When does the first capture happen in chess? This analysis ranks openings by how early (or late) the first piece exchange occurs.
Source Lichess·Openings 3093·Games 2,086,308,424·Range 2023-12 to 2025-11·Updated January 2026
First Blood = the half-move when the first capture occurs. Red = early captures (bloody). Green = late captures (peaceful).
Scandinavian Defense: Main Line, Mieses Variation is the bloodiest opening with first captures on move 2.0.
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Smyslov-Breyer-Zaitsev Hybrid is the most peaceful at move 17.8. Overall average is move 5.9.
First captures happen later as rating increases—stronger players are more patient.
3093 openings
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Scandinavian Defense: Main Line, Mieses Variation is the bloodiest opening with first captures occurring on average at move 2.0. Overall, first captures in Lichess games happen on move 5.9 on average. 43% of games see captures before move 5, while 2% remain peaceful past move 15.
First blood is the half-move when the first piece capture occurs. In Lichess games, first blood happens on average at move 5.9 (std dev: 2.4). 43% of games see captures before move 5, 42% between moves 5-10, 14% between moves 10-15, and 2% remain peaceful past move 15.
The bloodiest opening is Scandinavian Defense: Main Line, Mieses Variation with first capture averaging move 2.0. The quietest is Ruy Lopez: Closed, Smyslov-Breyer-Zaitsev Hybrid at move 17.8—a 15.8-move difference. Gambits and aggressive systems typically see earlier captures than the 5.9-move average.
85% of games see first blood before move 10, while 15% wait until move 10+—more games have early captures. Early captures (43% before move 5) often indicate gambits or tactical surprises. The impact on winning depends on whether you're prepared for sharp play. Check individual openings above for their specific timing.
Yes. 0-999 players see first blood at move 5.4, while 2500+ players average move 6.6—a 1.2-move difference. Higher-rated players tend to build positions longer before exchanging.
Yes. UltraBullet sees first blood at move 5.1, while Blitz averages move 6.0—a 0.9-move difference. Faster time controls encourage earlier action.
First blood timing reveals an opening's tactical nature. With 2,086,308,424 Lichess games analyzed, we see captures range from move 2.0 (bloodiest) to move 17.8 (quietest). Peaceful openings (2% games with captures after move 15) let you build; sharp openings (43% before move 5) force early decisions.
Most first captures happen before move 5. The distribution: 43% before move 5, 42% moves 5-10, 14% moves 10-15, 2% after move 15. Average: move 5.9. Scandinavian Defense: Main Line, Mieses Variation is earliest at move 2.0.
In Lichess data, aggressive openings like Scandinavian Defense: Main Line, Mieses Variation see first blood at move 2.0, while peaceful openings like Ruy Lopez: Closed, Smyslov-Breyer-Zaitsev Hybrid average move 17.8. 15.8 moves separate the bloodiest from quietest. Choose based on your style: 43% of games see immediate action before move 5.