Ideas of smart responses to white's King's Pawn Opening?

Interesting. I didn't know that. I have personally had better luck with virtually everything other than e5 as black. I really don't like playing e5. I probably never will again.

I like 1...c6 and 1...e5 best.

I am not a chess expert! Anyway...

1..e5 or 1..c5   You will learn the most from these positions because they become complicated.

You want positions that are as complex as possible because then you will learn stuff. I would advise against brick wall defences at the novice stage - avoid pirc [1..d6] or caro-kann [1..c6] or French [1..e6] ; these are fine defences in themselves but their ideas canw ait for later.

I also recommend 1...e5 although I don't think the Caro-Kann is at all a bad choice for the beginner.

And I am a chess expert! (not that this means much) but more importantly I have taught many beginners and emerging tournament players for the past several years and my experience has shown that open games are great for chess development while semi-open and closed games can actually hinder it.

Here's one of the reasons why 1...e5 can be played at a

Illustrating some ideas of the Ruy Lopez that can assist a player under 2000 with surviving the opening with a good position without having to know much about positional chess. Some of the lines are long but they are just to demonstrate some ideas. There are also a number of traps here for both sides! This is in my opinion an excellent line to learn below Expert and maybe even at Expert level.

All the suggestions given are great openings and have been used by top GM's to great success, but the best response to the Kings Pawn Opening for you will depend on the types of games you like to get into.

For example, if you like closed positions where positional skills are important then the French would be a great choice to study. 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5.

If you want a rock solid defence that is difficult for White to win against and requires good engame skills due to better pawn structure, then the Caro Kann would be a fine choice. 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5.

 If you feel like tactics are your strong point then look into more open games with responses such as e5 (King Pawn Game) or c5 (Sicilian) although these may require more time to study due to the variety of lines that can arise.

Pirc (1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6) and Modern (1. e4 g6) Defences are subtle defences that require Black to attack the centre with his pieces to undermine White's pawn chain.

I am sure there are several more wonderful defences which I have not mentioned. Try to find your style of play and the positions you are good at playing and perhaps choose an opening based on that. Hope I was at least mildly helpful and good luck with your chess 

I have to disagree with just one point up there: I think if you are good at tactics, you should play something like the Caro-Kann, and if you are bad at tactics you should play an open game or maybe a Sicilian.

1. e4 d6, baby, all the way. I prefer Hedgehogs & Hippos. You get uncramped when you mount a sharp attack after she breaks up on the rocks.

1. e4 can suck it.

1.e5 d6 2.exd6 exd6 is fine for Black, but what about 1.e5 d6 2.Nf3?

Your e-pawn can go all the way to e5 on its first move? Wild!

Nice editing job, Grobzilla.

Yup, I sure did edit my typos. But then, you knew that and gave a smartass response. OR is your "expertise" in trolling? Just thought I'd return in kind.

Learn how to stump your opponents who try the Fried Liver Attack, the Parham Attack, the Ruy Lopez Spanish Torture, the Italian Game, the Scotch Game and the Giuoco Piano...

This isn't by any means everything that white can throw at you if you play 1...e5, but it you learn how to defend all of those well, you would most likely be able to have really good chance to win many of your games with black. Your understanding and tactical ability, for themes regarding central control would make you very tough to play against, with either color. I think that it would make you a much more confident and assertive player with white also, afterward. In fact if you did those things well, you'd see players start using 1.d4 or c4 instead.

If this idea bothers you, you can try to find a defense that is more suited for dealing with whatever your opponent throws at you. I have found you have to be careful though, they tend to be cramped and require specific lines to be useable at the least of their worth, or extremely effective at their best.

I personally like tinkering with the Rat and the Philidor Lion variation. You could also try using the Sicilian, Caro-Kann or the Benoni too. They seem to be a bit more flexible than only learning 1...e5 and then suddenly being confronted with 1 d4 or c4.

It seems like maybe tactical play might not be your thing. I would study the game explorer and look at positions you don't like and how to perhaps avoid them. Also try to imagine positions you would ideally like to get in and study the moves that are required to get there. Good luck.

I'd play the french

1...e5

OsageBluestem wrote:

kwaloffer wrote:

OsageBluestem wrote:

Why not just learn with a good defense like the sicilian or caro-kann as opposed to e5? You have to get started sometime, and both of those are solid as a rock or they wouldn't be so popular with the GMs. I hate playing e5 as black, always have. I don't like the positions that arise. White has too many ways to make it hard for black to equalize. Do ya'll just want him to get thrashed for awhile before he gets started on a better opening?

You act as if 1...e5 isn't favoured by GMs, while basically all world champions ever have used it, and so has the current world top.

In fact in recent world championship tournaments (say in the last decade), White has moved entirely to 1.d4 because it's too hard to win against 1.e4 e5; in fact that is how Kasparov lost his title, he kept trying to beat Kramnik's 1.e4 e5.

Interesting. I didn't know that. I have personally had better luck with virtually everything other than e5 as black. I really don't like playing e5. I probably never will again.

I made someone mad here when I explained that my chessmaster engine concurred with 1. e4 e5 being better for black..... it results in a tough tedious line, but a checkmate for black

Surely e5 is a big mistake leaving blacks weak square of f7 even more vulnerable.

If you're a beginner I wouldn't recommend the French Defense because of the difficulty in getting your pieces developed.  The first example about claims an equal game after 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Nf6, etc. but after 4 e5, the Classical Steinitz Variation, White wins 4 out of every 10 games and draws 3 others.

3...Nf6 is played 39% of the time and 3...Bb4 is played 52% of the time with the same results. Other 3rd moves generally have worse results for Black.  Watch how Black's Queen Bishop and his rooks are basically stuck in place when a skilled, veteran Russian player played the French Defense as Black against me this month:

As a new player, I recommend 1...e5 until you get better at strategy and tactics.  1...e5 lets you develop your pieces and keep them protecting each other.

If you want to try other things, go ahead.  The Sicilian, 1...c5 is basically a Queen-side counterattack from the start and if you can handle the tactics, it might work for you.  My favorite as Black, The Caro-Kann, 1...c6 is the cousin of the Slav Defense, played against 1 d4, and both have similar goals.  You are not as cramped in the opening and early middlegame as in the French, but you have to look deep to make sure you are not outmaneuvered by White's easier-to-move-around pieces in the early going.

I agree with your analysis. Also, against a novice player the Smith Mora Gambit can strangle Black quickly if he doesn't know the lines of play.