Elite Players Can't Get Out Off The Box

It seems to me that there are only 5 openings that the elite players are playing:

For black:

*Sicilian Najdorf

*Indian Queens/Kings

*Petroff

For white:

*Ruy Lopez

*Queen's Gambit

I don't get why they play only those - are they the strongest openings or just a trend?

How is it possible that elite players play Ruy Lopez with white but not with black? They don't play against other elite players?

I think Ruy Lopez is an opening for white,am i wrong? 

....and do those White players share the game with anyone?

(Hint: Black).

I think he means openings that white/black initiate.

was it so hard to understand?

Well, ok then. But how can they play Ruy Lopez with white if their opponents after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 always play the Petroff with 2... Nf6?

Didn't Ivanchuk play King's Gambit.

Rogalentis I know what you mean, think others are being a bit pedantic. But other openings do appear, for instance the Gruenfeld, Catalan, etc were features of the recent WC match. Carlsen has played the Modern, the King's Gambit, and Alekhine's Defence to name but three. But I agree it is a little dull for us mortals to see so much of the openings you mentioned at elite level. For this reason I love seeing players take chances - check out Judit Polgar's wins over Topalov recently (albeit in blitz) with a crazy line of the Dutch and the King's Gambit with 3 Bc4. Or a player like Hikaru Nakamura, willing to try things like 1 e4 e5 2 Qh5.

Anyway I think chess is constantly evolving and while you'll always see the Ruy, the Sicilian and the QG extensively played (because they're so good) other openings and lines will come in and out of fashion.

I don't see so much Najdorf in GM vs GM games to be honest. Is it only me?

You're missing the Nimzo and the Grünfeld from your list btw.

The Openings highlighted, and others like "the Nimzo' and "the Grunfeld", are well known strong openings which offer equal chances for both White and Black. These would obviously be part of any GMs repertoire. They are played so often because GMs know that they will take them to the middle game, with a position that is usually equal. There are so many Openings to choose from, no one can prepare all Openings. Occationally, Gms prepare a little used Opening as a surprise strategy.

I too get tired of seeing this cluster of Openings all the time. Luckily, we have GMs like Carlsen, Polgar, Nakamura and Ivanchuk that sends in a curve ball every now and then. I still remember the recently ended "Pearl Spring" in China, where Carlsen played the "Two Knights Defence" and won (can you belief this?). And more recently, Polgar's demolition of Topalov with the King's Gambit (fantastic).

Maybe I should also answer something to your question.

I think it's partly fashion: for example Caro-Kann or Sveshnikov Sicilian used to be played more often few years back than now (altough you still see them played quite regulary). But it must be added that changes in opening trends often happen because of theoretical innovations: lines that were previously considered perfectly acceptable may suddenly become under cloud because of few significant novelties.

On the other hand, some pretty major openings that are regulary played at lower levels like Dutch or French have been rare in the top level events already for couple decades and I've seen some top GM's make pretty mocking comments about these. So some openings really seem to be played rarely because the top players think that there are sounder methods to play. It should be said, however, that even if some opening is considered questionable by top level professionals it can still be effective at amateur level!

I don't think you can really say that elite players can't "get out of the box" when they themselves are making "the box"

Slav and Semi-Slav are also very popular as well as Sicilian:dragon, Scheveningen, Sveshnikov etc.

Slav and Semi-Slav are against the QG

And about the Sicilian variations- i chose the Najdorf because it's a lot more popular than the others but of course others are also played.

Good point. If the elite players played different openings, then those openings would be "the box."

it was fine if the box was something like 10 openings

1. ruy lopez
2. petrov
3. sicilian
4. king's indian
5. queen's indian
6. nimzo-indian
7. grunfeld
8. qgd
9. qga
10. slav
11. semi-slav
12. catalan

did you say 10? 

i don't get it

why don't you consider the slav and semi-slav as part of the QG?