Answers.Body: <p>As noted in another answer here, the Leningrad Dutch may be an interesting option to look for as black against 1.d4. </p>
  
  <p>Against 1.e4, you may want to try Alekhine's defense. It's actually quite dangerous for any white player who doesn't know how to reply to it properly. As far as I know, it's not a common opening, but I have noticed that I'm facing way more Alekhine players nowadays than I did in the past.</p>
  
  <p>It all depends on your playing style if the Alekhine's defense suits you or not though. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-10-30T14:50:30.897Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-10-30T14:50:30.897Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Scounged
Answers.Body: <p>Since you want obscure openings, I would advise the Dutch defense against 1.d4 and the French defense for 1.e4. The Dutch is played less than Indians, queen pawn, Nimzo, Gruenfield, Slav..., thus your opponents won't know anything about it but you will. The Leningrad Dutch and Stonewall defense are played time to time. Nakamura has played the Leningrad Dutch numerous times, Magnus, Levon, Anand, etc have used the Dutch from time to time. I recommend the French because I think it is much easier to learn than 1.e5, which falls to a lot of traps and 1.c5, which is of course not obscure and has a lot of theory. Unfortunately, people can go into a very drawish line in the exchange French. You might want to consider Owen's defense 1... b6. </p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2015-10-29T20:28:40.017Z
Answers.Text: Is the French defense obscure?  There are surely obscure lines.... but it's a pretty common defnese.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Peter Flom
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Answers.CreationDate: 2015-10-30T17:07:34.797Z
Answers.Text: well, its not common at all in the higher levels, and still quite rare in the lower levels.
Answers.UserDisplayName: CognisMantis
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Answers.CreationDate: 2015-10-31T19:01:56.183Z
Answers.Text: There are some similarities between the Dutch and French defenses (e6), so learning one will help you learn the other.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Tom Au
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Answers.CreationDate: 2015-10-31T22:59:59.747Z
Answers.Text: On chess.com there are 700,000 games starting with 1e4 and 1... e6 is the third most common response (after 1. ... c5 and 1... e5).  More than 10% of games that started with e4 continued with e6.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Peter Flom
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Answers.CreationDate: 2015-09-12T01:01:05.417Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-10-03T23:18:39.730Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2019-10-03T23:18:39.730Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: CognisMantis
Answers.Body: <p>As Black, I typically play the hedgehog but with both bishops fianchettoed. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-10-29T22:58:30.133Z
Answers.Text: This works most case but likely to get king-side attacked if the centre is locked. By the way, I learn a lot from you in the stats.exchange and welcome to chess.stack.
Answers.UserDisplayName: SmallChess
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Answers.Text: Thanks!  I know a lot more about statistics than about chess.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Peter Flom
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Answers.CreationDate: 2015-10-29T20:30:33.627Z
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Peter Flom
Body: <p>I'm an amateur player and want to learn a couple openings for black. I want to have a response for d4 and e4. I want one for each and hopefully one that is relatively straight forward (unlike Indian defense as I understand). It would be great if they were slightly obscure and therefore unknown to my opponents. 
  As white I'm basically going to try and play Scotch opening (and maybe later some other e4 openings) every time. </p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2015-09-11T20:40:18.077Z
Comments.Text: The stronger players here will most likely need more details to adequately answer you, so if you could edit your question with answers to the following it would be helpful. How many games have you played? Are there any openings you consistently play now? Which openings have you tried?
Comments.UserDisplayName: Larry Coleman
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2015-09-11T21:41:26.940Z
Comments.Text: Well I've played for years, but not seriously. Just starting to really think about openings
Comments.UserDisplayName: Evan Adler
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2019-10-04T11:17:32.663Z
Comments.Text: You need none at all!
Comments.UserDisplayName: David
Tags: <opening>
Title: What are basic openings I need for black?
ThreadText: # What are basic openings I need for black?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2015-09-11)
  
  I'm an amateur player and want to learn a couple openings for black. I want to have a response for d4 and e4. I want one for each and hopefully one that is relatively straight forward (unlike Indian defense as I understand). It would be great if they were slightly obscure and therefore unknown to my opponents.
  As white I'm basically going to try and play Scotch opening (and maybe later some other e4 openings) every time.
  
  **Tags:** opening
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: The stronger players here will most likely need more details to adequately answer you, so if you could edit your question with answers to the following it would be helpful. How many games have you played? Are there any openings you consistently play now? Which openings have you tried?  
  > **username_0**: Well I've played for years, but not seriously. Just starting to really think about openings  
  > **username_2**: You need none at all!  
  
  ---
  
  ## 3 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2015-10-30. Score: 3
  
  As noted in another answer here, the Leningrad Dutch may be an interesting option to look for as black against 1.d4.
  
  Against 1.e4, you may want to try Alekhine's defense. It's actually quite dangerous for any white player who doesn't know how to reply to it properly. As far as I know, it's not a common opening, but I have noticed that I'm facing way more Alekhine players nowadays than I did in the past.
  
  It all depends on your playing style if the Alekhine's defense suits you or not though.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2015-09-12. Score: 3
  
  Since you want obscure openings, I would advise the Dutch defense against 1.d4 and the French defense for 1.e4. The Dutch is played less than Indians, queen pawn, Nimzo, Gruenfield, Slav..., thus your opponents won't know anything about it but you will. The Leningrad Dutch and Stonewall defense are played time to time. Nakamura has played the Leningrad Dutch numerous times, Magnus, Levon, Anand, etc have used the Dutch from time to time. I recommend the French because I think it is much easier to learn than 1.e5, which falls to a lot of traps and 1.c5, which is of course not obscure and has a lot of theory. Unfortunately, people can go into a very drawish line in the exchange French. You might want to consider Owen's defense 1... b6.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_5**: Is the French defense obscure?  There are surely obscure lines.... but it's a pretty common defnese.  
  > **username_4**: well, its not common at all in the higher levels, and still quite rare in the lower levels.  
  > **username_6**: There are some similarities between the Dutch and French defenses (e6), so learning one will help you learn the other.  
  > **username_5**: On chess.com there are 700,000 games starting with 1e4 and 1... e6 is the third most common response (after 1. ... c5 and 1... e5).  More than 10% of games that started with e4 continued with e6.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2015-10-29. Score: 2
  
  As Black, I typically play the hedgehog but with both bishops fianchettoed.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_7**: This works most case but likely to get king-side attacked if the centre is locked. By the way, I learn a lot from you in the stats.exchange and welcome to chess.stack.  
  > **username_5**: Thanks!  I know a lot more about statistics than about chess.  
  
  ---
  
  