Opening mistakes by rating.
What players really get wrong.

For 29 openings: the losing moves played most often at 1200–1400, 1500–1700 and 1900–2100, with the share of players who make them and the punishment.

29 openings

Sicilian Defense9% of players rated 1200–1400 play 3...e6?36 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700, 1900–2100

Italian Game10% of players rated 1200–1400 play 4...Bc5?36 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700, 1900–2100

French Defense20% of players rated 1200–1400 play 3...Nc6?31 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700, 1900–2100

Queen's Gambit Declined88% of players rated 1200–1400 play 3...Qxd5?18 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700, 1900–2100

Ruy Lopez10% of players rated 1200–1400 play 5...Nf6?25 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700, 1900–2100

Caro-Kann Defense4% of players rated 1200–1400 play 4...c5?18 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700, 1900–2100

Scotch Game9% of players rated 1200–1400 play 4.Ng5?32 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700, 1900–2100

King's Gambit Accepted8% of players rated 1200–1400 play 3...Bc5?33 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700, 1900–2100

Scandinavian Defense20% of players rated 1200–1400 play 5...Qg6?36 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700, 1900–2100

Petrov's Defense36% of players rated 1200–1400 play 3...Nc6?31 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700, 1900–2100

Four Knights Game3% of players rated 1200–1400 play 4.Nxe5?19 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700, 1900–2100

Queen's Pawn Game21% of players rated 1200–1400 play 3...g5?17 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700

Philidor Defense58% of players rated 1200–1400 play 6...Nf6?29 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700, 1900–2100

Alekhine Defense11% of players rated 1200–1400 play 3...Nc6?6 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700

Modern Defense3% of players rated 1200–1400 play 3.Bxf7+?7 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700

Queen's Gambit Accepted7% of players rated 1200–1400 play 3...Bf5?15 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700

King's Gambit Declined7% of players rated 1200–1400 play 3.fxe5?26 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700, 1900–2100

Bishop's Opening16% of players rated 1200–1400 play 3...Bc5?24 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700

Vienna Game18% of players rated 1200–1400 play 3...Nc6?24 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700

Danish Gambit Accepted7% of players rated 1200–1400 play 5...f6?10 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700

Center Game33% of players rated 1200–1400 play 3...Nd4?19 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700

Ponziani Opening21% of players rated 1200–1400 play 5...Ng4?14 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700

Englund Gambit45% of players rated 1200–1400 play 5.dxe7?24 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700, 1900–2100

Zukertort Opening21% of players rated 1200–1400 play 3...f6?21 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700, 1900–2100

Elephant Gambit51% of players rated 1200–1400 play 4...Be6?13 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700, 1900–2100

King's Pawn Game65% of players rated 1200–1400 play 3...c6?27 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700, 1900–2100

Polish Opening20% of players rated 1200–1400 play 3...d6?6 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700

Owen Defense5% of players rated 1200–1400 play 3.Bxf7+?13 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700

King's Gambit10% of players rated 1200–1400 play 3.fxe5?9 common mistakes · 1200–1400, 1500–1700

How the mistakes are found

Most opening books tell you what masters play. These pages show what club players actually play, and which of those moves lose. We took rated Lichess games from May 2024 with a time control of at least three minutes, grouped them by the rating of both players, and counted every move in the first ten moves. Stockfish then judged every move that a real share of the players chose in a position many of them reached. The ones that cost at least one and a half pawns are listed here, sorted by how often they happen.

The lists are different at every level: a move that catches a third of the players at 1300 is often rare at 2000, while some traps keep working all the way up. If an opening you play is listed, the mistakes on its page are the ones you are most likely to meet over the board. For the ideas behind each opening, see the opening studies; for the famous named traps, see the trap pages.