Defense to 1.e4

Well playing the petroff would be suicide if your not prepared. The petroff is a great opening but you need to know a solid line against almost all white tries just not to get crushed. For equality the rubinstein variation of the french defence should work nicely. The classical variation is good for nutrilizing whites initiative but you have to watch out for the alekhine-chartard attack. You also have to learn the advance and exchange and maybe a few anti french defence like the steiner variation.

Why do people keep on recommending the Sicilian least of all the dragon variation!!! The sicilian is not a defense you can learn in three days. I have studied sicilian dragon for 3 months and do not even come close to claiming that I am prepared to play against all the variations!

southpawsam don't just give up the french especially if you really like it just because of the exchange. There will always be variations you do not like in the openings (white really gets to steer the direction of the game to be calm if he wants). And the exchange will be less common the better players you play against anyways.

i like the caro kann, but i prefer 4...Nd7 before playing Nf6.  another option is 4...Bf5

Well he has to understand that he has to put some work in it, but he asked for a fun opening with counterplay. I know that the french really isn't for many people stylistically even though I think the french can give you excellent chances with less theory. But he said fun and the dragon probably is (I never actually played it!), or at least gives counterplay.

He is not a beginner. He is playing in a bloody tournament, man. If he has the competency to participate in a tournament, then he is more than capable of beginning the endeavor of learning the Sicilian.

 Who says beginners can't play in tournaments?

Anyways, the point is, beginner or not, trying to learn something as sharp and theoretical as the Najdorf or the dragon in three days is completely rediculous. You will get crushed very fast in either of those if white knows the theory well and you don't. Plus there are all the anti-sicilians to worry about. Some of them aren't so dangerous, but others like the morra gambit you need to be prepared for.

If you need to prepare something fast I would suggest either 1.e5 because although it is theoretical, a lot of the moves are much more principled and easier to find over the board than in the sicilian, or the scandinavian because it is relatively easy to play and you don't need to know a lot of theory to get a reasonable position with it.

Why would an absolute beginner play in a tournament? They would get crushed. You would at least consider yourself an advanced beginner. I don't see the point of a beginner putting himself in a position to be psychologically let down.

I still believe he could use the Najdorf if he is willing to put in the time. He couldn't spend a little bit of time going over the lines and whatnot - he'd have to spend several hours each day. I know it's possible because I've done it and I'm not a very good chess player. I went to a chess club for the first time a year or so ago and I studied the Najdorf (mainly Fischer's games) for hours and hours and did myriad tactics the few days before I went. I played against a guy who was rated around 1500 USCF and I got to use the Najdorf. I won because of all the time I had put in. It's possible if he is willing.

I agree, 3.d4 isn't the best move but still it's chosen by white most of the time (from my experience about 85%), so you simply have to prepare something decent against 3.c3 (for those 15% left) which is the best move and you're good to go.

i quite like c6 as a reply to e5 .... the caro kann is alright ...... but there are so many responses to e4 ........ it also depends on the strength and type of player to what response you play?

with philidor or spanish or italian game you don't need much studying because the moves are natural aka logical so you can play even variation wich you haven't studied

Southpawsam, stick to the Bronstein-Larsen attack you mentioned in the opening post. Remember to let your QB out first (to f5 or g4) and only then play e6. Castle queenside and play Rg8. Be ready to sacrifice your h pawn - this will work to your advantage should white castle kingside.

Either that, or if you don't like the riskiness of ...gxf6 but still want to stick with the Caro-Kann, you could always play ...exf6.

O'kelley sicilian is on my favorites list

What is the Russian Game

Russian game is another name for the Petroff/Petrov's defence

You sound like a French type player. I've never personally like the French, but i have tons of time to learn Najdorf theory :)

3 days isn't enough to learn any main defence (1... e5, Sicilian, French, Caro-Kann). Even if you study 10 hours each day you get no feeling for the positions until the start of the tournament because you never played the opening yourself. So i think your best try is to improve the opening you're already playing. You should be much more familiar with the positions, this helps much! Even if you don't like the positions for any reasons.

 So? Doing it is the only way to stop being a beginner. The point is to learn from the games and do better in the next tournament.

There is also a difference between absolute beginner and beginner, I'm a beginner, not an absulte beginner, but using the najdorf, sicilian and various other openings right now would just stunt my growth and be a waste of time.

Someone rated 900 on chess.com should avoid the Najdorf more than he avoids eating toxic waste.

Tricklev, I think your rating is high enough to consider yourself not a beginner at least.