Grandmasters openings

I was wondering why do most grandmasters never start with e2-e4

Carlsen, Anand, and Topalov all open mainly with 1.e4.  Who doesn't?

NIgel Short opengs exclusively with 1.e4, and has done so his whole career, he played a match for the WC crown.

Michael Adams plays exclusively 1.e4.

Anand, world champion plays 1.e4.
Carlsen, ranked the highest in the world plays 1.e4.

Kramnik plays 1.e4 and he regularely transposes into 1.e4 openings with his 1. Nf3.

To summarise, drugs are bad, mmkay?

Yes. I definitely see what you mean, as most of the games from Grandmasters I like to watch, are almost exclusively 1. d4. As stated above, some play 1. e4, but lately it's like a majority of the top Grandmasters are playing 1. d4. But the great ones start trends. We're in a trend- d4 is in vogue.

Dynamic attacking players still favour 1.e4.  I don't think things have changed all that much.

=o I thought Kramnik mainly opened with 1.d4-He specializes

Anyhow, 1.e4 is just as good as 1.d4. The reason Anand opened with 1.d4 in the WC is that he wanted to get into a Catalan, taking Topalov out of his comfort zone. Otherwise, Anand's mainly an e4 player.

Not too sure about Topalov but I think he plays both.

Kramniks openings as white.

1.d4    447

1. Nf3   380

1. e4   208

1.c4   34

1. b3 2

So he's hardly mainly a 1.e4 player, but he does play it. And out of all openings, the one defence he has played the most against as white is the Sicilian.

Well, as I pointed out in another thread, I recently downloaded the 20 newest twics pgns which represents the best games played ont the planet, and e4 openings lead d4 by something like 16,000 to 12,000. So, MOST good players still start e4.

i always see this opening 

i see this opening alot

Haadi1, in that last diagram, 2...e5!? is a very bold pawn sac.  Why doesn't white just take the pawn?

the reason why grandmasters don't play e4 is the really strong c5 sicilian. a reason why white wins is because black blundered during the game.

riga, cuzi think black would reply wit Bd6 and then hed be ahead in development 

The way I see it, just one development tempo isn't nearly enough compensation for the pawn.

How did you get this list, and how can I get it for other GMs?

Kramnik played e4 a lot in the early 2000s (see his 2004 match against Lékó, for example); however, he later abandoned it almost completely, opening only with 1.d4 in the 2006 World Chess Championship.

Nevermind. I figured it out.

Mainly grandmasters seem to avoid the Sicilian, and therefore play 1.d4

 I think the more professional you get the less fo e4 your gonna see.

I suspect that trends and fashion play a larger role in determining the popular openings than most players suppose. Opening systems just go in and out of fashion. How long was the Scotch Game side-lined?