It is hard to answer "generic" questions like that in a forum.
Q : How do you play 1...e5?
A : Carefully?
There are a lot of books and online lectures + articles for learning the ideas behind an opening. Perhaps you've just not found a system you like?
I have a question about this topic. So after Bc4, what is better for black, to play Bc5 (Giuco piano) or play Nf6?
I did not wanted a tactical puzzle to the 2nd board, just click on solution.
Ok here's a better question. Why play e5 if for most (if not all) of the game white will have initiative? Why not the Silican which doesn't allow white to have an easy idea of attacking on the second move:
The open game is a vast area of study. I ditched the Italian as Black in favor of the 2-knights defense.
But with the Lopez & King's Gambit & Scotch...you'll have to do a bit of studying to catch up with these things, at least to get to about move 10 without big problems.
Ok here's a better question. Why play e5 if for most (if not all) of the game white will have initiative? Why not the Silican which doesn't allow white to have an easy idea of attacking on the second move:
Sicilian defense is not so good, it has a lot of thereotycal and forcing lines, e4-e5 is more simple.
However, in the open sicilian white has the initiative, and white has a lot of systems against the sicilian, the most effective ones are the closed system, because a sicilian player wants to play open games, so there is nothing worse for him to force into closed positions.
@Pascalz: Whether one answers 1.e4 with 1. ... e5 leading to whatever double king pawn opening or e6 (French) or c5 (Sicilian) or any other "reasonable" response, depends on what "feels" right for your playing style.
The bottom line is that you're going to just have to sit down and learn some lines of a number of common openings in response to 1.e4 through trial and error. See what lines "feel" right.
In the end you have to practice middle game tactics and learn some endgame theory.
Playing the opening "perfectly" is meaningless if you can't follow through to the middlegame with finding tactical moves (or avoiding tactical attacks from your opponent) and having an understanding of the endgames that result.
For understanding openings I use MCO - Modern Chess Openings (versions 14 the most recent or 13 is ok. Albeit this book is known for its typos, poor quality construction (especially edition 14) and other critics complain about the layout of the opening lines, it is nevertheless my personal openings "bible".
But then I also look for games BY masters/grandmasters online of the lines I want to play (or specific lines I've encountered in my actual games) and play through those master games to see how they would play through the lines.
I also practice chess problems/puzzles to improve/maintain my ability to see tactical shots. Chess.com has plenty here.
And I strongly recommend Jeremy Silman's "Complete Endgame Course". It explains a lot of common endgame concepts in language I found easy to understand with diagrams.
I used to find the French (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5) a "scary" response to 1.e4 and I decided to confront my fear and I looked at a number of lines of the French, and practiced the line in my online play as well as over the board until I got a feel for what happens in the opening and in the various lines of the opening.
Hope that helps.
I used to play 1...e5 exclusively when I started. Then I started casting about & came up with the French, which I play in about 80% of my 1.e4 games as Black. But I recommend that people start out with 1...e5 to figure out how to stop White's initiative & maybe even grab it and start counterattacking. Then, if you're still interested in broadening your response, start looking in the semi-open games. What you'll learn from fighting it out in the open games is a lot of important experience & growth as a player.
@xxvalakixx: after playing 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 - whether one plays 3. ... Bc5 Giuoco Piano (followed by 4. c3 Nf6 5.d4) or plays 3. ... Nf6 Two Knights Defense is entirely up to you. It's a matter of what you're comfortable with.
However for the Two Knights Defense Mainline of 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd - the proper response is 5. ... Na5 counter attacking white's bishop.
To play 5. ... Nxd5? would no doubt be followed by 6. Nxf7! which is what is called the "Fried Liver Attack" and unless black plays EXTREMELY CAREFULLY more often than not ends up as a loss for players at our playing level. A grandmaster could eek out a draw as black but most of us especially under time pressure would lose.
When I first started playing chess, 1...e5 was the only way I know how to respond to 1. e4. After a couple months I stopped play e5 entirely. I felt like it gave white alot of initiative and I hate going into the very symmetrically Italian Game.
Also I found that going on later in the game I would have trouble defending against white's Attack. It seems like by playing this move our at the complete mercy at white. Throughout most of the game White has initiative.
How do you Play e5?
@10
"going into the very symmetrically Italian Game"
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2136417
Ok
I have a question about this topic. So after Bc4, what is better for black, to play Bc5 (Giuco piano) or play Nf6?
I did not wanted a tactical puzzle to the 2nd board, just click on solution.
I would recommend picking one and using it all the time. If you want to play slowly, steadily, I recommend The Guico piano game. I suggest you take a video lesson on the italian if you want to play it.
I have a question about this topic. So after Bc4, what is better for black, to play Bc5 (Giuco piano) or play Nf6?
I did not wanted a tactical puzzle to the 2nd board, just click on solution.
I would recommend picking one and using it all the time. If you want to play slowly, steadily, I recommend The Guico piano game. I suggest you take a video lesson on the italian if you want to play it.
Excellent...taking more than 10 years to answer is a bit much though. Next time try 5 years, that way he only waits 1/2 the time.
@10
"going into the very symmetrically Italian Game"
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2136417
You are talking to a spambot. Good job.
When I first started playing chess, 1...e5 was the only way I know how to respond to 1. e4. After a couple months I stopped play e5 entirely. I felt like it gave white alot of initiative and I hate going into the very symmetrically Italian Game.
Also I found that going on later in the game I would have trouble defending against white's Attack. It seems like by playing this move our at the complete mercy at white. Throughout most of the game White has initiative.
How do you Play e5?