I have abandoned 1...e5 ages ago... 

I would only played it if I knew beforehand that my opponent is a ruy lopez player.. Black feels great on the ruy lopez.. 

Black IS great on most other e4 e5 openings too.. But it doesn't feel great..

There's a difference between being great and feeling great.. hehe

Stigma wrote on 04/23/08 at 14:49:41:

You mean you dont get that with the Nc3 advance in the CK, the Sozin in the sicilian or Qg4 in the French?

Stigma,

You said it more articulately than I was able to.  This is exactly the feeling that I have.  In other openings, I can always get developed and early deviations can be 'ignored' as you can usually get a good game by following your basic development plans.  With 1...e5, however, I sometimes feel like I'm called upon to solve a tactical problem, and if I can't find the solution the game is over. Good to know I'm not alone!
Scott

>> In every other defence I've tried (Sicilian, French, Pirc, even Alekhine) I feel like I can direct the play towards my preferred (strategically unbalanced) positon types, but with 1...e5 I just get stressed looking out for all kinds of tactics and attacks all the time. It's not that I'm extremely weak tactically, but I'm used to getting my pieces out safely first! [/quote]

GMTonyKosten wrote on 04/22/08 at 11:22:42:


Judging from the contents of the ChessPublishing archives, I also suggest GM Johnny Hector and GM Tony Kosten as good role models when it comes to beating weaker players with 1...e5.

I think if I ever take up 1...e5, I will have to take a long-term perspective and accept some early losses. My experience when tossing it out in blitz has been uniformly negative, probably due to the mentioned problem with open positions. And the White players always have their trappy pet systems ready... In every other defence I've tried (Sicilian, French, Pirc, even Alekhine) I feel like I can direct the play towards my preferred (strategically unbalanced) positon types, but with 1...e5 I just get stressed looking out for all kinds of tactics and attacks all the time. It's not that I'm extremely weak tactically, but I'm used to getting my pieces out safely first!

Thanks so much to everyone for the encouragement and the lines you mentioned.  I think you are correct that I simply don't feel comfortable enough in open games.   

As soon as I get a sharp line that I can't figure out how to handle I'll post it.   

Thanks again everyone,
Scott

Markovich wrote on 04/22/08 at 16:56:32:


I can't agree with that.  I'd classify the Philidor (well, the Antoshin at least) as a classic counter-punching opening: rather like the Najdorf, Black takes aim at e4.

No, the issue is not whether the Philidor is active enough but whether it is actually any good ... 

Holbox wrote on 04/22/08 at 15:29:22:


The Phildor has its uses, I suppose, but  I wouldn't make it my main defense to 1.e4.  Too passive.

fluffy wrote on 04/22/08 at 03:00:54:


Exactly.  One of the best reasons to play 1...e5, in American weekend Swisses anyway, is the amazingly high percentage of King's Gambits you get to face.  And similar.

smrex13: don't give up.  Bear down and learn the stuff, not by rote but because its really, really interesting!  I suspect you're not as comfortable as you should be in open positions, since you talked about success with the Closed Spanish and lack of it elsewhere.  I suggest you play over a bundle of games played in open positions.  Or pick some lines of the Two Knights and analyze them to death.  I don't think the Traxler is quite sound, but analyzing and even playing it might benefit you.  Or play and analyze the defense to the Ponziani that goes 3...d5 4.Qa4 Bd7 and so forth.