Playing for a win versus e4

I've heard many people say that the strongest reply to 1.e4 is 1.e5...

probably the next strongest is 1...c5 then 1...Nf6 or 1...c6 then 1...g6

Originally posted by ChessJester
I've heard many people say that the strongest reply to 1.e4 is 1.e5...

probably the next strongest is 1...c5 then 1...Nf6 or 1...c6 then 1...g6

What about 1. .. e6?

Originally posted by pwnguin
What are some good ways of playing for the win as black versus e4, excluding playing e5 followed by Nc6 if Nf3 (the open games) and the sicilian? I need some "surprise weapons" for blitz tournaments. I don't care about soundness or gambitness as long as they cannot be refuted OTB and don't have classic refutations that everyone knows, like the latvian and elephant gambits.

I personally love the french, but while it can be a semi-open game, that is mostly up to white who gets to choose between a closed and a semi-open game. Of course the game will open up as you play for your f6/c5 breaks but that may not be until move 15. So contrary to earlier suggestions I would stay away from it. rather, I would check out the center counter and associated gambits or perhaps try a different sicillian variation than the one you've been using (I like both the najdorf and schivishnikov).

Originally posted by Dragon Fire
What about 1. .. e6?

doh! and 1...d6 should be there too 😛

Originally posted by ChessJester
I've heard many people say that the strongest reply to 1.e4 is 1.e5...

probably the next strongest is 1...c5 then 1...Nf6 or 1...c6 then 1...g6

If there is is a "best" defense to 1 e4, then it is probably either 1...e5 or 1...c5.

If you complile the stats of any large database of master games, 1...c5 invariably has the best winning percentage of all major defenses to 1 e4. Sometimes something theoretically dubious like 1...h5 has the highest percentage, but whenever that happens the number of games played with the suspect opening was played in a statistically insignificant number of games.