1.e4 – "Best by Test"?

http://en.chessbase.com/post/1-e4-best-by-test-part-1

?

It was said by Bobby Fischer.

1. d4 does slightly better than 1. e4 in every database I have ever seen.  This is mostly attributed to the success of the Sicilian defence against 1. e4.

But if you read the article they attributed this slight variation to the fact that higher rated players, when playing lower rated players, are more likely to play 1. d4, while lower rated players who are playing higher rated players are more likely to play 1. e4. When the numbers were adjusted for this phenomenon 1. e4 and 1. d4 were about equal. 

Thats interesting. Well, lower rated players switiching to e4 (Assuming they usually play d4) against higher rated players sounds like a recipe for disaster. Play what you know best.

lol

Izko wrote:

no berlin defence refuted e4...

.

Pity. Was a nice little opening.

'Twill be missed.

I did a bit more research on this.  Upon checking a database of engine games compiled from here (http://www.computerchess.org.uk/ccrl/4040/) and a database of correspondence games with engine assistance from the ICCF, it does seem to be the case that 1. d4 does not outperform 1. e4, they are virtually equal.  

One interesting point is that after 1. e4 black has a wider choice of moves that score equally well (or close to it), which may also explain why it is statistically slightly inferior in OTB chess, since white has to be prepared for a wider range of equally strong black systems, whereas in correspondence and engine chess databases and opening books eliminate this potential advantage.

Bwahahaha...

It actually is a fact that Kramnik's use of the Berlin and Petroff as drawing weapons did signifcantly decrease the popularity of 1. e4 in top flight chess for a while.