Common mistakes
Opening mistakes at 1200–1400
The moves Lichess players rated 1200–1400 get wrong most often in the first ten moves, and what players a level above them play instead.
Learn them, don’t just read them. Play your move in each position before you see the answer.
Practise these 20On each board, the red arrow is the move most players at this level get wrong, and the green arrow is the move to play instead. Grouped by opening, the most costly first. From 106,872 games by players at this level, September 2026.
Scotch Game
Learn the Scotch Game1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 · White to move
?!Most players here play
4.Ng5
11% of players rated 1200–1400 do. It drops their winning chances by about 12%, and they score 49% from here.
Why: it lets 4.Nxd4 go, and 4.Nxd4 wins a pawn.
★Play instead
4.Nxd4
What 57% of players rated 1400–1600 choose. Players at your level who already play it score 55%.
From 1,164 games at this level that reached the position.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nxd4 5.Qxd4 · Black to move
?!Most players here play
5...Nf6
28% of players rated 1200–1400 do. It drops their winning chances by about 11%, and they score 43% from here.
Why: the engine’s best answer is 6.e5 c5 7.Qe3 Nd5 8.Qe4, and the position is worse for it.
★Play instead
5...d6
What 32% of players rated 1400–1600 choose. Players at your level who already play it score 39%.
From 412 games at this level that reached the position.
King's Pawn Opening
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5 · White to move
?!Most players here play
3.Bc4
39% of players rated 1200–1400 do. It drops their winning chances by about 14%, and they score 67% from here.
Why: it lets 3.Nxe5 go, and 3.Nxe5 wins a pawn.
★Play instead
3.Nxe5
What 20% of players rated 1400–1600 choose. Players at your level who already play it score 67%.
From 254 games at this level that reached the position.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5 3.Bc4 · Black to move
?Most players here play
3...Bxf2+
9% of players rated 1200–1400 do. It drops their winning chances by about 26%, and they score 42% from here.
Why: White answers 4.Kxf2 Nf6 5.d3 c6 6.Re1, winning two pawns.
★Play instead
3...d6
What 39% of players rated 1400–1600 choose. Players at your level who already play it score 50%.
From 141 games at this level that reached the position.
Petrov's Defence
Learn the Petrov's Defence1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 · Black to move
?!Most players here play
3...Nc6
38% of players rated 1200–1400 do. It drops their winning chances by about 11%, and they score 49% from here.
Why: the engine’s best answer is 4.Nxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Bc5 6.Be2, and the position is worse for it.
★Play instead
3...d6
What 24% of players rated 1400–1600 choose. Players at your level who already play it score 46%.
From 320 games at this level that reached the position.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nc6 4.Nxc6 dxc6 5.Nc3 Bc5 · White to move
?Most players here play
6.Bc4
33% of players rated 1200–1400 do. It drops their winning chances by about 23%, and they score 54% from here.
Why: the engine’s best answer is 6...Ng4 7.Qf3 Ne5 8.Qe2 Qh4, and the position is worse for it.
★Play instead
6.h3
What 27% of players rated 1400–1600 choose. Players at your level who already play it score 67%.
From 42 games at this level that reached the position.
Bishop's Opening
Learn the Bishop's Opening1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Nf3 · Black to move
?!Most players here play
3...Bc5
17% of players rated 1200–1400 do. It drops their winning chances by about 16%, and they score 50% from here.
Why: White answers 4.Nxe5 O-O 5.d4 Bb6 6.Nxf7, winning two pawns.
★Play instead
3...Nxe4
What 26% of players rated 1400–1600 choose. Players at your level who already play it score 59%.
From 334 games at this level that reached the position.
Vienna Game
Learn the Vienna Game1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 · Black to move
?!Most players here play
3...Nc6
22% of players rated 1200–1400 do. It drops their winning chances by about 19%, and they score 36% from here.
Why: the engine’s best answer is 4.fxe5 Nxe5 5.d4 Ng6 6.e5, and the position is worse for it.
★Play instead
3...d5
What 14% of players rated 1400–1600 choose. Players at your level who already play it score 55%.
From 217 games at this level that reached the position.
Two Knights Defence
Learn the Two Knights Defence1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 · White to move
?Most players here play
6.Qf3
20% of players rated 1200–1400 do. It drops their winning chances by about 21%, and they score 34% from here.
Why: the engine’s best answer is 6...Qxg5 7.Bxd5 Nd4 8.Qxf7+ Kd8, and the position is worse for it.
★Play instead
6.Nxf7
What 65% of players rated 1400–1600 choose. Players at your level who already play it score 57%.
From 159 games at this level that reached the position.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Nxf7 Kxf7 7.Qf3+ · Black to move
?!Most players here play
7...Ke8
33% of players rated 1200–1400 do. It drops their winning chances by about 11%, and they score 23% from here.
Why: White answers 8.Bxd5 Qf6 9.Bxc6+ Qxc6 10.Qxc6+, winning a piece.
★Play instead
7...Ke6
What 53% of players rated 1400–1600 choose. Players at your level who already play it score 47%.
From 94 games at this level that reached the position.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 · White to move
?!Most players here play
8.Ba4
48% of players rated 1200–1400 do. It drops their winning chances by about 14%, and they score 33% from here.
Why: the engine’s best answer is 8...h6 9.Nf3 e4 10.Qe2 Bd6, and the position is worse for it.
★Play instead
8.Bd3
What 25% of players rated 1400–1600 choose. Players at your level who already play it score 54%.
From 50 games at this level that reached the position.
Nimzowitsch Defence
Learn the Nimzowitsch Defence1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 e5 3.d5 · Black to move
?!Most players here play
3...Nd4
35% of players rated 1200–1400 do. It drops their winning chances by about 20%, and they score 28% from here.
Why: White answers 4.c3 Nc6 5.dxc6 Nf6 6.cxd7+, winning a piece.
★Play instead
3...Nce7
What 60% of players rated 1400–1600 choose. Players at your level who already play it score 54%.
From 91 games at this level that reached the position.
Italian Game
Learn the Italian Game1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 · White to move
?!Most players here play
4.Nxe5
33% of players rated 1200–1400 do. It drops their winning chances by about 14%, and they score 29% from here.
Why: Black answers 4...Qg5 5.Bxf7+ Kd8 6.O-O Qxe5, winning a pawn.
★Play instead
4.Nxd4
What 49% of players rated 1400–1600 choose. Players at your level who already play it score 69%.
From 120 games at this level that reached the position.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d4 exd4 5.c3 Nf6 6.cxd4 · Black to move
?Most players here play
6...Bb6
17% of players rated 1200–1400 do. It drops their winning chances by about 21%, and they score 60% from here.
Why: the engine’s best answer is 7.e5 Ne4 8.Bd5 Ba5+ 9.Kf1, and the position is worse for it.
★Play instead
6...Bb4+
What 80% of players rated 1400–1600 choose. Players at your level who already play it score 39%.
From 89 games at this level that reached the position.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 · Black to move
?!Most players here play
5...Bc5
22% of players rated 1200–1400 do. It drops their winning chances by about 13%, and they score 33% from here.
Why: White answers 6.Bxf7+ Ke7 7.Nxc6+ dxc6 8.Qxd8+, winning a pawn.
★Play instead
5...Nxd4
What 49% of players rated 1400–1600 choose. Players at your level who already play it score 45%.
From 107 games at this level that reached the position.
Queen's Pawn Opening
1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Nc6 3.Nf3 Qe7 4.Bf4 Qb4+ 5.Bd2 Qxb2 · White to move
??Most players here play
6.Bc3
23% of players rated 1200–1400 do. It drops their winning chances by about 49%, and they score 20% from here.
Why: Black answers 6...Bb4 7.Bd2 Qxa1 8.c3 Be7, winning a rook.
★Play instead
6.Nc3
What 86% of players rated 1400–1600 choose. Players at your level who already play it score 53%.
From 44 games at this level that reached the position.
Pirc Defence
Learn the Pirc Defence1.e4 d6 2.f4 e5 · White to move
?Most players here play
3.fxe5
19% of players rated 1200–1400 do. It drops their winning chances by about 23%, and they score 56% from here.
Why: the engine’s best answer is 3...Qh4+ 4.Ke2 Qxe4+ 5.Kf2 Qd4+, and the position is worse for it.
★Play instead
3.Nc3
What 2% of players rated 1400–1600 choose.
From 83 games at this level that reached the position.
Four Knights Game
Learn the Four Knights Game1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Nxd4 6.Qxd4 · Black to move
?!Most players here play
6...b6
20% of players rated 1200–1400 do. It drops their winning chances by about 16%, and they score 43% from here.
Why: the engine’s best answer is 7.e5 Ng8 8.Bc4 Bb7 9.O-O, and the position is worse for it.
★Play instead
6...d6
What 34% of players rated 1400–1600 choose. Players at your level who already play it score 33%.
From 108 games at this level that reached the position.
Alekhine's Defence
Learn the Alekhine's Defence1.e4 Nf6 · White to move
?!Most players here play
2.Nf3
9% of players rated 1200–1400 do. It drops their winning chances by about 12%, and they score 48% from here.
Why: Black answers 2...Nxe4 3.d4 d5 4.c4 e5, winning a pawn.
★Play instead
2.e5
What 49% of players rated 1400–1600 choose. Players at your level who already play it score 54%.
From 341 games at this level that reached the position.
Other openings
1.b4 e5 2.Bb2 · Black to move
?!Most players here play
2...Nc6
32% of players rated 1200–1400 do. It drops their winning chances by about 11%, and they score 27% from here.
Why: White answers 3.b5 Na5 4.Bxe5 c5 5.e3, winning a pawn.
★Play instead
2...d6
What 31% of players rated 1400–1600 choose. Players at your level who already play it score 64%.
From 99 games at this level that reached the position.
How this was measured
The games are the start of the Lichess open database for September 2026: the first 1500 MB of the file, 4,596,934 rated games. Only the 367,730 that Lichess had already analysed with Stockfish, played at blitz speed or slower, are counted (blitz 210,831, rapid 148,158, classical 8,741). Bullet is left out: its openings are played on reflex.
Each player is placed by their own Lichess rating at the time of the game. Lichess ratings run higher than chess.com’s, so a 1200 here is a weaker player than a 1200 there. Only the first 10 moves of each game are looked at: after that, positions almost never repeat across games.
A move is listed as a mistake when it gives away at least 10 points of winning chance on average, the point at which the game review starts to call a move an inaccuracy, and a position needs at least 40 games at that rating before it is reported. The move recommended instead must give away no more than 5 points, and is the one most often chosen by the next rating band up, so a 1100 is shown what a 1300 plays rather than a grandmaster’s preparation. At the top band it is the band’s own favourite.
“Score” is the average result of the player who made the move: a win counts 1, a draw a half. It is affected by everything that happened later in the game, so read it as a hint, not a verdict.