Answers.Body: <p>I would recommend you sharper lines of Italian opening complex. These positions you can reach through two different move orders:</p>
  <ul>
  <li>
  <ol>
  <li>e4 e5 2. Nf3, where you have to face Petroff, but you have wider choice against two knight defence;</li>
  </ol>
  </li>
  <li>
  <ol>
  <li>e4 e5 2. Bc4, where you don't have to face Petroff, but you have to commit to gambit lines against two knight defence.</li>
  </ol>
  </li>
  </ul>
  <h1>1. e4 e5 2. Nf3</h1>
  <p>Here black has two dubious gambits (Latvian with <strong>2. ... f5</strong> and Elephant with <strong>2. ... d5</strong>). Both promise advantage and sharp play, so no problem. Just don't forget to prepare something against them.</p>
  <p>Phillidor with <strong>2. ... d6</strong> leads to sharp play in practically all mainlines.</p>
  <p>Petroff mainline is a bit stodgy, however you have alternative option in just as good and sharper <strong>1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3</strong>. Your plan is to castle long and start a kingside pawnstorm. Doubled c-pawns are advantageous, since they provide extra cover for your king on the queenside.</p>
  <h1>1. e4 e5 2. Bc4</h1>
  <p>Here black has two independent options, practically everything else transposes to Italian complex.</p>
  <p>First is <strong>1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 c6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Bb3 Nf6 5. d3 Bd6 6. Nc3</strong>. If black decides to close the center with <strong>6. ... d4 7. Ne2</strong> you are doing perfectlly well. Knight will go to <em>g3</em>, and later you can reroute your <em>f3</em> knight to <em>h4</em>, so both will point to <em>f5</em>, which is a classical motif in kingside attacks. So mainline is for black to open the center with <strong>6. ... dxe4</strong> with open position and concrete play.</p>
  <p>Second is the most popular <strong>1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6</strong>. Now you have a choice between quiet <strong>3. d3</strong>, which usually transposes to calmer lines of Italian complex, and <strong>3. d4</strong> - let's focus on this one:</p>
  <ul>
  <li><strong>1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 Nxe4?? 4. dxe5</strong> promises decisive advantage in all lines, but requires some preparation;</li>
  <li><strong>1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 Nc6 4. Nf3 exd4</strong> transposes to open variation of two knight defense;</li>
  <li><strong>1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Qxd4</strong> is Urusov gambit, which is at least equal in all lines and very sharp (if black plays <strong>4. ... Nc6</strong>, you transposed to open two knight defense again). In Urusov gambit your plan is to castle long, play <strong>Nc3</strong> and <strong>Bg5</strong> and sac this bishop on <em>h6</em> anytime black plays <strong>h6</strong> after <strong>O-O</strong>. Exchange sac on for bishop on <em>e6</em> is also common motif. Just a single line for a taste: <strong>1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Qxd4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Be7 7. Bg5 c6 8. O-O-O d5 9. Rhe1 Be6 10. Qh4 O-O 11. Bd3 h6 12. Bxh6 Ne4 13. Qh5</strong></li>
  </ul>
  <h1>Two knight defense</h1>
  <p>In both move orders you can reach two knight defense. For example, through:</p>
  <ul>
  <li><strong>1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6</strong></li>
  <li><strong>1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 Nc6 4. Nf3</strong></li>
  </ul>
  <p>If you used the first move order, you have choice between lines with <strong>4. Ng5</strong> and <strong>4. d4</strong>, while with second move order you had to commit to lines with <strong>d4</strong>. Both are sharp, difference being that in <strong>4. Ng5</strong> mainline black sacs a pawn for activity, while in <strong>4. d4</strong> white sacs a pawn for activity.</p>
  <p>After <strong>1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4</strong> you have choice between three lines:</p>
  <ul>
  <li><strong>5. Ng5?!</strong> the Perreux variation, which is sharp but more than a bit dubious.</li>
  <li><strong>5. O-O</strong> will lead to either Max-Lange (<strong>5. ... Bc5</strong>) or to Double Scotch gambit (<strong>5. ... Nxe4</strong>). Both lines are very sharp, but if black has good preparation will petter out to quick draw.</li>
  <li><strong>5. e5</strong> is the advance variation of the Scotch gambit. It leads to complex double edged positions, but less sharp than other two options. For a taste: <strong>1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. e5 d5 6. Bb5 Ne4 7. Nxd4 Bd7 8. Bxc6 bxc6 9. O-O Bc5 10. f3 Ng5 11. f4 Ne4 12. Be3</strong></li>
  </ul>
  <h1>Sharp lines in Italian</h1>
  <p>Italian can be played quietly with <strong>d3</strong>, but there are some sharp options:</p>
  <ul>
  <li><strong>1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4</strong>, the Evans gambit, which Peter mentions in his answer, is still very playable.</li>
  <li><strong>1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Bxc3 9. d5</strong>, the Møller attack, is the sharpest option. As usual with sharp lines, if black is well prepared it will be a quick draw.</li>
  <li><strong>1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. e5</strong> is very topical at super-GM level for last few years. Line bears some similarity to advance variation of scotch gambit and is as complex and double edged as the gambit. Black can quickly go astray, as for example in <strong>1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. e5 d5 7. Bb5 Ne4 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. Nc3 O-O 10. Be3 Bg4 11. h3 Bxf3 12. gxf3 Nxc3 13. bxc3</strong> where white gets a very strong kingside attack based on open <em>g-file</em>.</li>
  </ul>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-03-16T12:09:07.427Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2024-03-16T12:09:07.427Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Matija Sirk
Answers.Body: <p>After 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 there is always the Evans' Gambit. With best play, Black can get equality, but it's easy for Black to go astray.</p>
  <p>Against the Petroff/Russian defense, the Cochrane Gambit is playable: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5  d6 4. Nxf7</p>
  <p>I don't know about an aggressive line against the Philidor, but that's pretty uncommon at your rating anyway. White gets a good game in the main lines.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-03-16T10:51:13.423Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2024-03-16T10:51:13.423Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Peter Flom
Body: <p>I'm seeking guidance from an experienced e4 player. Currently rated 1950 on Chess.com Rapid, I find myself struggling to reach positions that suit my style. Despite having played the Vienna Gambit for a few months, opponents increasingly respond with Nc6 followed by Nf6, resulting in rather dull positional games. I'm drawn to dynamic, imbalanced positions and crave sharper, tactical encounters.</p>
  <p>Could you kindly suggest openings that present significant challenges for Black and lead to the type of play I enjoy?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-03-15T16:19:21.950Z
Comments.Text: How much risk do you want?   For example, is **1. e4 e5 2. f4** too much based on your opponents' level of play?
Comments.UserDisplayName: SecretAgentMan
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-03-15T16:49:14.240Z
Comments.Text: King's gambit is quite dubious though, but thanks for the suggestion
Comments.UserDisplayName: Dimitar Zhekov
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-03-15T17:49:23.200Z
Comments.Text: Hence my question about risk.
Comments.UserDisplayName: SecretAgentMan
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-03-15T17:59:40.380Z
Comments.Text: For instance, with black against the sicilian I play the sveshnikov, 
  against d4 I play the classical Dutch. Is that helpful?
Comments.UserDisplayName: Dimitar Zhekov
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-03-15T21:20:50.210Z
Comments.Text: The Center Game (1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4, basically equal with best play) takes many players quickly out of theory, and the Danish gambit (1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3, somewhat advantageous for black) leads to an open board with lots of dynamic play, or even 4. Bc4 cxb2 5. Bxb2, while technically being inferior gives white a huge lead in development with many open lines.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Hank's back rank
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-03-16T09:14:27.753Z
Comments.Text: something like scotch gambit? must find something against petroff though
Comments.UserDisplayName: cmgchess
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-03-16T11:27:51.003Z
Comments.Text: @Hank'sbackrank problem with this line in danish is that it's hard to achieve anything after  1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Bc4 cxb2 5. Bxb2 d5.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Matija Sirk
Tags: <opening><tactics><1.e4><attack>
Title: Decent e4 e5 opening for white
ThreadText: # Decent e4 e5 opening for white
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2024-03-15)
  
  I'm seeking guidance from an experienced e4 player. Currently rated 1950 on Chess.com Rapid, I find myself struggling to reach positions that suit my style. Despite having played the Vienna Gambit for a few months, opponents increasingly respond with Nc6 followed by Nf6, resulting in rather dull positional games. I'm drawn to dynamic, imbalanced positions and crave sharper, tactical encounters.
  
  Could you kindly suggest openings that present significant challenges for Black and lead to the type of play I enjoy?
  
  **Tags:** opening, tactics, 1.e4, attack
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: How much risk do you want?   For example, is **1. e4 e5 2. f4** too much based on your opponents' level of play?  
  > **username_0**: King's gambit is quite dubious though, but thanks for the suggestion  
  > **username_1**: Hence my question about risk.  
  > **username_0**: For instance, with black against the sicilian I play the sveshnikov,  against d4 I play the classical Dutch. Is that helpful?  
  > **username_2**: The Center Game (1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4, basically equal with best play) takes many players quickly out of theory, and the Danish gambit (1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3, somewhat advantageous for black) leads to an open board with lots of dynamic play, or even 4. Bc4 cxb2 5. Bxb2, while technically being inferior gives white a huge lead in development with many open lines.  
  > **username_3**: something like scotch gambit? must find something against petroff though  
  > **username_4**: @username_2 problem with this line in danish is that it's hard to achieve anything after  1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Bc4 cxb2 5. Bxb2 d5.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2024-03-16. Score: 3 | Accepted answer
  
  I would recommend you sharper lines of Italian opening complex. These positions you can reach through two different move orders:
  
  * 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3, where you have to face Petroff, but you have wider choice against two knight defence;
  * 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4, where you don't have to face Petroff, but you have to commit to gambit lines against two knight defence.
  
  # 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3
  
  Here black has two dubious gambits (Latvian with **2. ... f5** and Elephant with **2. ... d5**). Both promise advantage and sharp play, so no problem. Just don't forget to prepare something against them.
  
  Phillidor with **2. ... d6** leads to sharp play in practically all mainlines.
  
  Petroff mainline is a bit stodgy, however you have alternative option in just as good and sharper **1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3**. Your plan is to castle long and start a kingside pawnstorm. Doubled c-pawns are advantageous, since they provide extra cover for your king on the queenside.
  
  # 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4
  
  Here black has two independent options, practically everything else transposes to Italian complex.
  
  First is **1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 c6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Bb3 Nf6 5. d3 Bd6 6. Nc3**. If black decides to close the center with **6. ... d4 7. Ne2** you are doing perfectlly well. Knight will go to *g3*, and later you can reroute your *f3* knight to *h4*, so both will point to *f5*, which is a classical motif in kingside attacks. So mainline is for black to open the center with **6. ... dxe4** with open position and concrete play.
  
  Second is the most popular **1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6**. Now you have a choice between quiet **3. d3**, which usually transposes to calmer lines of Italian complex, and **3. d4** - let's focus on this one:
  
  * **1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 Nxe4?? 4. dxe5** promises decisive advantage in all lines, but requires some preparation;
  * **1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 Nc6 4. Nf3 exd4** transposes to open variation of two knight defense;
  * **1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Qxd4** is Urusov gambit, which is at least equal in all lines and very sharp (if black plays **4. ... Nc6**, you transposed to open two knight defense again). In Urusov gambit your plan is to castle long, play **Nc3** and **Bg5** and sac this bishop on *h6* anytime black plays **h6** after **O-O**. Exchange sac on for bishop on *e6* is also common motif. Just a single line for a taste: **1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Qxd4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Be7 7. Bg5 c6 8. O-O-O d5 9. Rhe1 Be6 10. Qh4 O-O 11. Bd3 h6 12. Bxh6 Ne4 13. Qh5**
  
  # Two knight defense
  
  In both move orders you can reach two knight defense. For example, through:
  
  * **1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6**
  * **1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 Nc6 4. Nf3**
  
  If you used the first move order, you have choice between lines with **4. Ng5** and **4. d4**, while with second move order you had to commit to lines with **d4**. Both are sharp, difference being that in **4. Ng5** mainline black sacs a pawn for activity, while in **4. d4** white sacs a pawn for activity.
  
  After **1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4** you have choice between three lines:
  
  * **5. Ng5?!** the Perreux variation, which is sharp but more than a bit dubious.
  * **5. O-O** will lead to either Max-Lange (**5. ... Bc5**) or to Double Scotch gambit (**5. ... Nxe4**). Both lines are very sharp, but if black has good preparation will petter out to quick draw.
  * **5. e5** is the advance variation of the Scotch gambit. It leads to complex double edged positions, but less sharp than other two options. For a taste: **1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. e5 d5 6. Bb5 Ne4 7. Nxd4 Bd7 8. Bxc6 bxc6 9. O-O Bc5 10. f3 Ng5 11. f4 Ne4 12. Be3**
  
  # Sharp lines in Italian
  
  Italian can be played quietly with **d3**, but there are some sharp options:
  
  * **1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4**, the Evans gambit, which username_5 mentions in his answer, is still very playable.
  * **1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Bxc3 9. d5**, the Møller attack, is the sharpest option. As usual with sharp lines, if black is well prepared it will be a quick draw.
  * **1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. e5** is very topical at super-GM level for last few years. Line bears some similarity to advance variation of scotch gambit and is as complex and double edged as the gambit. Black can quickly go astray, as for example in **1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. e5 d5 7. Bb5 Ne4 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. Nc3 O-O 10. Be3 Bg4 11. h3 Bxf3 12. gxf3 Nxc3 13. bxc3** where white gets a very strong kingside attack based on open *g-file*.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2024-03-16. Score: 1
  
  After 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 there is always the Evans' Gambit. With best play, Black can get equality, but it's easy for Black to go astray.
  
  Against the Petroff/Russian defense, the Cochrane Gambit is playable: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nxf7
  
  I don't know about an aggressive line against the Philidor, but that's pretty uncommon at your rating anyway. White gets a good game in the main lines.
  
  
  ---
  
  