Openings › Rankings › White Openings, Lichess 1800–2099
Best White Openings, Lichess 1800–2099: Ranked by Results
At 1800–2099 (Lichess rating), the White opening highest-ranked by conservative score with 300+ games in this sample is the Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit: 59.5% (±3.8) in 618 games, a conservative score of 55.7%. 84 openings are ranked.
This list's rule: Openings of two or three moves for White, where each of Black's moves on the way is played in at least 20% of games at this level.
An opening may be missing from this page if it ranks below the 40 shown (the CSV has all ranked entries), if it does not meet this list's rule, or if it has too few games here. Missing does not mean weak.
- Openings after 1.e4 e6 are not listed at this level: Black answers 1.e4 with 1...e6 in only 12.20% of games here, below this list's 20% rule.
- Openings after 1.e4 c6 are not listed at this level: Black answers 1.e4 with 1...c6 in only 10.58% of games here, below this list's 20% rule.
- Openings after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 are not listed at this level: Black answers 1.d4 d5 2.c4 with 2...dxc4 in only 14.09% of games here, below this list's 20% rule.
- Openings after 1.d4 e5 are not listed at this level: Black answers 1.d4 with 1...e5 in only 5.85% of games here, below this list's 20% rule.
- Openings after 1.e4 Nc6 are not listed at this level: Black answers 1.e4 with 1...Nc6 in only 1.44% of games here, below this list's 20% rule.
- Openings after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 are not listed at this level: Black answers 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 with 2...Nf6 in only 10.65% of games here, below this list's 20% rule.
The ranking: 40 of 84 openings that meet this rule with 300+ games at this level
White's score = wins plus half the draws, for the side that plays the opening, in games of rated players at 1800–2099 (Lichess rating; average of both players). "±" is an approximate 95% margin based only on the number of games. The conservative score is White's score minus that margin; the list is ordered by it, then by more games. "Part of" names the shorter line with its own entry that this one continues. Openings without a link have no page on this site yet.
Each row: rank, opening and conservative score; the moves; games and White's score with its margin; the line it is part of.
| Rank | Opening | Moves | Part of | Games | White's score | Conservative score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit | 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d4 | Bishop's Opening: Berlin Defense | 618 | 59.5% ±3.8 | 55.7% |
| 2 | Slav Defense: Modern Line | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 | Slav Defense | 5,069 | 55.6% ±1.3 | 54.3% |
| 3 | Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit | 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 | Vienna Game: Falkbeer Variation | 1,951 | 55.9% ±2.2 | 53.7% |
| 4 | English Opening: Carls-Bremen System | 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 | English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation | 1,282 | 56.4% ±2.7 | 53.7% |
| 5 | English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed Sicilian | 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 | English Opening: King's English Variation | 8,167 | 54.7% ±1.1 | 53.6% |
| 6 | King's Indian Attack | 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 | Zukertort Opening | 4,313 | 54.9% ±1.4 | 53.5% |
| 7 | Queen's Gambit | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 | Queen's Pawn Game | 54,223 | 53.6% ±0.4 | 53.2% |
| 8 | Scotch Game | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 | King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation | 17,929 | 53.9% ±0.7 | 53.2% |
| 9 | Sicilian Defense: Closed, Fianchetto Variation | 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 | Sicilian Defense: Closed, Traditional | 1,167 | 55.83% ±2.78 | 53.05% |
| 10 | Queen's Pawn Game: Levitsky Attack | 1.d4 d5 2.Bg5 | Queen's Pawn Game | 3,347 | 54.66% ±1.65 | 53.01% |
| 11 | Center Game: Kieseritzky Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Nf3 | Center Game Accepted | 2,305 | 55.0% ±2.0 | 53.0% |
| 12 | Danish Gambit | 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 | Center Game Accepted | 4,151 | 54.5% ±1.5 | 53.0% |
| 13 | Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation | 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 | Queen's Pawn Game | 30,512 | 53.5% ±0.5 | 53.0% |
| 14 | Center Game | 1.e4 e5 2.d4 | King's Pawn Game | 15,228 | 53.7% ±0.8 | 52.9% |
| 15 | Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack | 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 | Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian | 4,565 | 54.0% ±1.4 | 52.6% |
| 16 | Rapport-Jobava System | 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bf4 | Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation | 3,994 | 54.1% ±1.5 | 52.6% |
| 17 | Ruy Lopez | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 | King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation | 18,927 | 53.2% ±0.7 | 52.5% |
| 18 | Slav Defense: Exchange Variation | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.cxd5 | Slav Defense | 2,717 | 54.3% ±1.8 | 52.5% |
| 19 | Queen's Pawn Game: Mason Attack | 1.d4 d5 2.f4 | Queen's Pawn Game | 1,363 | 55.03% ±2.57 | 52.46% |
| 20 | Blackmar-Diemer Gambit | 1.d4 d5 2.e4 | Queen's Pawn Game | 7,077 | 53.6% ±1.14 | 52.46% |
| 21 | Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation | 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ | Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations | 1,520 | 54.8% ±2.4 | 52.4% |
| 22 | Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation | 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 | Queen's Pawn Game | 9,146 | 53.4% ±1.0 | 52.4% |
| 23 | Queen's Pawn Game: London System | 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 | Queen's Pawn Game: Symmetrical Variation | 5,752 | 53.5% ±1.3 | 52.2% |
| 24 | King's Knight Opening | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 | King's Pawn Game | 117,302 | 52.3% ±0.3 | 52.0% |
| 25 | Vienna Game | 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 | King's Pawn Game | 19,580 | 52.7% ±0.7 | 52.0% |
| 26 | Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 | Queen's Gambit Declined | 15,117 | 52.8% ±0.8 | 52.0% |
| 27 | Sicilian Defense: Closed | 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 | Sicilian Defense | 19,782 | 52.7% ±0.7 | 52.0% |
| 28 | London System | 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 | Queen's Pawn Game | 20,584 | 52.5% ±0.7 | 51.8% |
| 29 | Queen's Pawn Game: Symmetrical Variation, Pseudo-Catalan | 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 | Queen's Pawn Game: Symmetrical Variation | 1,733 | 54.1% ±2.3 | 51.8% |
| 30 | Queen's Pawn Game: Stonewall Attack | 1.d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Bd3 | Queen's Pawn Game | 1,541 | 54.1% ±2.4 | 51.7% |
| 31 | Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense | 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 | Vienna Game: Max Lange Defense | 1,458 | 54.1% ±2.5 | 51.6% |
| 32 | Indian Defense: Accelerated London System | 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 | Indian Defense | 11,564 | 52.4% ±0.9 | 51.5% |
| 33 | Bishop's Opening | 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 | King's Pawn Game | 15,692 | 52.2% ±0.8 | 51.4% |
| 34 | Réti Opening | 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 | Zukertort Opening | 2,764 | 53.2% ±1.8 | 51.4% |
| 35 | Indian Defense: London System | 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bf4 | Indian Defense: Knights Variation | 1,711 | 53.7% ±2.3 | 51.4% |
| 36 | Italian Game | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 | King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation | 33,975 | 51.8% ±0.5 | 51.3% |
| 37 | Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit | 1.e4 c5 2.d4 | Sicilian Defense | 14,757 | 52.1% ±0.8 | 51.3% |
| 38 | Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation | 1.e4 c5 2.c3 | Sicilian Defense | 11,794 | 52.1% ±0.9 | 51.2% |
| 39 | King's Pawn Game: Wayward Queen Attack | 1.e4 e5 2.Qh5 | King's Pawn Game | 716 | 54.7% ±3.6 | 51.1% |
| 40 | Three Knights Opening | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 | King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation | 9,907 | 52.1% ±1.0 | 51.1% |
How the list is made: every opening name of the free Lichess opening list (CC0) once, at the shortest line that has its own opening page by the site's rules (2,000 games and 300+ games in 3 of 5 rating levels), with 300+ games at this level and meeting this list's rule. The share of each of the opponent's moves is counted at the position where it is played, at this level; the CSV gives each of them with its games. Observed results, not causation: a rank describes what happened in these games and says nothing about why. Ratings are Lichess ratings, not Chess.com or FIDE ratings.
At this level: White Openings Openings vs 1.e4 Openings vs 1.d4 · All rankings · How the numbers are made
Download the whole list: 84 openings (CSV), with each of the opponent's moves and its share, released under CC0.