Tonight I played some 5/0 blitz on ICC and decided to open with 1.e4 for basically the first time in my life. Based on the reputation, I was expecting wild attacks every game, but I've got to admit I was a bit disappointed. Here are some observations from probably 15 games.

-I don't think e4 and d4 are as different as they're made out to be. Both can be sharp or boring, depending on what the players decide.
-I think the objective of the French defense is to give both players awful positions. I can't stand playing in that opening. I will no longer be friends with anyone that plays the French as their main response to e4
-I am dangerously unprepared to play against the Sicilian.
-Against my normal d4, every once in a while I'll play someone that plays one of those really passive Indian setups, sort of like a KID but with a bishop on e7 instead of g7. It turns out that those people exist in the e4 world too. They'll play e5, d6, Nf6, Be7, O-O, Nbd7, c6, Qc7, etc. Playing against those positions is like nails on a chalk board.
-People that think d4 is boring but play the Ruy need to be more liberal in handing out the word "boring" haha. I think the Ruy is the QGD for e4.

And here are some e4 = d4 comparisons.

Ruy = QGD
Exchange French = Exchange Slav
Sicilian = Grunfeld
Pirc = KID
Petrov = London

That's about all I've got for tonight. My favorite game is the one below. I was sort of winging it with Dragon theory, but it turned out ok. Not the best by any means, but a heck of a lot of fun.

http://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-game...r.php?id=75993

I'm sorry it has to be this way. But playing against the French was truly painful haha.

THESE PEOPLE ARE THE WORST!!!!!

It's criminal that the words Benko and Gambit didn't somehow make it into the OP.

When I first played the French, I basically fell in love. It seemed so easy to play as black as the plans were almost always the same and they made sense. Sure, it does often involve sacrificing your own king, but that makes it so much more exciting. In 1. e4 e5 games, I tended to feel less in control over what I was doing.

Except for when I play the other system you hate: "They'll play e5, d6, Nf6, Be7, O-O, Nbd7, c6, Qc7, etc. Playing against those positions is like nails on a chalk board." Except instead of castling, I'd go for the more exciting/risky idea of Nb8-d7-f8 and then either Ne6/Be6 or g7-g5 and Ng6 with a suicidal kingside attack.

Just curious, what do you play as black against 1. e4?

Hahahaha. This might be my most hated opening in all of chess. It doesn't help that I see it more than any other d4 opening when playing 5/0 on ICC.

I play the Caro, pretty much exclusively. I guess I can't really look down on the French

french >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> caro-kann

I used to play the French a lot as Black but always felt most uncomfortable against the Winawer with Nf3/a4. I then took it up as White for a while (when players used to play 1...e6 in answer to d4 obviously!) and found it a great point scorer.

Ironically although the French is mostly used as a stodgy weapon there are some great lines for Black especially after 3Nd2 Nf6. Although I should point out that I did stop playing it in about 1996 so there could be some major refutations lurking around!

A friend of mine once commented that playing the Caro-Kann was a major mistake since it allowed White to correct his error on the first move by playing the Panov which is much more like a (proper) d4 opening.

I did switch to e4 for a while after some (bad) advice from a (friend). Basically the repertoire was as follows:

1.......e5 Vienna
French - Winawer (see above)
Sicilian - after a brief fling with the main lines I settled on the Morra gambit which was usually declined by 3... Nf6
Caro Kann - 3f3 or sometimes the 2 knights.
Pirc - Be3, Qd2 lines

And that pretty much did for 3 wasted years!

i'd think if you don't like the winawer lines as black, you can just switch to the classical or 3. ...dxe4 lines

Your disrespect of the king pawn sneak one opening is not well received in these quarters.

Actually I started out playing 3....dxe4 but I thought I'd better learn something proper in the end!

Wait, why not 1.d4 e6 then?

I am making a public commitment to not taking the pawn next time. I might have promised this before, but it's always so tempting, and Carlsen made it look like a gift.

Nah, I think you still can.

Because the Benoni (and apparently that weird line of the KID I tried) allow me to get an even worse position to play from.

oh come now, the baloney isn't that bad!

Winawer Gambit ftw?

-Against my normal d4, every once in a while I'll play someone that plays one of those really passive Indian setups, sort of like a KID but with a bishop on e7 instead of g7. It turns out that those people exist in the e4 world too. They'll play e5, d6, Nf6, Be7, O-O, Nbd7, c6, Qc7, etc. Playing against those positions is like nails on a chalk board.

If you know Black is going for this, then avoid an early Nc3 and play c4, d4, g3, and Bg2. You can join Black in the race to do absolutely nothing, but at least you have a more active position. Black will get flustered and do something stupid.

I find that most Black players trying to play this Philidor type opening vs anything don't play 1. e4 e5, but play 1.e4 d6. I suppose they want to avoid the King's Gambit, Danish Gambit, Centre Game, etc...

The reason is not the King's Gambit but the line 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. dxe5.

The endgame after 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 e5 4. dxe5 is thought to be easier for black than aforementioned line.

Loved this line

*pokes head up*

The key to punishing French players is to play the exchange. It's sort of saying "There, now we're both miserable. Happy?"

I KNEW that Kyle is going to respond in this thread!!!

Hahaha I thought the same thing.

It was the perfect bait. Sorry I've been AWOL. There are more important things in my life than chess right now, and you have no idea how badly I wish that wasn't true.

Anyway, there's a typo in the subject line. It should be "Playing e4!!". As opposed to "Playing d4?".

There is no satisfactory response for black.

e5 is best but accepts a counterpunching role.

The Caro Kann is lame, passive and weak on the kingside.

The French is roughly the equivalent of dropping trou and taking a steaming dump on the board. The only appropriate response is to rub their nose in it like you would a dog to teach them why what they did was wrong. Play the exchange and enjoy the look on their faces.

The Sicilian is like a power tool. In the hands of a skilled master, it creates beautiful and functional objects. But for almost everyone below the master level, they are like a toddler with a chainsaw. Far more likely to hurt themselves than someone else.