Openings advice

Hi everyone, 

I'm hoping to get some opinions on openings. I'd consider myself very much a learner when it comes to chess and I'm trying to find what suits me in terms of openings. The best analogy I've come up with so far to my chess style is that whenever I play a RTS computer game I'm the sort of player who will concentrate on base building and defence first before heading into battle. This preference seems to have ported across to chess and I enjoy the Colle System and have recently discovered the Slav Triangle as black with it's obvious similarities to the Colle. What I'm lacking is an intuitive positional approach to e4 as black. I've tried the Pirc but I'm not sure I'm that kind of player, equally the Scandinavian can be fun but out of preference and the Sicilian is frankly intimidating to me. 

I'd be grateful of any recommendations of openings I could look at that are solid and positional?

Thank you

Thanks Tibs, yeah the Sicilian feels like all out battle straight away and I am nowhere near equipped enough to play that way yet (ever?) - I have heard of Petrovs defence but not looked into it, Alekhines defence is a new one on me. I'll have a look into both thank you

I think the Philidor Defense would be great opening for you.

The Philidor defense creates a very open board position.

The Philidor defense often castles fast and begins using the open board to attack.

I think the line fits with your criteria.

1 - the triangle slav is one of the more aggressive lines black has against d4. It's not "safe and solid"

2 - in chess a good offense is the best defense

3 - if you want a positional game vs. e4 just play the sicilian. I recommend the four knights sicilian or the taimanov sicilian.

Based on what you've said, I believe the French Defense might be right up your alley.

I'd also say to consider the Caro-Kann, but I consider it a bit more challenging to learn than the French.

Either of those two would be my recommendation.

Since you like the slav triangle, you might also want to experiment more with the Modern Defense (1. e4 g6), if you haven’t already.

I'm a Colle player, and I play the Koltanowski var. (I play more Slav and Chigorin's as White than the Colle, but that is for a different thread)

Against 1.e4 I like play the Center Counter Defense (the Scandinavian) 3...Qa5 (earliest known game I can find was in 1858 Anderssen played it against Morhry, so I call it the 3....Qad the Anderssen Var)

I'd stick with the Scandinavian because the theory totally revolves around the triangle... and as important.... the Scandinavian pawn theory teaches you how to defend using the triangle and even teaches you how to attack with the pawns. The key to playing a decent Scandinavian is to controll the white quares in the center and develop first, before you play active.

Nothing says you have to strictly play 3...Qa5... I play the Melt's var 3...Qd6 often waffling between the fianchetto variations and the classical variation.

About the best book written for people new to the Scandinavian is Andrew Martin's "The Essential Center Counter" a practical guide for Black. It's not a beginners book, but it's not a 400 page tech manual either. It's exactly was he says it is... a practical guide for Black. After reading the book I fell in love with the Scandinavian - Center Counter defense

Another uber caveat playing the Scandinavian and the Colle...

Against the Englund Gambit 1...e5 just play the Scandinavian with the colors reverse... It's a devastating line. I'm like 10-1 against the Englund in Rapid over at LiChess I'm mid 1800s there

Thank you everyone