RamaChess Sam Shankland — Openings
Sam Shankland's most-played openings, with game counts.
Sam Shankland's favorite openings
Sam Shankland's most played openings in the Rama Chess archive: with White the Queen's Gambit Declined (24 games), Ruy Lopez (23 games), English Opening (20 games); with Black the Sicilian Defense (40 games), Queen's Pawn Game (18 games), Slav Defense (18 games). Best score in an opening played at least 5 times: 50% in the Scotch Game.
| Opening family | Games | As White | As Black | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sicilian Defense | 58 | 18 | 40 | 31.9% |
| English Opening | 36 | 20 | 16 | 44.4% |
| Queen's Gambit Declined | 35 | 24 | 11 | 35.7% |
| Ruy Lopez | 35 | 23 | 12 | 42.9% |
| Slav Defense | 21 | 3 | 18 | 31% |
| Queen's Pawn Game | 20 | 2 | 18 | 42.5% |
| Grunfeld Defense | 19 | 7 | 12 | 31.6% |
| Nimzo-Indian Defense | 17 | 17 | 0 | 50% |
| King's Indian Defense | 15 | 9 | 6 | 43.3% |
| Catalan Opening | 14 | 12 | 2 | 25% |
| Reti Opening | 14 | 6 | 8 | 25% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 13 | 3 | 10 | 34.6% |
| Semi-Slav Defense | 12 | 3 | 9 | 41.7% |
| King's Indian Attack | 9 | 2 | 7 | 27.8% |
| French Defense | 7 | 1 | 6 | 28.6% |
| Queen's Indian Defense | 7 | 5 | 2 | 35.7% |
| Nimzo-Larsen Attack | 6 | 0 | 6 | 41.7% |
| Italian Game | 5 | 0 | 5 | 30% |
| Scotch Game | 5 | 5 | 0 | 50% |
| Old Indian Defense | 4 | 4 | 0 | 50% |
Families from the ECO codes of 387 games (2026-10-31). Score = wins plus half the draws. The full list by ECO code is below.
All openings by ECO code
Ruy Lopez: Berlin (C65)11Ruy Lopez: Berlin, Open (C67)11Sicilian: Najdorf (B90)10King's Indian Defense (E60)10Queen's Pawn Game (A45)9Slav: Exchange (D12)9King's Indian Attack (A07)8English Opening (A15)8Caro-Kann: Advance (B12)8Ruy Lopez: Closed (C88)8QGD: Semi-Slav (D45)8Reti Opening (A05)7English Opening (A20)7Queen's Pawn Game (D02)7QGD: Ragozin (D38)7Catalan: Closed (E06)7Nimzo-Indian: Classical (E32)7Nimzo-Larsen Attack (A01)6Sicilian Defense (B33)6Sicilian Defense (B50)5Scotch Game (C45)5Italian Game (C50)5QGD: Exchange (D35)5QGD (D37)5Grünfeld: Modern Exchange (D85)5Catalan: Open (E04)5Reti Opening (A06)4Sicilian: Canal-Sokolsky (B51)4Slav: Quiet Variation (D11)4QGD (D53)4Reti Opening (A04)3English Opening (A10)3English: Caro-Kann Defensive System (A11)3English: Neo-Catalan (A14)3English: Symmetrical (A37)3Sicilian Defense (B40)3Sicilian: Taimanov (B48)3Sicilian: Canal-Sokolsky (B52)3Sicilian: Najdorf (B92)3Philidor Defense (C41)3Italian: Classical (C53)3Slav Defense (D16)3QGD (D31)3Queen's Gambit Declined (D50)3QGD: Cambridge Springs (D52)3Grünfeld: Exchange (D87)3Polish (Sokolsky) Opening (A00)2English Opening (A13)2English: Symmetrical (A30)2English: Symmetrical (A36)2King's Indian, East Indian (A48)2Old Indian (A53)2Alekhine's Defense (B03)2Modern Defense (B06)2Pirc Defense (B07)2Caro-Kann: Two Knights (B11)2Sicilian Defense (B20)2Sicilian Defense (B62)2Sicilian: Richter-Rauzer (B67)2Sicilian: Najdorf (B96)2French: Exchange (C01)2Petrov's Defense (C42)2Petrov: Modern Attack (C43)2Ruy Lopez: Closed (C92)2Richter-Veresov Attack (D01)2Slav Defense (D10)2Slav: Czech (D17)2QGD: Tarrasch (D34)2QGD: Semi-Tarrasch (D41)2QGD: Semi-Slav (D43)2Grunfeld Defense (D77)2Neo-Grünfeld (D78)2Neo-Grünfeld (D79)2Grünfeld: Russian (D97)2Queen's Pawn Game (E00)2Queen's Indian (E12)2Queen's Indian (E16)2Nimzo-Indian: Classical (E33)2King's Indian: Classical (E92)2King's Indian Attack (A08)1English Opening (A16)1English Opening (A21)1English: Symmetrical (A33)1Queen's Pawn Game (A40)1Queen's Pawn (A41)1Queen's Pawn Game (A46)1Queen's Indian (A47)1Old Indian (A54)1Old Indian Defense (A55)1Dutch Defense (A80)1Dutch Defense (A84)1Caro-Kann Defense (B10)1Caro-Kann: Exchange (B13)1Caro-Kann: Classical (B18)1Sicilian: Alapin (B22)1Sicilian: Rossolimo (B31)1Sicilian: Accelerated Dragon (B35)1Sicilian: Taimanov (B45)1Sicilian: Taimanov (B46)1Sicilian Defense (B53)1Sicilian Defense (B61)1Sicilian: Richter-Rauzer (B66)1Sicilian Defense (B76)1Sicilian: Scheveningen (B80)1Sicilian: Scheveningen (B84)1Sicilian: Najdorf (B93)1Sicilian Defense (B95)1French Defense (C00)1French: Advance (C02)1French Defense (C10)1French: Classical (C11)1French: Winawer (C19)1King's Pawn Game (C20)1Four Knights (C47)1Two Knights Defense (C55)1Ruy Lopez: Exchange (C69)1Ruy Lopez (C78)1Ruy Lopez: Closed (C84)1Queen's Pawn Game (D00)1Queen's Pawn Game (D04)1Slav Defense (D15)1QGA: Classical (D27)1QGD (D30)1QGD: Semi-Tarrasch (D42)1QGD: Semi-Slav, Anti-Meran (D44)1QGD: Semi-Slav, Meran (D47)1Queen's Gambit Declined (D54)1Grunfeld Defense (D73)1Grünfeld Defense (D80)1Grunfeld Defense (D96)1Catalan Opening (E01)1Catalan: Closed (E07)1Queen's Pawn Game (E10)1Bogo-Indian (E11)1Queen's Indian (E15)1Queen's Indian (E17)1Nimzo-Indian (E20)1Nimzo-Indian: Three Knights (E21)1Nimzo-Indian Defense (E25)1Nimzo-Indian Defense (E37)1Nimzo-Indian Defense (E39)1Nimzo-Indian: Reshevsky (E46)1Nimzo-Indian Defense (E48)1Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein (E51)1King's Indian: Fianchetto (E63)1King's Indian Defense (E80)1King's Indian: Classical (E94)1
FAQ
What are Sam Shankland's favorite openings?
Sam Shankland's most played openings in the Rama Chess archive: with White the Queen's Gambit Declined (24 games), Ruy Lopez (23 games), English Opening (20 games); with Black the Sicilian Defense (40 games), Queen's Pawn Game (18 games), Slav Defense (18 games). Best score in an opening played at least 5 times: 50% in the Scotch Game.
What does Sam Shankland play with Black?
With Black the most played opening families are: Sicilian Defense (40), Queen's Pawn Game (18), Slav Defense (18), English Opening (16).
How many different openings does Sam Shankland play here?
147 ECO codes in 38 opening families, in 387 games with a known ECO code.