Looking for go-to response to 1.e4 as black

I'm rated ~1400-1500 and trying to drill down a repeatable repertoire that I can become more familiar and experienced with to help me with my openings. As white I play 1.d4 almost every game as I feel pretty comfortable with most of the openings and positions that arise from it, and likewise when facing 1.d4 as black, where I am generally content to respond with the Queen's Indian or Nimzo-Indian, but facing 1.e4 as black has always challenged me somewhat. I never enjoyed the symmetric, open positions arising from 1...e5 games, and am always somewhat confused about how to develop a strategy in those kinds of positions. I like the Sicilian better but find it sort of advanced and theoretical.

I have been studying and playing the Alekhine Defense for some time now and I like the idea behind it: I feel that I have a lot of control over the opening--there aren't many opportunities for my opponent to transpose--and I can introduce imbalances early which help me find a target to exploit, but the downside is that I find myself robbed of space early and having to defend most of the game. I don't mind playing defensively, but my win ratio with 1...Nf6 just hasn't been stellar. I plan to stick with it a while longer but am looking for alternatives. The French is another defense I am keen on learning more about and trying out, but I'm open to other suggestions as well!

1...d5 is very similar to the alekhines in that you're setting the tone early. The positions aren't complex, maybe you'd like it.

My other piece of advice is that when people say they don't like an opening that GMs are willing to play, it means they don't understand that opening (it's not about style or something else). In the long run it's probably better if you choose something like the Spanish or Sicilian.

I don't have this book, and don't know its reputation, but for example:

https://www.amazon.com/First-Steps-e4-Everyman-Chess/dp/178194413X

Alekhine's defense can transpose to french or an improved scandinavian if white doesn't push e5

Until recently I always played the Sicilian. Now I favor the Pirc, especially the Czech Pirc, which has a similar pawn structure to the Black Lion Defense, another opening that you might consider. 

Play the Caro-Kann!! You will crush people! Visit YouTube Gothamchess and Caro-Kann! You will have a full repertoire.

#1

"I'm rated ~1400-1500" ++ Then do not worry about an opening repertoire: middle game tactics decide games, not openings.

"1.e4 as black has always challenged me somewhat." ++ What exactly is your problem then?

"I never enjoyed the symmetric, open positions arising from 1...e5 games" ++ Why not?

"always somewhat confused about how to develop a strategy in those kinds of positions."
++ If you do not understand a position, then the cure is to analyse it, not to switch openings

"I like the Sicilian better" ++ Why?

"find it sort of advanced and theoretical." ++ True

"I have been studying and playing the Alekhine Defense" ++ It is advanced and not fully sound

"there aren't many opportunities for my opponent to transpose" ++ 2 Nc3 or 2 d3 transpose

"the downside is that I find myself robbed of space early and having to defend most of the game." ++ True, Alekhine is to defend cramped positions.

"my win ratio with 1...Nf6 just hasn't been stellar." ++ A win ratio with a new defence only rises after many games and many losses. Each time you switch openings you lose more, not less.

"The French is another defense I am keen on learning more about and trying out"
++ It also leads to defence of cramped positions: Ng8 and Bc8 have trouble coming into play.

@tygxc: I disagree with your first point somewhat. While it's true that games at my level are won by middle game tactics 99% of the time, I would argue that having a prepared opening repertoire is a benefit to me for the following reasons:
- I can start my games more confidently
- I can avoid early traps and pitfalls
- I am more likely to benefit from tactics in the middlegame if I come out of the opening with a stronger position, and lastly
- I simply enjoy studying opening theory, and at this point in my life, my priority with chess is to have fun learning it, rather than simply become the strongest player I can by only drilling tactics.

#7
"I disagree with your first point" ++ Fair enough
"games at my level are won by middle game tactics 99% of the time" ++ true
"I can start my games more confidently" ++ Maybe overconfident. Practice shows again and again that it is often the less theoretically prepared player who wins. While he is forced to think of the early position, he better understands the later positions. He also reaches a deeper state of concentration.
"I can avoid early traps and pitfalls" ++ if you depend on theory to avoid early traps and pitfalls, then how will you avoid later traps and pitfalls once you are out of your book?
"I am more likely to benefit from tactics in the middlegame if I come out of the opening with a stronger position" ++ That is an illusion. Engines destroy grandmasters with middle game tactics even from imposed inferior openings. Tactics are everywhere, from all positions.
"I simply enjoy studying opening theory" ++ OK, but then Sicilian and 1...e5 with more opening theory are more fun.

Your repertoire sounds a lot like mine. I play d4 or c4 as white, and for years I played the Alekhine. I didn't like the symmetry of 1... e5, nor did I like the aggressive and tactical theory jungle of the Sicilian.

Eventually I found the Caro-Kann, and I've been happily playing it for the past decade. It's super-sound, and the asymmetrical pawn positions give you a solid opportunity to outplay your opponent.

You final statement in both posts 6 and 8 are wrong!

First off, Black has no issues developing the g8-knight.  Just because it often goes to e7 or h6, often with intent to go to f5, does not make it a problem piece.  Only problem piece in the French is the light-squared Bishop, and if you understand how to handle bad Bishops, they can often become a critical defensive piece.  The DSB in the King's Indian has the same fate as the LSB in the French.

And your post 8, The Sicilian and 1...e5 are not more fun.  1...e6!!, with tons of theory, is more fun!  LOL!

Thanks for the recommendation. A lot of people seem to like it, so I might look into it! Seems like my kind of opening.

But I'm not playing against super powerful computers, I'm playing against people my own skill level. Granted, I have won many games by going on the defensive following sub-par openings and just waited until my opponent blundered.

Yeah, you will just crush people with the Caro-Kann. And I highly recommend the Botvinnik Carls In the Advance Caro-Kann!! 

@ Gothamchess recommends The Caro ( Botvinnik Carls ) I am his sub... And I crush people with it with 8% win rate

80%

I suggest philidor defense

Sicilian

One idea is to play lots  of different defenses in blitz and see what you do well in. Another oversimplification is this: SUPPOSE you are attacked then IF ..

you counterattack, try Sicilian.

defend and wait for the attacker to overstretch, try Caro-Kann

defend with an eye to counterattack, try French

IF you have a high tolerance for risk and a low tolerance for boredom [like the crazy kayakers who run big waterfalls] try Alekhines.

Now, let's all pile on and tell me why I'm wrong! : ) , Bill

Alekhine can transpose to a Caro-Kann Defence : Campomanes Attack

I like to play Scandinavian and I have a “stellar” winning rate… I don’t like to play closed positions in which my opponents have more space, so I don’t like French or Caro-Kann as black. Open positions aren’t the same thing; even if your opponent has more space, it’s easy to play in the open.

Also, I hate Ruy Lopez and Italian games, I almost never win with them as black…