The most common quick draws in high-level chess
Given the recent discussion on quick draw lines, I was curious to look into opening lines that try to force draws early on. I only look at draws by repetition, not simplification into drawn endgames, which are super common but more complicated.
I took the numbers from the Mega Database 2019. Searched for games with both players rated 2200+ that reached those positions, and that ended in a draw up to 3 moves later. The lichess database seems to show fewer instances of those games, I think they maybe don't include some short draws, but I could be wrong.
The lines below and some more are disorganized in a lichess study. I found some of them in this collection.
If I missed some big or interesting ones, please share!
1) The Berlin Draw: 180 games (Ruy Lopez)
The most emblematic quick draw we see at top level, which is why I placed it first. But it's actually a lot less common than a few others. Some other games may also draw with Qe3 instead of Qe4.
2) The Zaitsev Draw: 1177 games (Ruy Lopez)
Apparenty the most common early draw by repetition by far. There are actually even more instances of this, as it could happen before Bb7 and d4 (which maybe would be the true Zaitsev draw, but that's the name I've heard for it).
3) The Sveshnikov Qa5+ draw: 768 games (Sicilian)
I had never even heard of this draw and could find many instances of it, dating back to 1978 with Sveshnikov himself.
4) Exchange Ruy Lopez, Alapin Gambit: 211 games
A line in the famous Fishing Pole Trap, featuring a queen sac. Drawn after Kh1 Bg3+ Kg1 Bh2+...
5) QGA, Alekhine System: 185 games
Another one with a queen sac to force a perpetual. There's a very similar line in the Alekhine Defense itself, but it's a lot rarer.
6) Italian, Greco Gambit: 154 games
Very old opening, so players with black have had time to find this repetition.
7) Sicilian Najdorf, English Attack: 153 games
Can be avoided by going Bg5 or Bc1 then f3 instead of repeating, but it can be annoying.
8) Pirc, Austrian Attack: 125 games
And another queen sac.
9) Slav, Chebanenko Variation: 119 games
Most common of a few similarly flavored draws.
10) Fianchetto KID with c6 d5: 51 games
Rather silly looking one, but it happens quite a bit.
11) Exchange Slav: 47 games
I'm probably missing more draws in the Slav, but this is another relatively common one.
12) Fianchetto KID with c5 cxd4: 47 games
Nb5 reveals an attack on the d5 Knight, so black defends it, and so on...
13) Old Indian, Ukrainian Variation: 42 games
One of the most insane lines I came across, worth a scroll through the PGN.
14) Modern, Kotov Variation: 28 games
Sacrificing the b-pawn with b4 to trap the queen in a loop.
15) Boleslavsky Sicilian: 26 games
Another silly one, but why not?
16) Closed Catalan: 23 games
17) Caro-Kann, Accelerated Panov: 21 games
18) Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz: 21 games
If you keep threatening mate, maybe they'll forget about it the third time.
19) Scotch, Mieses Variation: 19 games
20) London System with c5 Qb6: 11 games
Only added this one to end at a nice round number, but Eric Rosen showcased it at some point (oh no my b2 pawn), but I couldn't find the video.