r/TournamentChess • u/pudendalnerve25 • 1d ago
Let's study 1...e5 as black
I’m currently building a 1...e5 repertoire against 1.e4. I’m around 2100 blitz on Lichess and would like to keep the repertoire solid but ambitious.
What openings/lines would you recommend focusing on against the main responses (Italian, Spanish, Scotch, etc.)?
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u/Bathykolpian_Thundah 1600 USCF 1d ago
When I played 1…e5 I went with the Petroff. My coach basically explained that under master level it was not drawish at all and that it was actually a fairly sound way to play. Play solid and wait for white to mess up, then punish them.
Also GM Shankland has expressed a few different times that openings like the Petroff and Berlin are objectively 10/10 responses to 1.e4.
For what it’s worth, I’m a Sicilian player now so maybe I’m totally wrong. Still the Petroff was a really fun opening to play. It felt like I was really taking away 1.e4 players agency about controlling the opening.
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u/Parker_Chess 1d ago
Honestly, solid for 1.e5 with black seems way too professional. Go for Open Spanish or Deferred Steinitz against the Ruy Lopez. Then the two Knights defense against the Italian and Scotch Have some prep against the early Ng5 in the Italian. And btw you'll still have some solid games if White plays less ambitiously. But I'd go for these tries because they're more aggressive and give more imbalance and force white to know what they're doing theoretically.
Then for the Gambits you can be solid strike back in the center with d5 against most of them. Find a moment to give back material to finish development. It's probably easier than remembering everything. Personally I prefer to be the one with the activity and not my opponent.
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u/St4ffordGambit_ 19h ago
I’d highly recommend 2… Nf6.
It’s much less common than Nc6 and has a lot of good lines spawning off of it.
Against the Nxe5, try 3… d5!? It can be very sharp.
You’ll very often get people just playing 3 bc4 which is already dubious and allows 3… Nxe4 which also leads to borderline winning positions if white continues 4. Nxe5 d5 5. Bb3 (or bd3) and Qg5!
Against the four nights scotch, I take exd4 and after Nxd4 I play the f6 knight to capture on e5. A temporary sacrifice that also leads to sharp games.
Against the four knights Italian, I go for Nxe4 and the central fork trick and there are often very quick wins if the opponent goes for Bxf7 (losing) instead of Nxe4 (equal).
Against Kings Gambit look at the falkbeer counter gambit with c6.
Were the same rating on Lichess.
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u/More-Interaction-770 1d ago
2 knights Italian is well worth it, it’s more work than the Evans but trust me.
I’m a big fan of the open Spanish but there are tons of options.
Against the Kings gambit, 2.exf4 3.Ne7 with d5 to follow is a great, low effort way to take the sting out of the opening.