WHY?

Can u answer this question?

Why do you think most grandmasters use these openings?

• D43, D12, D49, D18, D14, D19, D43, D21, D27, D37, D85
• C54, C42, C88
• E12, E05, E32, E34, E25, E37, E55, E21
• A17, A30
• B66,B65,B49,B32,B33,B31 AND B30

What makes them better than other ones?

You know, I'm a huge chess nerd, but I do not know ECO codes from the top of my head. Perhaps I'm not the only one.

Perhaps it would be a bit easier for us if you gave some names, or even actual moves?

Take a look Scarblac:

http://www.chesslab.com/PositionSearch.html

Maybe you'll find something of interest.

Opening are just like fashion trends they come and go, some years ago there was one now theres another, it will depend on the new rising stars, for example radjabov started wooping some guys with the kings indian now everyone goes that way...

Some openings are used because it has been decided, after years of study and analyzing them, they are the best.

I believe that the reason chess players, in general, choose to use a particular opening/opening system is because they feel comfortable with the middle-game position that follows.

The openings are

• Semi-Slav Defense
• Giuoco Piano
• Queens Indian Def
• English
• Sicilian
• Slav Def
• Queens Gambit accepted and declined
• Grunfeld Def
• Nimzo-Indian Defense
• Petrovs Def
• Ruy Lopez
• Catalan

and certain lines of them

You listed 31 openings.  If you ask me, I'd wonder more about why they play so many different openings.

That was my first thought Exactly~!  So, Can Chesscom just add a click that will print out "Ditto~What He Said!" ?

Thought #3 being: Have GM's abandoned the French and Caro !?? And #4, except for the Grunfeld, which has a lot of uncovered ground to justify itself, and a couple other obvious exceptions, those look like pretty Boring (aka unsharp) selections opening-wise. Some clearly would just Avoid any question of being much surprised or much endangered by an Opening improvement.

GAU, It may just be a matter of switching what GM's you are watching to some a bit less "positional" and more adventurous, if they are playing those openings regularly ...other than Ruy and Sicilian. Watch someone that has walked the cutting edge of some opening(s) of theirs. At least get a taste of the new and the tactical that is out there if you havent. View the Tactical Side of The Force, before surrenduring yourself to the Positional Side~!   Bronstein be with you

If they are playing the giuoco piano there would have had to been some trendy new discovery in it (kind of like when the alekhines got a bit more popular with all the c4 gambit lines).

GMs Bologan, Korneev and Efimenko have been playing the Guioco Pianissimo with an early 5.d3 a fair bit lately, although I would be really surprised if it was more popular than the French Defence.

I agree with mschosting that opening trends are driven to some extent by impressive wins by high profile players.  After Kramnik used the Ruy Lopez Berlin defence to stymy Kasparov, it came into fashion in a big way.  In the Sicilian Najdorf, 6.Be3 replaced 6.Bg5 because of Kasparov.  The Petroff came into fashion after Karpov started using it.  Who knows what the next big trend will be?  Mamedyrov's Max Lange Gambit?

Okay can you tell me what openings you prefer to use as white or black?

Here is a game that the winner of the 2009 US chess championship played, from the 2009 US chess championship. Look like the Guico Piano to me.

It's the Two Knight's Defense (ECO C55-C59)