Best opening for white

The answer to that is a bit strange. No, it is rather "unusual", not strange.

There are 2 best moves after 1.Nf3 d5, dependend on what you assume means "best".

Best in practical terms is certainly 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4, and it is what I play mostly.

However, best in theoretical terms is 1.Nf3 d5 2.d4

What is the difference?

After 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 white scores better (practical aspect), but the theoretical best answer to this line is for black 2...d4. If white continues like I do: 3.e3 then black has the relative good answer 3...Nc6.

It is practically not so often played though. 

In contrast: after 1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 white still scores practically well, but not as well as with 2.c4. However, there is no (seldom) good answer for black here. So 2.d4 is theoretically "best".

But at least I doubt the Ruy Lopez is theoretically the best. It might be practically. 

One good line of black against the Ruy Lopes is:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Ne7! And black has actually in most lines the better statistics.

The reason is simple: The Ruy Lopez lives on attacking the Nf6 and using the f5 square. So Nf6 is actually a weak move to do, and Nge7 is more logical: It supports f7-f5, and deprives white of the attacking target on f6.

I am not saying that 3...Ne7 is a refutation of the Ruy Lopez, but I could imagine, that one day the world opens their eyes and sees find this move. Some players seem to have discovered it already, and 3...Ne7 advanced to the 3rd most played move here. 

The Berlin against the Ruy Lopez is still giving white a target on f6, but seems to take a lot of fun for Ruy Lopez players, too. If you dont like 3...Ne7 (but why shouldnt you?), then the berlin is good enough to make the Ruy Lopez look a bit blunt.

For the Queens gambit: the attacking chances of black in the orthodox QGD (with e6) seem to give black practically good chances at club level. Only at GM level, white can parry these attacks sufficiently and keep a tiny edge. I believe, that the Catalan is stronger than the queens gambit. Theoretically and especially practically, because in the Catalan, black wont have attacking chances on the kingswing, but the minority attack is still an option in some lines for white. The bishop on g2 is just more useful for white in terms of defense as well as putting pressure on the black center and queenswing.

The reason for statistics like that is sometimes due to an issue with it. Normally someone finds a move in a game and it gains popularity by getting lots of wins. But on occasion a continuation might be played in one game that gives the move serious problems. This can sometimes lead to a complete abandonment of that move altogether. The statistics can't tell you if that occurred. 

Normally the shift to other continuations is more gradual causing the statistics to "even out" but it can be tricky to tell without looking for yourself.

I never look at statistics. I look at a color coded opening book, try out the 'green' lines and if they work adopt them if they don't work dismiss them.

But statistics I'm not interested in.

lol @ 1.Nf3 is the best opening.  only somebody that looked at 'statistics' could come to that conclusion

ok boss

Sorry to break your heart OP. But there is no such thing as "best opening for white". White players only has the advantage of the first move and what kind of game the game leads to. No matter what you play as white as long as your opponent sees your plans and schemes and avoids them you dont get an advantage at all but the "first move". Even if FIscher says "e4 best by test" its because he understood the lines against it but what about Karpov who switched to d4 or Spassky the universal player. It all depends on how you play and how your opponent reacts. In my case i dont consider 1.b4 as the best opening but i play it and get good results.

I agree with those who think that yes, it's interesting (I mean if you want to learn chess properly. And with "properly" I mean to educate yourself to enjoy the depth of this awesome game. It's a bit like the fact that you can enjoy listening to music even if you do not play any instrument, but if you are a musician, you 'get more') to learn openings but what matters, and I speak for 'amateurs' like me is to follow the basic principles of chess: develop ASAP all your pieces without moving the same piece more than once, try to control the center etc etc etc. It's chess common sense. What really helps is playing, playing and playing (and if you join a chess club, it is even better)

KaG_Moon: the Ruy Lopez is about establishing long-term central control and the ability for White to play on all three parts of the board (queenside, center, and kingside). Moves like ...Ne7 don't adequately fight for the center--White can take a large space advantage uncontested, avoid exchanges, and begin to squeeze Black's pieces.

3...Ne7 and the delayed version 3...a6/4...Nge7 have been tried by pretty strong players (super 1...e5 expert Ivan Sokolov and Aronian if I'm not mistaken), so this is certainly an idea that deserves some consideration, even if it's slightly offbeat.

This topic is talked about on here constantly like a broken record.

Look at any database of GM Games.  There are tons of them out there, all ranging from 500,000 games to 6 million games, so clearly a large enough sample to do valid statistics.

1.d4 scores a full 2% better than 1.e4.  1.c4 and 1.Nf3 score roughly the same as 1.e4.  The rest are worse.

The best move for White is 1.d4.  Stats prove it!

that isn't proof.  i never understand why people can just look at opening explorer, see the stats and thinks that's proof.  it is interesting information but that is not proof lol.  proof would be a supercomputer looking at ever possible position after e4 and d4 and determining that the best line white can force with one opening is better than the other.  e4 has a lot more lines that are risky but white doesn't necessarily have to play that way and the best e4 line that white can force may be better than the best d4 line white can force.  

theoretical reality = a guess 

seem to support = the statistics of compiled games where virtually every possible line from d4 and e4 is played, d4 seems to give white a 2% advantage.  

My point is nobody knows the best line for each side so why is compiling the statistics for every possible line for a first move proof that the opening is better?  In addition there are variables like middlegame play, blunders, endgame play, variance from time periods where certain lines and openings are fashionable etc.

The opening you know better than your opponent.  Very Simple.

And that includes a Reversed Hippo, inter alia.

I'm aware of the Aronian games (in blitz/rapid), and ...Ne7 is definitely playable, but the poster presented it as if it were some really strong move, which it is not.

Database stats are skewed by the presence of hundreds of thousands or millions of games by weak players, so raw percentages don't mean anything.

I think 1. d4 is the best opening move by white despite the statistics support it.

Game 1. of the world championship match showed that if you go for an unambitious opening and your only goal is to somehow avoid complications but by no means to achieve any kind of advantage your choice is:

1. Nf3

1. d4 +++

1. e4

1. c4

1. Nf3

1. a3

1. a4

1. b3

1. b4 ---

1. c3

1. d3

1. e3

1. f3

1. f4 ---

1. g3

1. g4 ---

1. h3

1. h4

1. Na3

1. Nc3

1. Nh3

• first class move
• move to be avoided
• neutral move ( you play as if you were black but a tempo up )
• +++ recommended
• --- played by some as a surprise but wrong

The game explorer says Na3 is the best.