With Black an opening starts with somebody else's move: first 1.e4 or 1.d4, and only then your choice. Gathered here are the defences and counter-gambits for the second player - the Sicilian, the French, the Caro-Kann, the Slav, the King's Indian and others, each with a walkthrough on the board.
Black does not choose the first move - Black chooses the answer. Which means preparing for two different worlds at once: 1.e4 with open lines and fast piece play, and 1.d4 with a closed centre and long manoeuvring. That is the main difference from preparing with White, where one first move is enough.
The second difference is the goal. White fights to keep the initiative, Black to seize it or to equalise. Hence two kinds of repertoire: the counterattacking one (the Sicilian, the King's Indian, the Benko Gambit) and the solid one (the Caro-Kann, the Slav, the Berlin Defence). Both work; it is a question of temperament.
Experience shows that with Black it is more useful to have a scheme you can play almost always than ten lines for every occasion. A scheme gives you recognisable positions, and recognisable positions mean ready-made plans instead of calculating from scratch every move.
The minimum kit is one opening against 1.e4 and one against 1.d4. Here are workable pairs for different tastes.
Against 1.e4, the Caro-Kann Defence: a firm structure, plans that make sense and few early tactical blows. Against 1.d4, the Slav Defence for the same reason. That pair covers almost every game and calls for no cramming of long lines.
Two at least: one against 1.e4 and one against 1.d4. That lasts a long time. A third is worth adding when a particular scheme from your opponents keeps putting you in an awkward position.
No. Black's task in the opening is to equalise, but equalising here means getting a game of your own rather than defending passively. The Sicilian, the King's Indian and the Benko Gambit are played from the start to seize the initiative and to win.
Develop by the general rules: occupy the centre with pawns, bring out the minor pieces, castle. Against 1.b3, 1.f4 and openings like them you barely need to know specific lines - sensible play is enough.
A defence aims at a firm position and equality; a counter-gambit aims at immediate counterplay at the cost of a pawn. The Benko Gambit and the Albin Counter-Gambit give up material for the initiative and open lines.
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