I dont know why but I feel comfortable with the two knights defence 3...Nf6.
What do you play against the Italian Game?
Most books prefer 3...Nf6, but you have to sacrifice a pawn and know the theory. I was also not happy with 3... Bc5, running into several attacks. Also wondered about the scotch, so i quit 1... e5.
Most players know nothing about 3... Be7, i know one guy who have played this move excluslively up to 2000 Elo.
There are also some games available by strong players, e. g. the former world champion Smyslov:
I like the two knights defense and if they go for an attack then I like the uvelsted variation. Of course if they play d3 then I don't get the chance for a uvelsted
I play the Hungarian Defence:
I like it! As White I sometimes play the Giuoco/Italian and love it when Black wastes a tempo with ...h6 to prevent the Fried Liver Attack - which I usually don't intend. But ...Be7 develops a piece and stops Ng5. If I ever play 1...e5, I'll remember this in case we go into the Giuoco.
I only attempt a fried liver against total newbies... if someone fries some liver against me (i'm black) i just play the normal? variation to fend it off.... black plays d5, white takes with pawn, Na5 attacks the bishop.... I'm a sub-average player, and don't care to be on either side of the fried liver.... it's boring, to me, unless the opponent totally falls apart..
Possibly helpful:
Starting Out: Open Games by Glenn Flear (2010)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140626232452/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen134.pdf
The Open Games with Black by Martin Lokander
https://www.newinchess.com/Shop/Images/Pdfs/7546.pdf
The Kaufman Repertoire for Black & White by Larry Kaufman (2012)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140626221508/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen162.pdf
https://www.newinchess.com/Shop/Images/Pdfs/955.pdf
The Open Games for Black by Igor Lysyj & Roman Ovetchkin (2012)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627104938/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen159.pdf
Bologan's Black Weapons in the Open Games by Victor Bologan
http://www.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Bologans-Black-Weapons-in-the-Open-Games-76p3873.htm
https://www.newinchess.com/Shop/Images/Pdfs/9001.pdf
Playing 1.e4 e5 by Nikolaos Ntirlis
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/Playing1e4e5-excerpt.pdf
If I remember correctly, Lokander and Ntirlis suggested 3...Nf6, Kaufman and Lysyj suggested 3...Bc5, and both were discussed by Flear and Bologan.
Be7 is like an acceptance that you're worse after 4. d4 d6
I play 3...Bc5. The Evans is not much to fear. It can be safely declined or accepted. I kind of like 5...Bd6!? which objectively isn't the best but I won a nice tournament game with it against a similarly rated opponent (a little over 1900 at the time) not long ago so for that reason I like playing it
the paris defense is an interesting line 3.d6, thing is, white has many replies but black can play at least one specific line which keeps things interesting asymmetric.
4.c3 f5! is an interesting and sound idea.
4.d4 exd4 4.nxd4 g6!? keeps things interesting
4.0-0 bg4 and black will play it like this nf6 be7 qd7
4.nc3 na5!? and either be2 c5 or bb5+ c6 (be2 c5 transposes), ba4 b5 bb3 nxa5
4.h3!? and black can play 4...be6!? or be7 or g6
4.d3 na5
I switched to 1 ... e5 (to play the Berlin Defense) and I need some ideas against the Italian Game (which my opponents seem to play often).