e4 is basic... d4 will be better for masters
Openings-1.e4 or 1.d4
Good points torrubirubi but I don't want to rely on the surprise factor. I want to play the move that will lead to the better game, whatever level I happen to be in.
1.d4 and 1.4 are probably rather equal concerning keeping whites slight advantage. My argument for 1.d4 is more related to the fact that you can play 2.c4 without any risk before playing Nc3. In 1.4, if you want to play 2.f4 you should be ready to sacrifice a pawn and play a chaotic game. 1.d4 players have more control over the position, and if black wants to complicate things he has himself to sacrifice something or play a horrible position, like in the Englund Gambit. My students tell me how they win against players with much more experience just by playing natural moves.
In general, 1 e4 leads to a more-open game more frequently than 1 d4 and, since lower-rated players rely more on seeing tactical combinations than seeing imbalances they can strategically plan with, open games tend to fit lower-rated players better.
But it's still just a matter of degree. If you can exploit N-Outposts, backward and Passed Pawns, open files, exposed Kings, etc. better than another player with a similar rating, a closed game against that player benefits you.
Additionally, 1 d4 doesn't guarantee a closed game. I've always played 1 e4 until this year and have played a few London System Games as White (1 d4 2 Nf3 3 Bf4) because it's basically the mirror-image of my favorite Slav or Caro-Kann Defenses and I want to see what it's like to play those positions with the advantage of having the first move. It tends to make the games more open than the Slav and is fine, I think, even for open-game lovers.
The October 2017 issue of Chess lists the top twenty openings compiled from a list of 4192 August games where both players were rated over 2400 Elo. One can not take position on this list too seriously because it is greatly influenced by how the openings are grouped. For example, all the Retis are grouped together, while English is separated into 1...c5, 1...e5, etc. Nevertheless, for what it is worth, some of the list entries are: 271 Retis, 232 King's Indians, 172 Caro-Kanns, 165 Nimzo-Indians, 126 Najdorf Sicilians, 126 Slavs, 118 declined Queen's Gambits, 100 Queen's Indians, 98 1...e5 Englishes, 94 1...c5 Englishes, 93 Kan Sicilians, 81 Tarrasch Frenches, 77 1...Nf6 Englishes, 73 Guioco Pianos, 67 1...e6 Englishes, and 66 Moderns
Try www.365chess.com Opening Explorer.
Which is better for non Masters?