Free chess opening trainer: the main lines, and what opponents actually play at your level
AxiomChess teaches the theoretical main lines of each opening and drills them with spaced repetition. Every study line is sourced from master games and checked move by move against Stockfish. But club opponents rarely follow the main line. So the trainer shows, for each position, the replies opponents actually play at each Lichess rating band. It also ranks every opening by the share of opponents at each band who reach it and then go wrong against the lines we teach, with the costliest slip and the answer we teach. See the openings ranked by rating level, how we measure, and the learning method.
Opening mistakes by rating level
Openings for White
Vienna Gambit (C29)
White aims for a quick f4 push with attacking chances.
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5… · 4 lines
Evans Gambit (C51)
Sacrifices a pawn to gain a strong center and rapid piece development.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5… · 5 lines
Danish Gambit (C21)
White sacrifices two pawns for a huge lead in development and attacking chances.
1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3… · 1 line
Smith-Morra Gambit (B21)
White sacrifices a pawn against the Sicilian for rapid development and open lines.
1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3… · 3 lines
King's Gambit (C30)
Sacrifices a pawn for rapid development and attacking chances on the f-file.
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5… · 4 lines
London System (D00)
A universal system for White with consistent piece placement. Safe and strategic.
1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 e6… · 3 lines
Italian Game (C50)
A classical opening with natural piece development. Clear plans for both sides.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5… · 5 lines
Vienna Game (C25)
2.Nc3 keeps the f-pawn’s options open — quiet fianchetto systems or the f4 thrust, chosen after Black commits.
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 Bc5… · 3 lines
Openings for Black
Budapest Gambit (A52)
A surprise weapon against 1.d4. Black sacrifices a pawn for active piece play.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4… · 4 lines
Caro-Kann Defense (B10)
A solid defense with a strong pawn structure. Favors strategic, endgame-oriented players.
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4… · 5 lines
Scandinavian Defense (B01)
Black immediately challenges the e4 pawn. Simple and direct.
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5… · 3 lines
French Defense (C00)
Black builds a solid pawn chain and aims for a counterattack on the queenside.
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5… · 6 lines
Sicilian Najdorf (B90)
The most aggressive and complex of all Sicilian variations. Bobby Fischer's weapon of choice.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4… · 6 lines
Nimzo-Indian Defense (E20)
Black pins the knight and fights for the center. Rich strategic play.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4… · 6 lines
Frequently asked questions
Yes. AxiomChess includes an opening trainer, free and without an account. Pick an opening, learn its theoretical main lines with the reason behind each move, then drill them from memory on a spaced-repetition schedule. Because opponents rarely follow the main line, each position also shows the replies your rating band actually plays, and you can drill the answers to their common mistakes. It works without a username; enter your Chess.com or Lichess handle and it also shows which lines your own opponents play.
The AxiomChess opening trainer teaches the master main line of each opening and drills it with spaced repetition. It then shows, for every position, the replies opponents at each Lichess rating band actually play (≈ your Chess.com range). For every opening it reports the share of opponents at each band who reach it and then go wrong against the lines it teaches — a lower bound — with the costliest slip and the taught answer. You learn the master line and the club-level replies to it, and you drill the answers to the mistakes your band actually makes.
One answer to 1.e4, one answer to 1.d4, and one setup you trust as White — chosen from lines you can commit to reviewing. Solid, plan-driven openings like the Caro-Kann, the Italian Game or the London System carry beginners further than sharp theory, because their ideas repeat game after game.
Every study line is sourced from master practice via the Lichess opening explorer and checked move-by-move against Stockfish before it is taught — nothing is hand-invented. The reply tables come from the same Lichess data, split by rating band, so you prepare for what your own level actually plays.
From Lichess games split by rating band. For every opening, we count the share of opponents at each band who reach it and then play a move Stockfish grades as a Mistake or Blunder against the lines we teach, using the same labels as the game review. Each figure is a lower bound, and the close calls are re-checked at depth 30. The full method is on the how-we-measure page linked below.
No. The trainer works without an account or a username: your lines and their review schedule are kept on your device. Enter your Chess.com or Lichess username and it also matches the lines against the openings you actually reach in your own games — that connection is what turns a catalog into a study plan — and your progress comes with you.
Every guide shows the share of opponents at each level who reach it and then go wrong against it — how we measure that.
The fastest way to pick an opening to study: see which ones your games already reach — and where they go wrong.
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