Learning Chess: Opening Survey, Part 2 (Other Responses to 1. E4)

In the first part of this opening survey, we examined the most common lines after 1. e4 e5. Now we'll take a look at black's other possible responses to 1. e4.

Scandinavian Defense

1. e4 d5

While this opening is much more popular among amateur players than top-ranked grandmasters, the Scandinavian Defense is a playable opening for black. It has the advantage of being relatively short on theory, meaning that it can be played without much memorization of long, complicated lines. White usually plays 2. exd5, after which black can either recapture the pawn immediately with Qxd5, or play Nf6 to avoid bringing his queen out so early.

Alekhine's Defense

1. e4 Nf6

Named after World Champion Alexander Alekhine, this defense is not particularly popular at the moment. However, that doesn't mean it's unsound. Black dares white to create a big pawn center after 2. e5, then tries to turn it into a weakness.

Pirc Defense

1. e4 d6

The Pirc is a solid defense for black that allows white to initially gain control of the center, after which black will counterattack. Black will play moves like g6, Nf6, Bg7 and 0-0, while white has a variety of attacking options.

Caro-Kann Defense

1. e4 c6

This solid reply to e4 prepares black to play d5 on his second move, making a challenge for the center. Play usually continues with 2. d4 d5, after which white has several options.

French Defense

1. e4 e6

The French defense is one of black's most popular replies to e4, and is commonly played at every level of chess. Solid and dependable, the French is a difficult nut to crack and often leads to long, positional battles. Theory is deep and there are many variations to learn, but even knowing the basics can be enough for a beginner to play it. Play usually continues with 2. d4 d5 (just like the Caro-Kann), after which white has many options. Taking the pawn, 3.exd5, is the Exchange Variation, while advancing the pawn with 3. e5 is called the Advance Variation. Other moves like 3. Nc3 and 3. Nd2 are also popular tries for white.

Black's play is usually on the queenside, while white will attack on the kingside. Black's position is sometimes cramped early on.

Sicilian Defense

1. e4 c5

The Sicilian Defense is currently black's most popular answer to 1. e4. Rather than try to challenge white's pawn on e4, black decides to stake his own claim in the center by using his c pawn, taking control of the d4 square. Unlike the move e5, which does the same thing, the Sicilian also breaks the symmetry of the position - making the game more dynamic. Many top players believe this is black's best attempt to try and gain not just equality, but an advantage in the opening phase of the game.

There are numerous variations and possibilities in the Sicilian. White can play 2. Nc3 for the Closed Sicilian, or 2. Nf3 for the Open Sicilian. White can play the Grand Prix attack by playing an early f4, or avoid a lot of theory by playing 2. c3, the Alapin Variation. Black also has many options, especially after 2. Nf3. He can try common options like d6 or Nc6; or play g6 for the Hyper-Accelerated Dragon setup. Other moves like a6 and Nf6 can also be played.

The most popular line begins 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd5, after which both sides have a multitude of options. The Sicilian is one of the most analyzed openings in all of chess, and should be studied deeply if one plans to play it in serious games.

As in the first part of this survey, I have left out a few of the less popular replies by black. However, the material presented here should give you a grounding on all the major openings possible when black decides not to reply to 1. e4 with e5. In the next installment of this series, I'll be looking at white's other popular first move, 1. d4.