Opening gurus - help me choose the best response to e4

Hi all,

I have a coach who I'll be going through this with as well, but I'm in interested in peoples thoughts on the below.

My favourite opening to play is the Ruy Lopez and I can often get quite good positions that I like from those games. Some of the best games I've played have been as black facing d4 (I find I'm generally quite good at facing the London and don't get the hate people have for people who play it). I don't play d4 games myself as white very often but I do like the slow, positional grind that often comes from a d4 game. 

I also like playing the Nimzo Larsen from time to time and find I can get generally good results from that as I've managed to get a good feel for the key ideas in the game and can use that to my advantage from time to time. 

My problem is with facing e4. I've long played the sicilian but as I'm learning more about chess and more crucially, learning more about what I'm weaker and stronger at, I'm starting to get the sense that the sicilian creates positions that don't play well for me or that I don't find naturally easy. I've recently been trying to learn the Dragon but played a couple of OTB games this weekend where I just found myself really disliking the position I ended up in (lost one and won one, but the win took it out of me).

When facing the sicilian I've become more comfortable with the Alapin, so I think there's something in this idea about the traditional sicilian lines just not being right for me.

I've played some games with the C-K and the French and generally do poorly with them, though that may be because I've not studied either in great depth so I would consider them both to be options.

Based on the limited info about the kind of games and openings I like here - what would you recommend? My next lesson is in a week and a half so I want to start looking at some ideas in advance to discuss with my coach. 

A lot depends on which lines of the Nimzo you prefer.  Like against 4.e3, Do you prefer lines that open up the position, like 4...O-O and both ...d5 and ...c5 to come, or do you prefer lines like 4...c5 or 4...b6 (often with c5 to come, but no ...d5) where the center is often closed and Black plays for a dark square blockade, like the Huebner Variation.

If you prefer the lines with d5 that tend to slightly open the board sooner, I suggest 1...e5 and playing the Closed Ruy Lopez, which despite the name, is not as closed as it sounds.  It is not open like the Frankenstein-Dracula variation of the Vienna, but it is not blocked either.

If you prefer the blocked positions, like the Huebner, I would suggest studying the French Defense, and not basing your assessment on games you played without knowing the ideas behind the opening.  Memorizing the first 10 moves of various lines is totally useless.  You must know the ideas for BOTH sides.  If you do not know White's ideas, you won't be able to pick out his mistakes and take advantage of it.

Hope this helps.

If French, Caro-Kann and Sicilian are not for you then you could try playing the Pirc Defense, or the King's Indian Defense.

@thrillerfan - I think your answer might relate to the Nimzo Indian rather than Nimzo Larsen (1. b3 as white)?

Your comment about the French is in line with what I was thinking however, that's probably high on my list for consideration.

@kevinOSh - I think the question of the French and C-K is still an open one. I think the post above you makes a good point about "not basing your assessment on games you played without knowing the ideas behind the opening.".

I think if I were to write off the French or C-K I'd be doing that for sure, whereas the Sicilian I feel like I'd be making an informed decision.

KID and Pirc are interesting options for the shortlist as well, thanks!

Forgot to respond to this - I tried playing e5 in a tournament last month (hoping for a playable RL game) and got crushed with the Fegatello attack and my coach told me off for playing e5 when I hadn't properly prepped it. 

But I think e5 is similar to c5 for me, in that I think it opens up the possibility of positions that I struggle with. I think what I want to try and avoid are the sharp, tactical lines. 

I'm not sure if I understand your answer about the openings you prefer. I read the question as whether you want to challenge immediately or play a more positional game.

Also, have you considered the Scandinavian opening?

I'd recommend either the French or the Caro-Kann.

Both of these defenses have clear positional goals. And both of these defenses are world class. (Ignore anyone who claims otherwise.)

Though, like any proper defense, you'll have to study the thematic ideas for either of these, if you want to play them proficiently.

You're not going to play any opening or defense well, if you just try to figure it out on your own.

Pick one, embrace it, study it ... master it.

If that is the case, I would suggest the French but avoid the Winawer!  Against 3.Nc3, play the Classical or McCutchen, starting with 3...Nf6.

And yes, I was referring to the Nimzo-Indian, which I guess I assumed when you said positional grind against d4.

Here's what I'd suggest if you are looking to avoid way too many tactics.  Keep in mind, tactics and being attacked are not the same thing.  Some lines you will have to defend yourself, but usually in those, a successful defense equates to a better or winning endgame.

1.e4 e6 and now:

KIA - you need to simply know the line and the 13th move responses and ideas.  2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.Ngf3 c5 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 Be7 7.O-O O-O 8.Re1 b5 9.e5 Nd7 10.Nf1 a5 11.h4 Ba6 12.N1h2 b4 and now 13.Bf4 a4 and White must play 14.a3 bxa3 15.bxa3 or else 14...a3 is a problem for White as black breaks thru the queenside often with a piece sacrifice and promotion - 13.Ng4 Nd4! And now White must take on d4 or else 14...Nf5 is amazingly a huge problem for White.  After 14.Nxd4 cxd4, the doubled pawns cover key squares and the c2-pawn is a weakness - 13.Ng5 Qe8! 14.Qh5 h6 and a couple of moves later, ...f5 where en passing won't be possible as the Queen would hang on h5 and retreating does White nothing, it gets the Queen's off and removes the attack.

Advance - learn the positional line, 3.e5 c5 4.c4 Qb6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.a3 c4!

Tarrasch - The queen check line - 3...c5 4.exd5 exd5 5.Ngf3 Nc6 6.Bb5 Qe7+

3.Nc3 - McCutchen

Exchange - Symmetrical lines.

My key goal here is to try and get a sense of some openings to be thinking about instead of the sicilian and my opening question was trying to give a sense of what I like and the kind of games I like to play for, but I don't my knowledge is well developed enough yet for me to phrase that in a succint question.

The Scandivian is an interesting one - I wrote it off completely but heard some people recently talking about how it's quite a powerful opening if you know how to play it (and many people won't as they write it off).

Another one to think about!

You were right to bring up to Nimzo indian as I have really enjoyed playing it (and against it) a couple of times! But the feeling I got from it is that it's WAAAY to complicated to learn as a part time amateur with a young kid so I sidelined it. Somebody mentioned recently that even the top players tend to go for anti nimzo lines these days.

Really appreciate your recommendations here, thank you!

I think I've played against a Kan once - do they tend to produce quite different games for black from the other sicilian lines?

#1
You are rated 1262. It does not matter at all what opening you play. First priority should be not to hang pieces or pawns. That alone will get you to 1500. After that tactics decide.

Thanks, I'll look them up!

Don't hang pieces or pawns, got it. Thanks. 

I'm literally asking people to recommend openings based on the kind of positions I like/dislike. 

Sorry I missed this one but I'm leaning toward these for sure, so I'll keep them on the shortlist. Thanks!

You really love boring people to death by looking at their rating and making the same stale judgement we've all heard again and again. The OP's rating is frankly none of your business.

Mind you, this is the "chess openings" section of the forums. Not the "How do I reach 1500 rating?" section. Everyone here is free to discuss what openings they'd like, ask what openings others would recommend to them, or any other opening related subjects regardless of their rating. But you keep coming into threads like this saying the same redundant thing when no one even asked about how to get to 1500. You are just another user to everyone else on this site, not their self-proclaimed personal coach.

Loved the response brother @marcyful

Heck, this is what you posted on another 1200's thread looking for opening recommendations:
Post #4
Alapin 1 e4 c5 2 c3
Delayed Alapin 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 c3 Nf6 4 Be2 Nc6 5 d4
Closed Sicilian 1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 Nc6 3 g3
Grand Prix 1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 Nc6 3 f4
https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/looking-for-sicilian-recomendation-for-white
Why the different response? I thought openings "didn't matter" when you are 1200 rated.