Black Openings vs 1. e4

Apathy wrote:

Hey, everyone. Recently I decided to study chess openings. I've been focusing on the Ruy Lopez as white and as a consequence of this I was playing the Ruy Lopez as black in order to further my understanding by seeing it played as the other side. The problem is, I find playing the Ruy Lopez as black to be a poor opening that does not give good options or any good middle game threats as black.

It's for this reason that I've come to the conclusion that I need to focus on learning an opening as black in response to 1. e4 that isn't the Ruy Lopez. I've been thinking of learning the Sicilian Defense, but I know that is a very complex opening with many different variations and I'm unsure of whether this should be my first opening to learn in response to 1.e4.

My question: What should be the first opening I learn as black in response to 1. e4?

I know that with openings it comes down to playstyle, understanding underlying themes, but if anyone could give me advice it would be very much appreciated.

Here is a typical opening position I find myself in when the opponent plays 1. e4 and I respond with 1. ...e5:

I find that there are no other popular responses to 1. e4 ...e5 2. Nf3 except 2. ...Nc6 which is the Ruy Lopez and I want to avoid playing the Ruy Lopez as black. This leads me to believe that I need to find a different opening as black that doens't start with the move 1. ...e5.

______________________

May be the question you can ask yourself after White plays 1.e4 is: What move for Black makes the most common sense to me? Is it from left to right, as you face the chess board from the Black side, 1. ...g6 1. ...Nf6, 1. ...e6, 1. ...e5, 1. ...d6, 1. ...d5, 1. ...c6, 1. ...c5, 1. ...Nc6, 1. ...b6. They are playable moves. The important question is which one(s) can you wrap you brain around?

Important information for you to have is to know about the 2 theories in chess for controlling the center (d4,d5,e4,e5). And, how they play out in concert during an actual game. Another important thing to know is that within 6-10 moves no matter the opening the pawn structure/formation position that results on the board is one of 6 characteristic pawn structures.

If you would like to know more please let me know.

I play the sicillian, but you get so many different variations that saying one variation is all you should study is hogwash

jetfighter13 wrote:

I play the sicillian, but you get so many different variations that saying one variation is all you should study is hogwash

___________________________

What post are you responding to?

What about the Petrov or Caro-Kann? The latter ensures you to have a solid position with a centerpawn on d5 and the Petrov, which in my point of view does not require lots of theory to be learnt as opposed to the aforementioned Sicilian, might leave you with a well placed knight on e4 and offers decent attacking chances.

Lizarazu94 wrote:

What about the Petrov or Caro-Kann? The latter ensures you to have a solid position with a centerpawn on d5 and the Petrov, which in my point of view does not require lots of theory to be learnt as opposed to the aforementioned Sicilian, might leave you with a well placed knight on e4 and offers decent attacking chances. 

_____________

All of the considerations you mention are valid, but from Apathy's perspective right now based on his original post the key is to select a move that makes sense to him/her.

don't remember now, It was about 0500 and I haden't had coffee yet.

That is nice, I created a similar thread without knowing the existence of this one. Helpful!

Do you mean that the French is more active that Caro-Kann? What? French is extremely passive, and if you are not carefull, you are probably going to get destroyed! I have tried the French defense a couple of times, trust me, it is a catastrophy. I always hope that my opponent plays it, so that I can (relatively) easily beat him.

It may not be passive, but if white wanted a positional game he would have played 1. c4

For the most part, you need a certain temperment to play the French Defense. It requires a LOT of patience because you will be cramped and behind in development for a while. When I used to play it, I had certain setups in mind - mainly keep the pawn chain of f7-e6-d5 in tact and leave white's e5 pawn alone to use as a shield/buffer against any attack on the e-file. You have to really "believe" in the French for it to work.

In my opinion the French is the most flexible opening in the books. Some lines have lots of theory, some have very little. Black chooses which line to pursue.

playing the berlin is not too bad as it is the best opening played by both sides [white and black] but the other option is the french because that is a better opening for black if your oponent hasn,t played the exchange variation which  gives a better andvantage for black[50 % percent of the users don,t  play] if you want help i will show you a diagram.

  It might be that you are at the stage of not knowing what to do close to the middle game. It has something to do with equality or little disadvantage, it vanish as you become more skilful. 

White is, in my opinion, losing, because of the doubled pawns and that black has the 2 bishop advantage.

What do you all think of Ne4? White may move their bishop and deviate again in your favor?

oops...that was meant for previous diagram.

the Berlin defense is a brilliant opening just u must know the theory of it it is a bishop vs knight endgame when black has got ideas of trapping the knight or he will get a few points.