Just wondering if anyone knows of an online database of opening frequencies.

As an aside, I've encountered Philidor's defense quite a bit lately.  Seems they're trying to steer me away from the Ruy.  Coincidence?

 

Cheers,

Pitt

I did a little survey of chess opening frequncies from several chess databases. After looking over a million games or so and keeping tabs of the first few moves, this is the result.

1.e4 was the most common opening, representing 70% of the sample. This was followed by 1.d4, representing 20%. This frequency goes up as more master games are included and amateur games excluded.

The next most common was 1.c4, representing 5% of the sample. Again, this number goes up with more master games and less amateur games. But our sample represents chess at all levels.

The next most common was 1.Nf3, representing 4% of the sample. Thus, 1.e4, 1.d4, 1.c4, and 1.Nf3 represent 99% of all openings in most databases.

The next most common was 1.b3, closely followed by 1.b4, 1.f4 and 1.g3. These openings represented .9% of the sample.

Next came 1.Nc3, 1.g4, 1.e3, 1.Na3, and 1.Nh3

The rarest moves were 1.a3, 1.c3, 1.f3, 1.h4, 1.d3, 1.a4, and finally 1.h3.

The most common response to 1.e4 was 1...e5. The next most common was 1...c5.

Next came 1...e6, followed by 1...c6.

Next in frequency was 1...Nf6, 1...d5, then 1...d6.

Next came 1...g6, 1...Nc6, followed by 1...b6.

Then came 1...a6, then 1...g5.

Finally, the rarest moves were 1...f6, 1...a5, 1...Nh6, 1...Na6, 1...f5, 1...h5, and 1...h6. I found no 1...b5 move.

The most common response to 1.d4 was 1...Nf6, followed closely with 1...d5.

Next came 1...f5. These 3 moves represent over 90% of the responses to 1.d4.

Next in frequency was 1...e6, followed by 1...c5.

Still rarer were 1...b6, 1...b5, 1...d6, 1...Nc6, 1...g6, and 1...e5

Finally, the rarest moves were 1...c6, 1...h6, 1...Nh6, and 1...f6.

I found no 1...a5, 1...a6, 1...Na6, 1...g5, or 1...h5.

Thanks, Bill!  I immediately printed a copy of your survey results (hope you don't mind).  This should prove to be invaluable in my openings studies.

 Cheers,

Pitt

I never expected 1.b3 to top 1.f4.

You are better playing lots of games and letting fritz save them automatically for you. You will be able to see what openings have been cropping up in your games using your very own database =)

 

My observation is that against 1.e4; 1...c5 players are much better prepared than 1...e5 players. Generally speaking, 1...e5 players play too passive and dont seem to mind giving you an easy advantage from the opening! (hence, you will face the Philidor)

Well, the Philidor isn't a bad opening.  I once had a guy resign against me in 10 moves when I played the Philidor countergambit against him.  And if you want to be technical, the variation of the Philidor with e4 e5 Nf3 d6 doesn't look too much different to me than the Sicilian 2...d6 variation, except that Black is fighting against d4 with the e-pawn instead of the c-pawn.  I bet if you tried it a few times, you wouldn't necessarily play passively...that is your choice.  I think the Sicilian would be equally as passive in that regards, due to all the early pawn moves (take example, Fischer-Sozin Attack, where Black moves c5, d6, a6, and e6 all in the first few moves).  I know there is a purpose, and the counterattack definetely comes, but at first, there are some preparatory moves that have to be made.

It seems that some players treat turn-based games like OTB as far as their choice for openings. It seems to me that when both players have the luxury both of looking up theory and spending a long time analyzing positions to identify their best move, trying to avoid theory for the sake of avoiding theory is a losing proposition. In OTB games, there is some advantage to making your opponent say "damn, now what is the best move against Philidor?" but in CC games, you can figure it out. That, of course, does not apply to live games.

I may have been biased on 1.b3 as more popular than 1.f4 since I collect 1.b3 games, play it more often than 1.f4, and have added a lot of b3 games to my own database (inluding transpositions).  Here at www.chess.com, among members, 1.f4 has been played 7,924 times and 1.b3 has been played 7,548 times.  At www.chessgames.com, the master games show 1.f4 being played 1,556 times vs 1.b3 being played 1,240 times.  But if one counts transpostions (b3 on move two or later, vs f4 on move two or later) then 1.b3 would be more popular.

In my opinion, 1.h3 is under appreciated and under utilized.  Admittedly, it's value in CC games is limited but as is the case with many offbeat openings (e.g. Grob etc.) there are a number of traps that black must be careful to avoid as he navigates the unfamiliar minefield.

billwall wrote:  But if one counts transpostions (b3 on move two or later, vs f4 on move two or later) then 1.b3 would be more popular.

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   b3 is played quite often after f4 (on move 2 or 3) after e3, and I don't think that f4 is played often after b3.

I am not really sure, but probably the d4 d5 e4 e5 Squares are the most popular...

ADK 

I agree, there seem to be more Phildor opeings... also the Sicilians

The fact that f4 isn't played after b3 is a point in favor of f4 not against. It's not played later because black prevents it with ... e5. f4 is so good, black is scared of it. ;-)

Loomis wrote:

The fact that f4 isn't played after b3 is a point in favor of f4 not against. It's not played later because black prevents it with ... e5. f4 is so good, black is scared of it. ;-)

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 pffft... 1.f4 is an early xmas present! My experience with meeting 1.f4 is that it seems pretty average players play it with the hope to confuse their opponents but i have played several games and well... white just hasnt had a clear plan!

The philidor counter gambit can be played but with an immediate Nc3 black is certainly in a spot of bother (a move NOT found by Morphy`s opponents back in the day!). To be honest, i think 1...e5 players think that they can play ...d6, ...Nc6, try to exchange their knight for a bishop or trade their bishop on e6 and claim equality!!! Far from it i say! [anyone struggling with 1.d4 should take note!]

 It also seems like bills statistics could be thrown out the window since he plays and collects 1.b3 games! Thats like me saying that in 'my' database 90% of the games started with 1.e4 yet i like to only play white and only dabble with 1.d4 10% of the time!

 However, there is the most important lesson to learn from this thread if one is to be learned, that it is crucial to have your OWN database (exactly like bill) of games and to be able to see the frequency of particular openings in your own games. As mentioned you can do this automatically using fritz or manually by entering games into a program like chessbase etc.