Why is 1.e4 is the most common starting move ?

As a beginner, you're (normally) not prepared for the complex, positional games which often appears after non-e4 openings.

lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/why-is-1-d4-seen-lot-more-than-1-e4-at-the-professional-level-these-days

I am sure everyone has seen checkmate in 4 moves, using the e4 approach? well the others 98% who haven't we all hope we play them... :) LOL - Also, remember it frees your Queen and the bishop.. - I used this many times. But i prefer C4 as my first choice.

d4 is better because then you can bring out the c-pawn and you are more offensive

e4 prepares a mate in 56 tactic. Also by playing e4, white is 4% more likely to win

I know that was at least (partially) a joke, but doesn't d4 actually lead to a higher win rate for white, at least at the professional level, with a significant part of that being the success of sicilian defenses against 1. e4?

1.e4 can be understood move-by-move whereas a QGD with a minority attack as an ultimate goal can prove too much...

Statistically 1 d4 scores slightly better than 1 e4 mainly because 1 d4 is often met by rather poor scoring but popular defenses like the King's Indian. The Sicilian scores the best with black but its queenside counterpart, the Dutch scores very poorly.

@asdf5656 you are a non sequitur

Fischer:
1.e4 "best by test"

Capablanca:
"1.e4 or 1.d4, open up lines for the Queen and a Bishop. Therefore, theoretically one of these two moves must be the best, as no other first move accomplishes so much."

@pointlesswindows

The idea that no first move is as good as d4 or e4 is kind of refuted by data which shows that Nf3 and c4 are basically as good as d4 or e4. If one looks at the defensive side of the board, the defense that scores best is the Sicilian which only opens lines for the queen. Capa wasn't an openings expert and he once said about the Sicilian Defense that "black's game is full of holes". Well, history has proven him dead wrong.

Virtually all modern elite GMs incorporate hypermodern ideas into their opening repertoire with bishop fianchettoes. It turns out that Nimzowitsch was right i.e., you can control the center with pieces, not just pawns. If Nimzo was wrong the Queen's Indian would have been busted long ago.