Women's World Championship KO (2018) openings

I consider openings appearing in the current women's tournament:

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?tid=94094

• Sicilian defense, 1. e4 c5, 30 games
• Ruy Lopez, 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5, 23 games
• Queen's Gambit Declined, 1. d4 d5 2. c4 [not dxc4], 18 games
• Caro-Kann, 1. e4 c6, 14 games
• English opening, 1. c4, 13 games
• King's Indian Defense, 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 [not Grunfeld], 11 games
• Petrov defense, 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6, 11 games
• Queen's Gambit Accepted, 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4, 11 games
• French defense, 1. e4 e6, 11 games
• Catalan opening, 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3, 10 games
• Queen's Pawn Game, 1. d4 [not QG], 9 games
• Réti opening, 1. Nf3, 8 games
• Giuoco Piano, 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5, 6 games
• Nimzo-Indian, 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4, 4 games
• Grunfeld defense, 1.d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5, 3 games
• Evans gambit, 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 ,2 games
• Modern defense, 1. e4 g6, 2 games
• Neo-Grunfeld, 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 d5, 2 game
• Pirc defense, 1. e4 d6, 2 game
• Bird's opening, 1. f4, 1 game
• Alekhine defense, 1. e4 Nf6, 1 game
• Benko gambit, 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5, 1 game
• Benoni defense, 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5, 1 game
• Dutch defense, 1. d4 f5, 1 game
• Four Knights game, 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6, 1 game
• Hippopotamus defense, 1 game
• King's Indian Attack, 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3, 1 game
• Queen's Indian Defense, 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6, 1 game
• Scandinavian defense, 1. e4 d5, 1 game
• Scotch game, 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4, 1 game
• Two Knights defense, 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6, 1 game
• Vienna game, 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3, 1 game

Sicilian variations:

• Rossolimo variation, 2. Nc3 Nf6 (or 2. d6) 3. Bb5, 7 games
• Kan variation, 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6, 4 games
• Richter-Rauzer, 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5, 4 games
• Sveshnikov variation, 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6,  4 games
• Najdorf variation, 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6, 3 game
• Kramnik variation, 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4, 1 game
• Maroczy Bind, 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. c4, 1 game
• Old Sicilian, 2. Nf3 Nc6, 1 game
• O'Kelly variation, 2. Nf3 a6, 1 game
• Scheveningen, 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6, 1 game
• Taimanov, 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3, 1 game

Ruy Lopez variations:

• Morphy defense, 3...a6, 8 games
• Berlin defense, 3...Nf6, 7 games
• Breyer variation, 4 games
• Fianchetto defense, 3...g6, 3 games
• Classical variation, 3...Bc5, 1 game

Queen's Gambit Declined (QGD) variations:

• Semi-Slav, 2...c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e6, 8 games
• Slav defense, 2...c6, 3 games
• Three Knights, 2...e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 [not Ragozin], 3 games
• Anti-Tartakower, 2...e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Bxf6, 1 game
• Charousek-Petrosian, 2...e6 3. Nc3 Be7, 1 game
• Ragozin defense, 2...e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 Bb4 1 game
• Traditional variation, 2...e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Bg5, 1 game

Caro-Kann variations:

• Classical variation, 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5, 6 games
• Advance variation, 2. d4 d5 3. e5, 3 games
• Two Knights, 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3, 2 games
• Accelerated Panov, 2. c4, 1 game
• Maroszy variation, 2. d4 d5 3. f3, 1 game
• Panov attack, 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4, 1 game

(203/203 games considered )

Other recent tournaments:

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/isle-of-man-masters-openings-2018-10-31

Please notice the current 1st place of QGD, more popular than Sicilian. 

A more precise formulation would be that among the responses to 1. d4, the QGD is more popular as the Sicilian in response to 1. e4.

I complete understand !!! Against strong opponents and when I want have a solid position and chance to win , I play QGD 🎉

Maybe its a female weapon? 

However interesting outcome 👍

After little thinking, it becomes clear. Female chess players like to be Queens but prefer to decline dubious offers. 

50/120 games considered, the trend coninues: 1) QGD 2) Sicilian. 

lol.......

I saw another game just posted 1 hour ago from a strong playing lady!!

@bergjes007

Queens Gambit opening and "smooth queen sac"

https://www.chess.com/daily/game/201145944

Hmm ... I'm playing a daily game with this strong playing lady. 

75/120 games considered, QGD and Sicilian are leading by popularity (13 games). 

100/154 games considered: 1) Sicilian, 17 games 2) QGD, 16 games. 

125/173 games considered, the tournament continues.

150/181 games considered, I've added the description of Ruy Lopez variations. 

2 Evans gambit? Could you show the games?

Hey, I was also surprised  and created a special thread here:

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/evans-gambit-declined-showalter-variation-zhu-pogonina-wwc-ko-2018 

189/189 games considered: 1) Sicilian, 26 games 2) Ruy Lopez, 19 games 3) QGD, 18 games. 

Caro-Kann variations have been added. 

After all, as the tournament progressed the Sicilian claimed its leading spot.

That's true, however QG=QGD+QGA=29 > Sicilian=26. 

Sorry, I did not notice. 😊

By the way, why does the GM with the best command of English (Miro) have to do the Russian commentary?