of games
  5. Sicilian Defense1. e4 c5 · 5.3% of games
  6. King's Pawn Game: Wayward Queen Attack1. e4 e5 2. Qh5 · 3.9% of games
  7. Philidor Defense1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 · 3.8% of games
  8. Bishop's Opening1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 · 3.6% of games
  9. Center Game1. e4 e5 2. d4 · 3.4% of games
  10. Horwitz Defense1. d4 e6 · 2.9% of games
  11. Scandinavian Defense: Mieses-Kotroc Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 · 2.5% of games
  12. Italian Game1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 · 2.3% of games
  13. Petrov's Defense1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 · 2.3% of games
  14. Queen's Gambit1. d4 d5 2. c4 · 2.3% of games
  15. King's Pawn Game: Leonardis Variation1. e4 e5 2. d3 · 2% of games

Played more at this level

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

  1. King's Pawn Game: Wayward Queen Attack3.9% of games here, 1.3% across all ratings
  2. King's Pawn Game: Leonardis Variation2% of games here, 0.9% across all ratings
  3. Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation1.7% of games here, 0.8% across all ratings
  4. Van't Kruijs Opening4.4% of games here, 2.1% across all ratings
  5. Mieses Opening0.9% of games here, 0.5% across all ratings
  6. Center Game3.4% of games here, 1.9% across all ratings

Played less at this level

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

  1. Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations0.5% of games here, 2.4% across all ratings
  2. Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian0.6% of games here, 2.6% across all ratings
  3. Indian Defense1.5% of games here, 5.8% across all ratings
  4. King's Gambit0.7% of games here, 2% across all ratings
  5. Sicilian Defense5.3% of games here, 12.9% across all ratings
  6. Caro-Kann Defense1.3% of games here, 3% across all ratings

Openings by rating

Practice it against a human-like opponent.

BeaconChess opponents open from these same books, then play human-like moves for their level while the coach explains your moves in plain English. The first coached game is free.

Play a free coached game →

Played this opening recently?

Paste the game into the free analyzer to find the moves that cost you, with each mistake explained. Three analyses are free, with no email or card.

Analyze a game free →