WITHOUT LOOKING AT GAME EXPLORER try to tell me whether more master games start out 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Be7 8.Qf3 Qc7 9.O-O-O Nbd7 10.g4 b5 11.Bxf6 Nxf6 12.g5 Nd7 13.f5 Nc5 14.f6 gxf6 15.gxf6 Bf8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

or

1.Nc3 g6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the winner will be the person who can tell me which is more common and be the closest at guessing how many more games were played by the more common start.    

the winner will then make their own question like this 

I would vote for #1 but as to how many without using game explorer would be difficult

guess anyway

I'm going to vote for #2, if only because it's a much simpler position, and could be recorder more often such.

However it can't be by too much; the first position looks like the most popular sicilian line so it might be up there as well... unless you're trying to trick us of course :P

I don't know 32,000 with the first and less than 5,000 for #2

sleisl, don't forget to guess how many more games were played by the more common opening

I checked, its pretty close.

#1 is played so much.  I am guessing about 2500 for the first one and 450 for the second.

I went to the game explorer and it is not close there The difference  between

Option 1)   1. e4 c5 and

Option 2)   1.Nc3 g6

is humongous

qtsii,

it's actually rather close

option 1) 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Be7 8.Qf3 Qc7 9.O-O-O Nbd7 10.g4 b5 11.Bxf6 Nxf6 12.g5 Nd7 13.f5 Nc5 14.f6 gxf6 15.gxf6 Bf8

option 2)

1.Nc3 g6

OK, I did not drill down past move 2 - trying to compare move to move. Yes they are very close...

#1 2000

#2 1800