With Black: e5 and d5 is lesson 2 of 2 in Your first repertoire, a strategy course suited to players rated around 760 (beginners). Two classical answers: e5 against e4, and d5 with e6 against d4. Both take your share of the centre at once. It has 4 interactive exercises: 4 find-the-move puzzles. You play every move on a board and get feedback straight away. The lesson is free.
What this lesson explains
Sometimes White starts with Nf3 or c4. Do not worry about the names. Put a pawn on d5 or a knight on f6, develop your pieces and castle. The same ideas still work.
Recap.
With White, play e4, Nf3 and Bc4: the Italian Game.
With Black against e4, play e5, and the Two Knights Defence with Nf6.
With Black against d4, play d5 and e6: the Queen's Gambit Declined.
Take each of those courses next, and drill the lines in the Opening lines trainer.
What you practise
Now you play Black. White opened with e4. Answer in the centre with your king's pawn.
White chose the Italian Game. Develop a piece that also fights for the centre. Nf6 is the Two Knights Defence. Bc5 copies White's bishop.
White opened with d4. Answer in the centre again, this time with the queen's pawn.
White offers the c-pawn. This is the Queen's Gambit. Do not take it. Support your d5 pawn with another pawn.
Worked examples
Now you play Black. White opened with e4. Answer in the centre with your king's pawn. Good. You stop White from taking the whole centre, and you open lines for your queen and bishop.
White chose the Italian Game. Develop a piece that also fights for the centre. Nf6 is the Two Knights Defence. Bc5 copies White's bishop. Good. Both moves are healthy. The Two Knights Defence course shows Nf6 in full, and the course 1.e4 e5 for Black covers Bc5 too.
chessGM