Best books/resources to learn the Black side of the Open Games?

Let me give you a quick summary of what you need to be prepared against if you wanna play the open games as black : 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3

Important alternatives to 2.Nf3 are:

-2.f4 the Kings Gambit

-2.Nc3 the Vienna Game

-2.d4 the Center Game

2...Nc6 3.Bb5 

This is the Spanish Game aka Ruy Lopez. Important alternatives are:

-3.Nc3 leading to the 4 Knights Game after 3...Nf6 

-3. d4 the Scotch Game

-3.Bc4 the Italian Game 

3... a6 (3...Nf6 would be the Berlin game as seen often at the top level) 4.Ba4 

-4.Bxc6 would be the Spanish Exchange Variation

4... Nf6 5.0-0 

Alternatives are

-5.d3

-5.Qe2

5...Be7 6.Re1

A huge alternative is 

-6.d3 which became extremely popular on the highest level

6...b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 

One important alternative is

9.d4  which allows 9...Bg4 though which is the reason why 9.h3 is more popular.

After 9.h3 White prepared 10.d4 so Black needs to decide how to prepare against that. There are many options for example 9...Nb8, 9...Na5, 9...Bb7 so its just a matter of taste to find the one you like most. 

I would recommend you the Breyer Variation (9...Nb8), with the idea of putting the Knight do d7 and then playing Bb7 where the bishop has free aim.

 ---------->  As you can see there are many lines White can choose which you need to be prepared for. So its gonna be a lot of work you need to invest. In my opinion it is worth it though to build your e4 e5- repertoire  as it gives you a solid, high class opening repertoire which is rich in ideas and bulletproof. There are many good books on it, basically any book about it will help you improve your understanding of the opening. Go to Amazon.com and search "open games black" and you should find something good. Best regards

I totally agree.  Thanks for a great post on #22, Tillibilly!!

 i really liked the book "Playing 1.e4 e5 - A classical repertoire" by Nikolaos Ntirlis. it gives you a complete and super sound opening repertoire and covers all of Whites options. I am concerned though that it may be more aimed for +2000 levels. So i would suggest you to get some basics book on the open games which focuses more on the ideas rather than the theory lines. once you get down the fundamentals you can get a theory book which gives you concrete lines to learn.  if you have any questions about 1.e4 e5 you can just ask me by the way, i play this opening as black since many many years ^^.

Thanks for the reference, IMBacon, I'll check it out.

Note also that the freebie Lucas Chess has a openings training feature that has a nice short explanation here: http://omgchess.blogspot.com/2015/08/learning-openings-thoroughly-with-lucas.html

Lucas chess is here: https://lucaschess.pythonanywhere.com/

You can also play your openings against engine opponents of various levels and you can preset the opening moves for both sides:

Anything else?

http://dev.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Mastering-the-Chess-Openings-Volume-1-p3569.htm

http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/Mastering_the_Chess_Openings_volume_1.pdf

http://dev.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Mastering-the-Chess-Openings-Volume-2-76p3570.htm

http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/Mastering_the_Chess_Openings_volume_2.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627115737/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen99.pdf

http://dev.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Mastering-the-Chess-Openings-Volume-3-76p3571.htm

https://web.archive.org/web/20140626220240/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen117.pdf

http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/Mastering_the_Chess_Openings_volume_3.pdf

http://dev.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Mastering-the-Chess-Openings-Volume-4-76p3572.htm

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627070808/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen137.pdf

http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/Mastering_the_Chess_Openings_volume_4.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20140626173432/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen128.pdf

http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/FCO_Fundamental_Chess_Openings.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627031504/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen76.pdf

http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/Understanding_the_Chess_Openings.pdf

From Black's perspective -  in the "Open" game (1.e4 e5) -

"Play the Open Games As Black" by John Emms

"Beating the Open Games, 2nd Ed." by Mihail Marin

"How to Beat the Open Games" by Sverre Johnsen

"Opening Repertoire: The Open Games with Black" by Martin Lokander

"Bologan's Black Weapons In The Open Games..." by Victor Bologan

"Play 1 e4 e5: A Complete Repertoire for Black in the Open Games" by Nigel Davies.

Mastering the Chess Openings  by John Watson.  A four-volume series. A well written, comprehensive treatment of opening theory, principles, plans and themes for the majority of the major openings. If one is seriously interested in understanding the openings, and opening theory in general, these are among the very best references for that purpose.  Kudos to IM Watson for this valuable addition to the chess opening literature.

Where does it cover 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 exd4 4 Nxd4 ?

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627022601/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen11.txt

http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/Play_the_Open_Games_as_Black.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20140626195205/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen102.pdf

https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/BTOG-Update.pdf

Thanks for the advice... I am no longer going for the all-purpose universal-type openings.  I decided I will trudge along at a snail's pace with a classical repertoire. 

As far as blitz, I can't even remember the last time I played blitz... must have been years.