What Are the Best Chess Openings for Intermediate Players (1200 to 1800 Elo)?

TL;DR

Short answer	As White, play 1.e4 with the Scotch or Vienna against 1...e5, the Alapin against the Sicilian and the Advance against both the French and the Caro-Kann. As Black, play the Caro-Kann or Petroff against 1.e4 and the Queen's Gambit Accepted or Bogo-Indian against 1.d4.
How we picked	21 of our 36 openings have a recommended Elo range that covers all of 1200 to 1800: 12 for White and 9 for Black
Games behind each pick	From about 1.0 million (Bogo-Indian, 1200 to 2000) to about 98 million (Petroff, 800 to 2400) Lichess games per opening, each counted at that opening's own rating range
Key move data	After 4.Nxd4 in the Scotch, half of Black players (50.1%) trade knights with 4...Nxd4, and 18.1% play 4...Bc5. Against the Caro-Kann Advance, 64% of Black players at 800 to 2200 choose 3...Bf5.
Openings to add around 1600	Ruy Lopez Closed and Sicilian Najdorf (both from 1600), Yugoslav Attack (from 1700)

Every trainer is built from what players at that opening's rating range actually play on Lichess, with your own moves checked by Stockfish. This article is about which moves get played, so we only quote results where our data states them.

What changes once you pass 1200

Below 1200, most games are decided by a piece left hanging. Around 1200 that starts to fade, and the opening begins to matter in a different way. Your opponents know the first few moves of the main lines, they punish obvious traps, and they have their own pet systems.

So the goal shifts. You no longer need an opening that is simply hard to go wrong in. You need one that gives you a plan you understand against every common reply, and that still works when you reach 1600 or 1800. That's why we built this list from openings whose recommended range covers the whole band, instead of ones that top out at 1400.

The best White openings for 1200 to 1800

If you play 1.e4, you can build a complete repertoire from openings that all fit this range. You need an answer to each of Black's four main defenses.

The Scotch is the pick for players who want open positions. White strikes in the center on move three instead of developing a bishop first:

The Scotch after 4.Nxd4. White's knight sits in the center and Black has to choose a plan.

The Scotch data, about 73 million Lichess games at 900 to 1800, shows why it suits this band. Black has four common replies here, but one dominates: half of players (50.1%) trade knights with 4...Nxd4, and 4...Bc5 (18.1%) is a distant second. You learn those two properly and handle 4...Nf6 and 4...Qf6 with the ideas you pick up along the way.

Against the Sicilian, the Alapin (2.c3) replaces a mountain of Open Sicilian theory with one plan: build a center with c3 and d4. At 900 to 2200 on Lichess, Black's most common replies are 2...Nc6 (32%), 2...d6 (18%), 2...d5 and 2...e6 (14% each) and 2...Nf6 (9%). The same c3 and d4 idea works against all of them.

Against the French, the Advance Variation gains space and keeps Black's light-squared bishop shut in behind the e6 and d5 pawns. The reply is fairly predictable: at 900 to 1800 on Lichess, 70% of Black players answer 3.e5 with 3...c5.

If you'd rather open with 1.d4, 1.c4 or 1.Nf3, our guide to White openings for 1200 to 1500 Elo covers the Trompowsky, English and Reti in detail, along with the Vienna and the Caro-Kann Advance.

The best Black openings for 1200 to 1800

For Black you need two answers: one to 1.e4 and one to 1.d4.

The Caro-Kann is a strong long-term choice against 1.e4, with a range that runs all the way to 2200. Against the Advance, most Black players get the bishop out before playing ...e6:

The Caro-Kann Advance after 3...Bf5. The bishop is outside the pawn chain before ...e6 locks it in.

That's 64% of Black players at 800 to 2200 on Lichess. White then has six systems (4.Nf3 28%, 4.Bd3 22%, 4.h4, 4.f4 and 4.Nc3 8% each, 4.g4 6%), so budget time for each one.

If you already play 1...e5, the Petroff keeps you there. After 2.Nf3 Nf6, White's third move at 800 to 2400 on Lichess splits 3.Nc3 (33%), 3.Nxe5 (32%) and 3.Bc4 (18%). After 3.Nxe5, only 26% of players at this level find the correct 3...d6, so that one move alone is worth learning.

Against 1.d4, the Queen's Gambit Accepted gives you open lines instead of a cramped center:

At 900 to 1800 on Lichess, White's third move splits 3.Nc3 (32%), 3.e3 (28%) and 3.e4 (28%). The classical 3.Nf3 comes up in only 7% of games. For something sharper, the Budapest Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5) sees White take the pawn with 3.dxe5 in 58% of games at 900 to 2100, so most of your preparation goes into one main line.

What about the Sicilian? The Najdorf is the most famous Black opening there is, but its recommended range starts at 1600. Our article on why the Najdorf isn't recommended under 1500 shows the branching data behind that number.

What opens up around 1600 to 1800

As you move toward the top of this band, a second group of openings becomes realistic. The Ruy Lopez Closed and the Sicilian Najdorf both start at 1600 in our ranges, the King's Indian and Nimzo-Indian at 1400, and the Yugoslav Attack against the Dragon at 1700.

You don't need to switch to them. The Alapin, Caro-Kann and Petroff all run past 2000. But if your current repertoire starts to feel predictable, these are the natural next steps, and several share ideas with what you already play. The slow Italian and the Closed Ruy use the same knight maneuvers, and the Bogo-Indian pairs with the Nimzo-Indian.

The one thing we'd avoid at this level is carrying six half-learned openings. Two or three that you know past move ten will serve you better than a wide repertoire you only know to move five.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best chess opening for a 1500 rated player?
For White, a 1.e4 repertoire of the Scotch, the Alapin against the Sicilian and the Advance against the French and Caro-Kann covers every main defense, and all of them have recommended ranges that include 1500. For Black, the Caro-Kann against 1.e4 and the Queen's Gambit Accepted against 1.d4 are strong, well-supported choices.

Should an intermediate player learn the Sicilian Najdorf?
Not before about 1600. The Najdorf's recommended range on our site starts at 1600 because White has so many major systems against it: our trainer covers six different sixth moves after 5...a6, plus sidelines like 2.Nc3, 2.Bc4, 2.c3 and the Smith-Morra. Below that, the Caro-Kann or the Petroff gives you a sound answer to 1.e4 with far less to learn.

What are good chess openings for 1200 to 1800 Elo?
21 of the 36 openings in our library have a recommended range that covers all of 1200 to 1800. For White that includes the Scotch, Vienna, Alapin, French Advance, Caro-Kann Advance, Trompowsky, English and Reti. For Black it includes the Caro-Kann, Petroff, Pirc, Modern, Queen's Gambit Accepted, Bogo-Indian and Budapest Gambit.

How many openings does an intermediate player need?
At minimum, one opening system as White with answers to the main replies, one defense against 1.e4 and one against 1.d4. A 1.e4 player also needs a plan against 1...e5, the Sicilian, the French and the Caro-Kann.

Copy the lines (PGN)

Every line in this article in standard PGN, ready to paste into Lichess, Chess.com or any chess database.

[Event "What Are the Best Chess Openings for Intermediate Players (1200 to 1800 Elo)?: Scotch Game"]
[Site "chesscoachacademy.com"]
[Result "*"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 *

[Event "What Are the Best Chess Openings for Intermediate Players (1200 to 1800 Elo)?: Alapin Variation"]
[Site "chesscoachacademy.com"]
[Result "*"]

1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. cxd4 d5 *

[Event "What Are the Best Chess Openings for Intermediate Players (1200 to 1800 Elo)?: French Advance"]
[Site "chesscoachacademy.com"]
[Result "*"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 *

[Event "What Are the Best Chess Openings for Intermediate Players (1200 to 1800 Elo)?: Caro-Kann Advance"]
[Site "chesscoachacademy.com"]
[Result "*"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 *

[Event "What Are the Best Chess Openings for Intermediate Players (1200 to 1800 Elo)?: Petroff Defense"]
[Site "chesscoachacademy.com"]
[Result "*"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 *

[Event "What Are the Best Chess Openings for Intermediate Players (1200 to 1800 Elo)?: Queen's Gambit Accepted"]
[Site "chesscoachacademy.com"]
[Result "*"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nc3 Nf6 *

[Event "What Are the Best Chess Openings for Intermediate Players (1200 to 1800 Elo)?: Budapest Gambit"]
[Site "chesscoachacademy.com"]
[Result "*"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 *

Keep reading

• Which White Openings Are Right for 1200 to 1500 Elo: Five White openings for the lower half of this band, with move data for each one's key lines.
• Why the Sicilian Najdorf Isn't Recommended Under 1500 Elo: The branching data behind the Najdorf's 1600 floor, and what to play instead.
• Best Chess Openings for Beginners: All 36 openings grouped by rating, if you're still building your first repertoire.

Build your intermediate repertoire

Pick one opening for White and one answer each to 1.e4 and 1.d4, then drill them until the first ten moves are automatic. The Scotch trainer covers all four of Black's common replies after 4.Nxd4 across 16 lines, and the Caro-Kann trainer covers all six of White's fourth moves against 3...Bf5 in 14 lines. If you want a shortlist tailored to your rating and color, the opening finder in our library does the filtering for you.

Every trainer is free during the open beta, and your progress on each line is tracked for free once you create an account.

Practice the Scotch Game →
Practice the Caro-Kann Advance →
Filter all 36 openings by rating and style →