1. e4 vs 1. d4

With 1.e4 I play:

1.e4 e5 2.f4  Kings Gambit
1.e4 c5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 Sicilian Smith-Morra Gambit
1.e4 c5 2.d4 exd4 3.Bd3 Halasz Gambit Sicilian Variation
1.e4 c5 2.b4 Sicilian Wing 'Gambit
1.e4 c5 2.g4 Sicilian Grob Attack
1.e4 c5 2.f4 Sicilian Gran Prix Attack
1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.f4 Halasz Gambit
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.b4 Mieses Kotroc Gambit
1.e4 c6 2.c4 d5 3.cxd5 exd5 Orthoschnap Khan Gambit
1.e4 c6 2.b3 d5 3.Bb2 Papa Gambit (Caro-Kann Variation)
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nf3 Ulysses Gambit
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Be3 Mieses Gambit
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.c4 Diemer-Duhm Gambit
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nf3 Persus Gambit (still experimental)
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Be3 Alapin Diemer Gambit
And there are probably more gambit lines that I do play in the King pawn openings.

Best Regards
DarthMusashi

I would consider myself a 1. d4 type of player (solid, safe, careful, not taking too much risks, ...) - but my game success statistics (in OTB tournament chess) say otherwise - with 1. e4 I have had much more success. Most of my 1. e4 games as White were wins, some draws and few losses - while I have never won a 1. d4 game at all. So I decided to go with the facts instead of some dubious feelings concerning my "style of play" (which I probably don't really have at my level) and play 1. e4 :)

1.d4 for me

1.e4 for everyone else (I like center counter/Scandanavian)

sftac 

Personal preference. It makes little sense to talk of one being "better" than the other in some imaginary absolute sense. They both lead to positions where white maintains his first-move slight advantage, but the game is theoretically drawn with best play.

The only sense in which you can meaningfully talk about which is better is in a context-specific manner - which is better played by this player, against this player, in this tournament, in a fast game, in a slow game, when you need to win, when you only need a draw, etc etc

I used to only play d4 until I reached a certain level of chess development, now I almost always play e4 unless I'm playing the same person more than once they I'll just start with nf3 or something and see where it goes from there.

I think for anyone under 2100ish it doesn't really matter as long as it's positionally sound and acquires tempo.

And if we're confessing about the Sicilian, I like playing against it more than I like playing it. lol

I don't feel that one opening is better than the other simply because it depends on the player's style.  If you like strategic battles that will clash with exciting tactics and endgames then I think you will like playing d4 better.  

If you like open games where it is simply a clash of tactics with some strategic battles then you will like e4.  

It all depends on your style, look over games from both points and find a style that fits you.  Then develop your openings from there.  

Personally, I play d4 exclusively.  

I have always played 1.e4 in tournament games (~30 games, all FIDE rated). However, I distinctly recall that I once played 1.b3 and won after a beautiful combination). I am clearly a tactical type of player with a super-aggresive repertoire, so I don't really like my opponents to transpose into their pet lines when playing against 1.d4! So, that's why I never liked 1.d4 for white. Against 1. d4, let him come into Dutch/King's Indian/Benoni, which I often reach by thoughtful transpositions!

1. e4 is my call. I only transpose to a 1.d4 opening as white if you dare to play Scandinavian (1...e5). Then, I'll take you into my Blackmar-Diemer Gambit with 2.d4 - and I kinda' feel your pain already, buddy!

So, e4! Period.

d4 has a higher win percentage for white because of the sicilian defence when you play e4. Still, I'm a natural e4 player but I've been opening with both to improve my repetoire and not have the same old opening over and over again.

Anyone else preferring 1.Nf3 over 1.e4/d4?

As Black I'm into Pirc/Modern against 1.e4 and King's Indian against 1.d4. Both are quite heavy on theory. After trying both 1.e4 and 1.d4 for quite some time, I eventually decided I simply can't afford the time to learn a repertoire for White. So now I usually just play 1.Nf3 or 1.g3 and - depending on what Black does - launch into Reti, King's Indian Attack or even a Pirc with an extra tempo.     

IMO you shouldn't change to d4 just because of the sicilian. I play smith-morra against it so it doesn't frighten me at all.

I'm an amatuer starting with e4, but i've been playing d4 a lot lately. Love the KID and QG. d4 isn't boring unless you want it to be!

I personally like all of them equally and I try to play them equally.

i personally think d4 is better because u will watch worlds no1 magnus carlsen is also stuck to it in majority of games where as e4 is only chosen by GM when thay are stuck to draws after a couple of matches after d4 u can see the recent world championship between anand and geflAND

What a dumb discussion...the Sokolsky- and the Grob-players would say, both moves are really bad...

I prefer 1.d4 because i can play the Blackmar-Diemer-Gambit...

And now? Is anyone enlightened?

I prefer to avoid 1. d4 and 1. e4 because people are more familiar with the ideas behind those openings, I prefer 1. f4, birds opening because it is an aggressive and unusual opening, but is still considered workable, if not as respected as 1. e4, 1. d4, and such

1.e4 leads to a more aggressive game. 1.d4 is more positional and normally leads to longer games.

I actually play c4 for this reason. At my level I find 1.c4 tends to result in a game where my opponent doesn't have a certain level of the opening memorized (even more so when they play 1... Nf6 hoping I'll play 2.d4 and be right into a typical d4 opening. Instead I stick to either Nc3, g3, and occasionally Nf3). That way I'm into a game where we are both playing the board instead of playing an opening.

At my level that has worked out for me pretty well, I have a pretty good success rate with white.

I hate the BDG.  I've faced the BDG three times in otb tourney play and lost every one. 

This variation is particularly insidious, in my opinion:  1.e4 d5 2.d4

Ha!  When I figure out how the horsey moves, the next time I meet that guy over the board he's in big trouble!

I live in an area where a local master lives and dies by the BDG. He teaches his students who then teach the local players and I wouldn't be surprised if 1/4 games in the area are BDG.

I believe the BDG is dubious, but It's still very tricky in blitz. I typically try 1.d4 d5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. e4 de 4.f3 ef 5. Nxf3 c6  planning on ...Bf5 ...e6 ...Bg6 ...Nbd7 ...Qb6 or c7 type stuff. If white plays an early Ne5 and NxB, the open h-file can actually present black with tactics if white isn't careful...