e4 e5

Anyone have an especially nice way to counter 1... e5?

I've usually played 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 or 3. Bb5. 3. Bb5 seems good. Also, I liked 3. Bc4 a lot, especially against Bc5, but I had trouble finding something against 3...Nf6. 4.d4 and 4. Ng5 never worked out. Another problem is against Petroff, which I find kind of annoying.

I'm also considering 2. Bc4 (Bishop's Opening), KIA against 1...e5, or trying to learn how to beat Petroff. Any suggestions?

4.d4 in the 2 knights is nothing, while 4.Ng5 is interesting- but requires some memorization of variations in the critical lines. Black can equalize in a couple of variations, although current theory claims that the Fritz and Ulvestad variations are slightly risky for black, the Traxler dubious at best, and the classical approach with 4...d5 5.ed5 Na5 rather balanced, but with chances for both sides.

But if you like white after 3.Bc4 Bc5 then you can probably answer 3...Nf6 with 4.d3, when most of the times black will reply 4...Bc5

My dubious philosophy is: If your playing the white side of 1.e4 e5, go with a gambit. The quickest way to do this is 2.d4, and after 2...exd4, take your pick of 3.Nf3, Bc4, c3 or even f4 (but forget 3.Qxd4, it defeats the purpose of a gambit but letting black get the initiative by harassing the queen). I mean, what more could you ask for? A choice of beautuful developing moves, while black has to figure out if and how he should defend his lone pawn on d4. Lately, I've been experimenting with 3.Bf4, which I haven't seen in the few databases I checked, but seems perfectly playable.

KG or BC

Thanks for the help, everyone. Any good way to counter Petroff? :P

Sure. Easy: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 ........ Or, if you're really adventurous, 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nxf7. 

Against the Petroff you may try the so-called Nimzowitz attack (3.Ne5 d6 4.Nf3 Ne4 5.Nc3) which is very popular currently. White's plan of speedy development, castling long and then acting accordingly to where the black king has castled is rather easy to follow.

1. e4 d5 2.exd5 3.Qxd5 ...

Known as the Centre Counter.

If somebody uses it against you, immediately do 2. e5

This is quite toothless after both 2...Bf5 and 2...c5. Surely enough there are better ways to counter the Center Counter/Scandinavian

But what's your plan here, andrewf2002? Are both side trying to bore each other to death? Just a quick note about copying the other guy's moves: usually, white has the edge. As black, you can't take it too far.....

You could try a King's Gambit.