which opening?

Hey everyone,

Recently I have made great strides in my chess and have been getting serious with it.  I used to be an above 1500 player but now I'm sitting at 1300.  I am getting much better and have been doing tactical puzzles daily and everything needed to get better.  My question is what defense should i play as black against e4.  I'm thinking the sicilian because it is a very tactical opening but i just don't want to learn all the lines.  Is there another opening that you guys recommend me play?

take one and reasearch it well. As black i often play Sicilian Sveshnikov variation. It is very sharp, and you can see one of my wins against a little chess program in Sicilian Sveshnikov on my profil in my posts...Any opening is good just if you research it well and than analize games...

thanks i think im going to use the french defence a chess instructor once told me to use it and then transpose to different openings as i get better ill try it out

Common opinion is a player should 1st gain a good grounding in the "open game" (1.e4 e5). Here is where the basic opening and middle-game principles which you should be learning are usually the most crystal clear to apply...

I wouldn't advise it. Openings like the French and Sicilian employ ideas which are very complex for your level...

i just played a game with the french and won decisively with some good attacking ideas i thought...would you mind taking a look at it?  its the last game i played on my live games

Najdorfs good but has loads of lines. Try the fienchetto (cant spell) or french.

Sure. Post it here and you can get opinions on it from lots of other people as well.

A fianchetto isn't an opening in itself.

how do i post it?

There's a series of icons above the box where you make a post. Click on the small board on the far left and it should be simple from there.

This one?

http://www.chess.com/livechess/game.html?id=1670020

yes thats it just click on that link and you can see it im playing black

any feedback?

do you know i don't use any openings i haven't a middle or mid-phase game and i have no end game i wouldn't know a  Sicilian or a French if they came up and punched me square in the face I Just Play CHESS i don't talk about it and yet I think i am quite a reasonable player I'm not knocking anyone who does I just can't see the point in gas bagging about it 

well some of us like the game more than others and like to know the history as well as the theory behind the game...im sure everyone respects your opinion but thats just what it is an opinion...you saying that on here is not going to change anyone or accomplish anything so thanks for nothing

Just browsing through the game it seemed that you played quite strongly, with knowledge of theory and general ability above your rating, although I'm bound to have missed something. Apart from on move 6 where it seems you could have won material on d5 straight away the game was pretty simple for you. If that's the sort of standard you play at every game I may be wrong about playing only e5 if the French is giving you good results...

well thats the first game ive played with it and i just recently started getting back into chess.  I study tactics every day for about an hour (puzzles) and also look at GM games with the openings I play...I hope to be above 1500 by next week and keep competing at a high level

hi, just watched your game, that was an effective finish, although white could have created a few more chances but did not and paid the penalty.

when i play against e4 as black i generally play e5 and try  to see if i can spring a trap, and if not just do the best i can

i used to play e5 but i feel that other openings offer different things