I am a d4 player and I feel like I know my openings well, as in with d4 I always end up in playable positions. I think I like playing against the Slav most because I play Slav with black too so I know it well and I can easily keep the game in solid/positional ways which suits my style. To answer your real question, what I am least happy to play against, would be the Benko gambit. I really hated how I am forced to defend all game, so now I play 5. f3 and that seems to work alright but still it's not exactly my favorite. I don't like Cambridge Springs much either and neither the Stonewall but I know the theory so that's alright.
Anyone who read this post pls don't play Benko gambit against me or I'll log off and cry in a corner.
d4 players, which black defense to 1.d4 are you least happy to play against?
Sort:
Serotonine wrote:
I am a d4 player and I feel like I know my openings well, as in with d4 I always end up in playable positions. I think I like playing against the Slav most because I play Slav with black too so I know it well and I can easily keep the game in solid/positional ways which suits my style. To answer your real question, what I am least happy to play against, would be the Benko gambit. I really hated how I am forced to defend all game, so now I play 5. f3 and that seems to work alright but still it's not exactly my favorite. I don't like Cambridge Springs much either and neither the Stonewall but I know the theory so that's alright.
Anyone who read this post pls don't play Benko gambit against me or I'll log off and cry in a corner.
The Benko Gambit is a joke and a half. Play the Fianchetto Variation and do some hard core studying from a book written in the last 2 to 3 years, paying close attention to move order and critical moves in the teens. Some of them are counter-intuative, but played correctly, it blows away the Benko Gambit.
The reason I don't play 1.d4 a whole lot are the 1...d5 defenses (QGD, Slav, QGA, etc)
The Benoni and Grunfeld are fairly annoying. Also the ...c5 KID. But that's just me.
Edit: Yeah Nimzo, if played correctly, is also bothersome.
The nimzo indian annoys me the most as its just so super solid and if I avoid it with 3 Nf3 the queens indian is just as annoying ....
To be honest none of the defenses to d4 really irritate me...not like some e4 defenses (Damiano(sp?) line of the Petrov, 4...Nf6 Caro, entire Scandinavian, there are others too). But if I had to choose one, I'd probably say the Slav just because its very hard to gain any practical advantage against a Slav player who knows their stuff.
I find the Nimzo pretty annoying. The Budapest is annoying too as I can't be bothered to learn the theory for it but it just seems dubious.
Oh and the Old benoni (1. c5) is fairly annoying but I don't seem to have much trouble against it
@ ThrillerFan
I used to play the castle by hand against the Benko but never liked it due to the heavy a and b file pressure. I don't really have a book available atm. What would you say is/are the main advantage(s) of the fianchetto variation? I'd be more than willing to try and find a reliable weapon against that damn gambit.
ThrillerFan wrote:
Serotonine wrote:
I am a d4 player and I feel like I know my openings well, as in with d4 I always end up in playable positions. I think I like playing against the Slav most because I play Slav with black too so I know it well and I can easily keep the game in solid/positional ways which suits my style. To answer your real question, what I am least happy to play against, would be the Benko gambit. I really hated how I am forced to defend all game, so now I play 5. f3 and that seems to work alright but still it's not exactly my favorite. I don't like Cambridge Springs much either and neither the Stonewall but I know the theory so that's alright.
Anyone who read this post pls don't play Benko gambit against me or I'll log off and cry in a corner.
The Benko Gambit is a joke and a half. Play the Fianchetto Variation and do some hard core studying from a book written in the last 2 to 3 years, paying close attention to move order and critical moves in the teens. Some of them are counter-intuative, but played correctly, it blows away the Benko Gambit.
The reason I don't play 1.d4 a whole lot are the 1...d5 defenses (QGD, Slav, QGA, etc)
(1) What do you like to open with if not d4, and why?
(2) What is wong with playing d4 and ending up in, say, QGD?
I heard the Budapest Defense can be effective against d4.
Serotonine wrote:
@ ThrillerFan
I used to play the castle by hand against the Benko but never liked it due to the heavy a and b file pressure. I don't really have a book available atm. What would you say is/are the main advantage(s) of the fianchetto variation? I'd be more than willing to try and find a reliable weapon against that damn gambit.
There's allegedly some a4 push that's supposed to be good for White in the King Walk Variation.
Nimzo and benko
@ Mainline_Novelty
They'd play c4 and Nc5 and I hated it.
d4 players can be very deceiving sometimes. I suggest you take precaution. They might be telling you lies so that when they play d4 against you, you'll play the defense they want you to. I personally dislike it when black plays
1 d4 h5!!
Keep them guessing with Nf6
Doesnt matter what my opponent plays, every game is a learning opportunity.
I am a Benko player. :P
People who play Benko eat children.
I think dutch stone wall..but to avoid that I always play staunton gambit
why?