forcing open games as black

are there any good openings for black that (more or less) force an open game?

specifically against 1. e4 and 1. d4

You could always try the Sicilian and the Grunfeld.  They don't exactly force open games, but they're probably the closest you'll get.

Gambits are always forceful if you dare play one.

yep, these are the 2 that I use to get to the "good stuff" :)

both are super confusing though

yeah i do play the sicilian against 1. e4 normally. never tried the grunfeld before though.

any specific ones?

heh yeah i never even considered QGA. might try that one out also. could be an uphill struggle though.

In which variation exactly do they transpose? I understand that both can lead to positions where white has an isolated d-pawn but apart from that I don't see much similarity.

thanks for the great diagrams and analysis fiveofswords.

I recommend you play the open games (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6) as black against e4. Against the scotch basically anything will lead to an open game. The two knights defence is great against 3.Bc4, and if white plays it quietly with 4.d3, you can try to arrange the d5 break in the next few moves, although this may be a bit risky. The open variation of the Ruy Lopez would also be a good choice, it is open and tactical and white shouldn't get more than a small edge. Most opponents of yours will probably be more familiar with the closed lines as well, so you should do well with it. Of course the petroff is open too, but you can learn so much more about chess in general from playing 2...Nc6 as black, and it is more fun.

Against d4 it is tougher to find a good open defence. The Grunfeld is a theoretical minefield, and if you are willing to work hard and keep up with the theory than it might work for you, but it is easy to get crushed as well (see Topalov-Anand game 1). The QGA is probably a good choice. Here are some other lines to consider. The Benko and Blumenfeld gambits can lead to open positions, but aren't that move order friendly. Gambits like the Albin and Budapest are good practical choices, and lead to sharp open games, but white should get the edge if he knows what he is doing. The Chigorin defence might be worth considering too.

thanks for those suggestions BigTy.

what do you all think about the scandinavian (1. e4 d5)?

The Scandi is a decent choice. You will probably end up knowing it better than your opponents because it is not that popular compared to 1...c5, 1...e6 and 1...e5 which are the most dangerous openings against 1.e4 in my opinion, and the most common. Personally I am not a fan of bringing the queen out early, and the 2...Nf6 lines look clearly better for white, but they are sharp and give chances to both sides. It is definitely something to look into as the positions are very open and tactical, but objectively the open games should give you better chances for an equal game.

Take up the Botvinnik slav and the Berlin wall.

I wouldn't suggest the semi-slav, although is a great opening, and one that I like to play myself. The problem is that the OP wants to get an open game as black no matter what, and the semi-slav only becomes open and sharp if white allows it to. I mean look at the position after 4...e6 (slav move order), it is anything but open. White can keep the game closed if he wants by avoiding 5.Bg5 or the Meran by playing 5.e3 Nbd6 6.Qc2, often followed up by b3 and Bb2, as well as other lines.

the slav was the usual defense i played.

lately i've been experimenting with other reponses.

I realize that Im about 10 years late in saying this, but I do like the Englund gambit