Which is the best openings by black and white? • page 1/3 • General Chess Discussion • lichess.org

I always wanted to know which is the best chess opening by both black and white but everyone likes different openings but which one is best in world?

Ben10Tenyson

E4 and sicillian

petri999

it is bizarre to assume that such a thing as best opening exists. Best for you is one you know how to play.

mixed_chillies

You can see what the engine currently thinks is the best move by visiting the analysis board. Your settings preferences may have some affect on what opening is best compared to other people.

qpalzm123456

For white it's either E4 or Nf3, they're about equal. For black it's the Sicilian and Nimzo Indian. but then, all these are a draw with good play. ICCF has shown us that much.

BabyPoltergeist

It's the bongcloud. Plain and simple

Munich

For Black AND White? There is no such opening, you can only play either Black OR White!

chess_guy65

The most popular ones. Majority rules. Check your database.

But is you want to know what would be best for you to play, maybe you try playing your own game from move 1. That might confuse your opponent. At least for a while.

The most popular ones. Majority rules. Check your database. But is you want to know what would be best for you to play, maybe you try playing your own game from move 1. That might confuse your opponent. At least for a while.

SHAURYA_PATIL1234

@Munich said in #7:

For Black AND White? There is no such opening, you can only play either Black OR White!
I said by black and white

@Munich said in #7: > For Black AND White? There is no such opening, you can only play either Black OR White! I said by black and white

Munich

#10

ye, ok, I let you off - for this time? But where is your humor?

A serious answer is that you probably want to look at statistics.
For a black defense you can consider it as good if you have 30%+ winning chances, and for white if you have 40% winning chances.

I already did this search, but was trading off with: what can I learn easily, not too many variations, please.

So I found the move 1.Nf3 followed by 2.c4 (most likely) for white to do that. It prevents already the black reply 1...e5 and thus you avoid a lot of theory already. (and it also prevents 1...f5 in a subtle way: 1.Nf3 f5 2.d3 Nf6 3.e4 fxe4 4.dxe4 Nxe4 5.Bd3 Nf6 6.Ng5 and white has like 60% winning chances here, black is in trouble).

Black has basically 3 (or maybe 4) reasonable pawn pushs into the centre: ...c5, ...d5, ...e5 (and maybe ...f5).
or black can choose to do the hypermodern way, with fianchetto on both sides. There is litte you can do about that, and indeed The Modern is one of the strongest openings for black, but since this can lead to all sorts of openings (1...g6 or 1...a6 or 1...d6) you can hardly prepare against it with white. However, it is a bit difficult to play in the middlegame. Many saw The Modern statistics, but after trying for a while they stopped playing it with black.

Of all pawn pushs, the ones that choose assymetry for black are usually statistically best. So after 1.e4 you can do 1...c5, the sicilian, and the best sicilian to be played is the O'Kelly sicilian with the idea to get an improved Naijdorf system with a pawn on e5 and a backwards pawn on d6, but in the O'Kelly you get the Bf8 OUTSIDE the pawn chain.

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6(!) 3.d4 - the O'Kelly is so strong that the open sicilian is nowadays considered as an inaccuracy , but who knows that at below expert level? Still even if White doesnt chose 3.d4 but instead 3.c4 or 3.d3 - black has excellent statistics.

Anyway, after 3.d4 it is 3...cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6(!) 5.Nc3 (if instead the common error 5.e4-e5 push, then 5...Qa5+ with Qxe5 and black is pawn up) 5...e5 6.Nb3 (or 6.Nf5 or 6.Nf3, but not 6.Nb5 because black has played 2...a6, a very deep move to prevent exactly this Nb5 move typical in the sveshnikov) and now the strong pin 6...Bb4(!) - this makes good use of the bad bishop in the Najdorf/sveshnikov set-up even more dangerous for white, and indeed black wins more often than white already after 3.d4

But.... I play 1.e4 Nc6 - the Nimzo-Defense, also one of the strongest defenses there is for black.
and 1.d4 d6 the rat defense: 2.c4 e5(!) 3.dxe5 dxe5 4.Qxd8 Kxd8 and black is slightly BETTER!
Statistically very promising, the black king gets safe on c7, and the stats are better because black has an extra piece on the queens-wing, while there is not much going on at the kings-wing.

but if 1.d4 d6 2.e4 I still can go for The Modern by transposition, though I hardly do but play 2...Nc6 or 2...e5 instead, but strictly speaking, the Modern would be best here.

More I wont write, the interested reader can PM me for more details.

ye, ok, I let you off - for this time? But where is your humor? A serious answer is that you probably want to look at statistics. For a black defense you can consider it as good if you have 30%+ winning chances, and for white if you have 40% winning chances. I already did this search, but was trading off with: what can I learn easily, not too many variations, please. So I found the move 1.Nf3 followed by 2.c4 (most likely) for white to do that. It prevents already the black reply 1...e5 and thus you avoid a lot of theory already. (and it also prevents 1...f5 in a subtle way: 1.Nf3 f5 2.d3 Nf6 3.e4 fxe4 4.dxe4 Nxe4 5.Bd3 Nf6 6.Ng5 and white has like 60% winning chances here, black is in trouble). Black has basically 3 (or maybe 4) reasonable pawn pushs into the centre: ...c5, ...d5, ...e5 (and maybe ...f5). or black can choose to do the hypermodern way, with fianchetto on both sides. There is litte you can do about that, and indeed The Modern is one of the strongest openings for black, but since this can lead to all sorts of openings (1...g6 or 1...a6 or 1...d6) you can hardly prepare against it with white. However, it is a bit difficult to play in the middlegame. Many saw The Modern statistics, but after trying for a while they stopped playing it with black. Of all pawn pushs, the ones that choose assymetry for black are usually statistically best. So after 1.e4 you can do 1...c5, the sicilian, and the best sicilian to be played is the O'Kelly sicilian with the idea to get an improved Naijdorf system with a pawn on e5 and a backwards pawn on d6, but in the O'Kelly you get the Bf8 OUTSIDE the pawn chain. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6(!) 3.d4 - the O'Kelly is so strong that the open sicilian is nowadays considered as an inaccuracy , but who knows that at below expert level? Still even if White doesnt chose 3.d4 but instead 3.c4 or 3.d3 - black has excellent statistics. Anyway, after 3.d4 it is 3...cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6(!) 5.Nc3 (if instead the common error 5.e4-e5 push, then 5...Qa5+ with Qxe5 and black is pawn up) 5...e5 6.Nb3 (or 6.Nf5 or 6.Nf3, but not 6.Nb5 because black has played 2...a6, a very deep move to prevent exactly this Nb5 move typical in the sveshnikov) and now the strong pin 6...Bb4(!) - this makes good use of the bad bishop in the Najdorf/sveshnikov set-up even more dangerous for white, and indeed black wins more often than white already after 3.d4 But.... I play 1.e4 Nc6 - the Nimzo-Defense, also one of the strongest defenses there is for black. and 1.d4 d6 the rat defense: 2.c4 e5(!) 3.dxe5 dxe5 4.Qxd8 Kxd8 and black is slightly BETTER! Statistically very promising, the black king gets safe on c7, and the stats are better because black has an extra piece on the queens-wing, while there is not much going on at the kings-wing. but if 1.d4 d6 2.e4 I still can go for The Modern by transposition, though I hardly do but play 2...Nc6 or 2...e5 instead, but strictly speaking, the Modern would be best here. More I wont write, the interested reader can PM me for more details.