What wins for Black at your level — against 1.e4, and against 1.d4

The engine prefers White here by 0.8 of a pawn. Players at 1400–1599 blitz hold 51.0 as Black anyway.

The plan

Answer 2.Nf3 with …d5 at once, giving up material for open lines and pieces that come out fast.

Who it suits

Players who would rather set an early problem than equalise slowly, and who are happy to play a pawn down for activity.

The catch

The accepted lines are known and hold the extra material; against a prepared opponent the compensation runs out.

All the data on the Elephant Gambit — every level and clock the corpus counted it at.

The engine prefers White here by 0.4 of a pawn. Players at 1400–1599 blitz hold 50.5 as Black anyway.

The plan

Support the …d5 push with the c-pawn, so the light-squared bishop leaves the pawn chain before it is shut in behind it.

Who it suits

Players who want a sound structure they can play by feel, and who are content to steer for level positions rather than sharp ones.

The catch

Against the Advance Variation White takes space early, and Black has to know the …c5 and …f6 breaks or the position tightens with no counterplay.

All the data on the Caro-Kann Defense — every level and clock the corpus counted it at.

The engine prefers White here by 0.4 of a pawn. Players at 1400–1599 blitz hold 50.1 as Black anyway.

The plan

Answer 1.e4 with a pawn chain and strike at its base with …c5, accepting a passive light-squared bishop for a solid centre.

Who it suits

Players who like a plan they can follow move after move and do not mind defending before they attack.

The catch

The light-squared bishop can stay shut in for the whole game, and the Winawer and Advance lines lead to positions where a missed break leaves Black cramped.

All the data on the French Defense — every level and clock the corpus counted it at.

The engine prefers White by 0.5 of a pawn, and at 1400–1599 blitz Black scores 49.9 — the results agree with it.

The plan

Meet 1.e4 asymmetrically: trade a flank pawn for a centre pawn and play on the half-open c-file.

Who it suits

Players who want an unbalanced game from move one and are willing to learn a lot of theory to get it.

The catch

White chooses among many systems, so preparing the Sicilian means preparing several of them; the sharpest lines punish an imprecise move order quickly.

All the data on the Sicilian Defense — every level and clock the corpus counted it at.

The engine prefers White by 0.6 of a pawn, and at 1400–1599 blitz Black scores 49.3 — the results agree with it.

The plan

Challenge the e-pawn immediately with …d5, accept the queen recapture, and develop around an early queen sortie.

Who it suits

Players who want one structure they can reach against 1.e4 every game without much branching.

The catch

The early queen move invites tempo-gaining attacks, and White has straightforward development schemes that leave Black a little behind.

All the data on the Scandinavian Defense — every level and clock the corpus counted it at.

The engine prefers White here by 0.6 of a pawn. Players at 1400–1599 blitz hold 53.3 as Black anyway.

The plan

Offer the b-pawn to open the a- and b-files, then press White’s queenside for the rest of the game.

Who it suits

Players who like one long-term plan they can follow without calculating a new one each move.

The catch

The pawn is a real pawn: in an endgame where the pressure has been neutralised, Black is simply material down.

All the data on the Benko Gambit — every level and clock the corpus counted it at.

The engine prefers White here by 0.3 of a pawn. Players at 1400–1599 blitz hold 51.0 as Black anyway.

The plan

Fianchetto the king’s bishop and castle quickly, leaving the centre to be settled after the pieces are out.

Who it suits

Players who want a setup they can play against most of White’s systems without memorising a reply to each.

The catch

Leaving the centre alone lets White build a broad one, and Black has to break at the right time or stay squeezed.

All the data on the East Indian Defense — every level and clock the corpus counted it at.

The engine prefers White here by 0.4 of a pawn. Players at 1400–1599 blitz hold 50.7 as Black anyway.

The plan

Let White build the big centre, then take aim at it with …d5 and the fianchettoed bishop.

Who it suits

Players comfortable giving up space early in exchange for pieces that hit a target.

The catch

If the strike against the centre is mistimed, White’s pawns roll instead of falling — and the main lines are heavily analysed.

All the data on the Grünfeld Defense — every level and clock the corpus counted it at.

The engine prefers White here by 0.4 of a pawn. Players at 1400–1599 blitz hold 51.0 as Black anyway.

The plan

Develop the bishop to g7 and stay flexible, choosing the central break after seeing which setup White commits to.

Who it suits

Players who prefer reading the position over preparing lines, and who like a move order that transposes widely.

The catch

Flexibility can become aimlessness: give White a free hand for too long and there is no good break left.

All the data on the Robatsch Defense — every level and clock the corpus counted it at.

The engine prefers White here by 1.1 of a pawn. Players at 1400–1599 blitz hold 50.2 as Black anyway.

The plan

Answer 1.d4 with …e5 immediately, aiming to open the position before White settles into a system.

Who it suits

Players who want to leave preparation behind on move one and play a position their opponent has probably not studied.

The catch

The refutation is short and well known; a player who has met it before keeps the pawn and the better position.

All the data on the Englund Gambit — every level and clock the corpus counted it at.

The engine prefers White by 0.5 of a pawn, and at 1400–1599 blitz Black scores 49.3 — the results agree with it.

The plan

Hand White the centre for a move or two, fianchetto, and counter once it is clear what White has committed to.

Who it suits

Players who like an unforced game and are willing to defend a little to get one.

The catch

Conceding the centre is a real concession: against a player who takes space and keeps it, the counter never arrives.

All the data on the Modern Defense — every level and clock the corpus counted it at.

The engine prefers White by 0.6 of a pawn, and at 1400–1599 blitz Black scores 47.8 — the results agree with it.

The plan

Support the e-pawn with …d6 and build a compact position behind it, unwinding the pieces slowly.

Who it suits

Players who want a solid structure that is easy to reach and hard to break open by accident.

The catch

The setup is passive, and a cramped position with no break gives White time to choose where to attack.

All the data on the Philidor Defense — every level and clock the corpus counted it at.

The engine prefers White by 0.3 of a pawn, and at 1400–1599 blitz Black scores 48.6 — the results agree with it.

The plan

Answer 1.d4 with …Nf6, keeping the centre under pressure from a distance instead of occupying it at once.

Who it suits

Players who want to see White’s second move before committing to a structure.

The catch

It is a starting point rather than a system: the real choice comes a move later, and a player without one ends up in a position they did not pick.

All the data on the Indian Defense — every level and clock the corpus counted it at.