Chess openings by rating

Chess Openings for Players Rated 1200–1399

In rated Lichess games, players rated 1200–1399 open with 1.e4 65% of the time. Against 1.e4 their most common reply is 1...e5 (54%), and against 1.d4 it is 1...d5 (58%). 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. e465%
  2. 1. d420%
  3. 1. e33%
  4. 1. Nf33%

Black against 1.e4

  1. 1... e554%
  2. 1... c513%
  3. 1... d510%
  4. 1... e610%

Black against 1.d4

  1. 1... d558%
  2. 1... e613%
  3. 1... Nf610%
  4. 1... d63%

The openings players rated 1200–1399 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 · 19.6% of games
  2. King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 · 10.1% of games
  3. Sicilian Defense1. e4 c5 · 8.2% of games
  4. Scandinavian Defense1. e4 d5 · 6.7% of games
  5. French Defense1. e4 e6 · 6.3% of games
  6. Philidor Defense1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 · 5% of games
  7. Bishop's Opening1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 · 3.8% of games
  8. Queen's Gambit1. d4 d5 2. c4 · 3.8% of games
  9. Italian Game1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 · 3.4% of games
  10. Scandinavian Defense: Mieses-Kotroc Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 · 3% of games
  11. Horwitz Defense1. d4 e6 · 2.7% of games
  12. Ruy Lopez1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 · 2.6% of games
  13. Center Game1. e4 e5 2. d4 · 2.4% of games
  14. King's Pawn Game: Wayward Queen Attack1. e4 e5 2. Qh5 · 2.2% of games
  15. French Defense: Normal Variation1. e4 e6 2. d4 · 2.1% of games

Played more at this level

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

  1. Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation1.5% of games here, 0.8% across all ratings
  2. Center Game: Normal Variation0.8% of games here, 0.5% across all ratings
  3. King's Pawn Game: Wayward Queen Attack2.2% of games here, 1.3% across all ratings
  4. King's Pawn Game: Leonardis Variation1.5% of games here, 0.9% across all ratings
  5. Queen's Pawn Game: Accelerated London System0.9% of games here, 0.6% across all ratings
  6. Van't Kruijs Opening3.4% of games here, 2.1% 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: Normal Variation0.6% of games here, 3.1% across all ratings
  2. Indian Defense2% of games here, 5.8% across all ratings
  3. Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian1% of games here, 2.6% across all ratings
  4. Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations1% of games here, 2.4% across all ratings
  5. Slav Defense0.5% of games here, 1.2% across all ratings
  6. Benoni Defense: Old Benoni0.5% of games here, 0.9% across all ratings

Openings by rating

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