100 Years of Chess Openings: A Century of Opening Trends

From the romantic attacks of the early 20th century to the engine-tested depth of today, the evolution of chess openings tells a fascinating story. Here’s a curated look at the most popular openings over the decades, based on elite tournament play and World Championship matches.

📜 100 Years of Chess Openings

From the swashbuckling King's Gambit to the ultra-solid Berlin Defense, chess openings have evolved drastically over the past century. Here's a decade-by-decade breakdown of the top professional openings.

Era	Most Popular Openings	Why They Were Favored
1920s–1930s	King's Gambit, Queen's Gambit Declined, Ruy López	Romantic era still strong, but classical control was taking over.
1940s–1950s	Ruy López, Nimzo-Indian, Slav Defense	Botvinnik and Soviet school emphasized strong, positional lines.
1960s–1970s	King’s Indian, Grünfeld, Sicilian Najdorf	Dynamic play rose, Fischer and Karpov popularized deep prep.
1980s	English Opening, Caro-Kann, Queen’s Gambit Declined	Kasparov’s influence pushed hypermodernism and flexible openings.
1990s	Sicilian (all types), Berlin Defense, Petroff	Heavy engine preparation began to affect elite theory.
2000s	Berlin Defense, Ruy López, Queen’s Indian	Drawish but solid lines dominated match play post-Kramnik.
2010s	Italian Game, Berlin, Catalan	Super-GMs focused on long-term positional battles and opening safety.
2020s	Sicilian Najdorf, Queen’s Gambit Declined, King’s Indian	Mix of aggressive preparation and stable theory—driven by engines.
2025	Sicilian Defense, Ruy López, Italian Game	Openings that offer deep theory + flexibility remain supreme.