The first move
This is how often White chose each first move in 2.6 billion games between club players, 660 million of them between strong players.
| Move | Leads to | Club players | Strong players |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.e4 | open and semi-open games | 59.2% | 53.2% |
| 1.d4 | closed games | 26.8% | 30.1% |
| 1.c4 | the English Opening | 3.9% | 5.1% |
| 1.Nf3 | a flank opening | 3.6% | 5.7% |
So almost six in ten games between club players start with 1.e4. Among strong players 1.d4 is more popular than among club players, but 1.e4 still comes first.
The answer to 1.e4
Here the levels differ. Club players most often answer 1…e5, strong players 1…c5.
| Reply | The opening | Club players | Strong players |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1…e5 | open games, such as the Italian Game and the Ruy Lopez | 34.7% | 23.1% |
| 1…c5 | the Sicilian Defense | 24.0% | 31.5% |
| 1…e6 | the French Defense | 11.3% | 12.6% |
| 1…d5 | the Scandinavian Defense | 8.7% | 7.4% |
| 1…c6 | the Caro-Kann | 8.5% | 10.7% |
Counted across all games, 20.4% of club players' games start with 1.e4 e5 and 14.2% with 1.e4 c5. Among strong players it's the other way around: 16.7% start with the Sicilian and 12.3% with 1.e4 e5.
Italian or Spanish?
After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6, White most often chooses 3.Bc4, the Italian Game: in 42.1% of club players' games and 37.9% of strong players'. The Ruy Lopez, 3.Bb5, comes second with 26.1% and 33.7%.
The answer to 1.d4
Against 1.d4, club players most often answer 1…d5, in 39.9% of games. Strong players more often choose 1…Nf6, in 38.1%. From there the road leads to the Queen's Gambit and the Indian defenses, such as the King's Indian and the Nimzo-Indian.
About the numbers
The numbers are for games on a large chess site, in blitz, rapid, and classical, fetched November 6, 2026. The levels are based on the players' ratings there, not on FIDE's list. We haven't counted how it looks in over-the-board tournaments.
Numbers for more positions are in the analysis board's opening explorer and on each opening's page under chess openings.
Sources
- The Lichess open database (CC0), through this site's opening explorer: the starting position and the positions after 1.e4, 1.d4, 1.e4 e5, 1.e4 c5, and 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6, fetched November 6, 2026
- This site's opening pages
The facts on this page come from the sources above and, where possible, were checked across several sources. Where the sources disagree, we say less or say what each one says. A number that is an estimate says whose it is, and a counted number comes with its date.
Updated November 14, 2026