Repertoire for Black

So I (OTB ~1600+) am periodically getting back into chess and every time I also learn a little bit of openings. This time I want to build a solid opening repertoire for black since my strong part is the endgame, but I sometimes use up too much time in the opening and I lose under time pressure. I want to build a opening repertoire based on sound lines so I can refine it as I improve and get to play stronger opposition. I am looking for lines that have a clear plan in mind.

As white I always play 1.d4 as I feel very comfortable with it because it seems to give me more control over the direction of the game.

As black, I play the Caro-Kann against 1.e4 but have been thinking of playing the somewhat classical 1...e5 (I do not like all the other lines, as I don't feel comfortable playing them). Any suggestions, practical advice, tips or book recommendations are appreciated.

However, I struggle to find a good response to d4 that suits me. The Grünfeld is pretty cool, but I am not that great of a tactical player and there is too much theory to learn. I feel like the King's Indian and Nimzo-Indian (I have to choose another entire opening line if white plays 3.Nf3, as if White's possible responses on move 3 aren't enough...) are also a lot of theory, too. It is pretty much the same reason why I don't play the Sicilian against 1.e4.

That leaves me with the Slav, Semi-Slav, Dutch and the Modern Benoni. What do you think, which one of them should I give a try? Or are there even other good alternatives?

Also, what can I play against some other lines, like 1.c4, 1.Nf3, or some fianchetto system?

I don't think the Nimzo requires as much theory as you think.  For instance against either 4. e3 or 4. Nf3 you can play the immediate 4...Bxc3+ without waiting for a3.  Another rule of thumb is only go for the ...d6 and ...e5 setup if White has played Nf3.  So if 4. Nf3 Bxc3+  5. bxc3 d6, but if 4. e3 Bxc3+  5. bxc3 b6.  Then you "just play chess" as is often said of Carlsen's style.

Against 1 d4, how about the Queen's Gambit Declined? It is not particularly rife with theory, is not dense with tactics or attacks and is a solid choice. You can also sidestep the Exchange Variation (which, in tandem with Nge2 is often seen to be White's most offensive try) with 3...Be7. 

I, personally, am a King's Indian player but, at my level, theory isn't quite so important (OTB, I usually play in scholastic tournaments - therefore, we typically leave theory on like move 3). On the occasions where I do find myself in a theoretical position, the ideas are fairly obvious: attack on the Kingside and, if there is time, restrain White's Queenside play. And, as I have learned through painful experience, if one ends up out of theory by move 4, avoid creating holes in your position and seek active central and/or kingside play. Passive play in the KID is almost always fatal.

One of the perks of the KID is that the basic setup also works against 1 c4 and 1 Nf3 openings, thus it serves as a sort of universal system in a sense.

But if the KID doesn't suit your tastes, then I would definitely recommend the QGD. The Slav (and Semi) are both good, but also rather dense with tactical possibilities in several lines. I have virtually no experience with the Dutch, so I have no clue what to say about it. And the Modern Benoni - well, it is definitely not for the lighthearted as White's kingside attack, especially in the 7 f4 lines, is quite unnerving to face.

And as a quick aside, if you do decide to pick up the QGD, do be careful of the Catalan. That is one opening you do not want to trifle with, especially if your opponent is well-versed in it.

In retrospect I like this recommendation

Absolutely spectacular game, abrahampenrose. Wonderful positional squeeze, followed by excellent queen "sac" (if you can actually call it that, since Black ends the sequence material up basically - assuming you take the Bishop pair as worth a total of 7 points), followed by more squeezing. If only all of my games could play out so naturally.

Actually, that game brought up one more good point: what to do if White deviates early into the London, Colle, Torre, Trompowsky etc. While I have faced those systems on occasion, I have never been particularly fond of them (I prefer sticking to main lines, even if I haven't covered all bases with regards to theory), as White typically shoots them out at 3 per second while I find myself stuck having to check everything after every move - next thing you know, you end up in the middlegame with half your time gone while your opponent has only used up 5 minutes. 

With that in mind, does anybody know a good source (preferably an opening manual of sorts) that has suggestions for Black against these systems?

If you enjoy the Caro-Kann usually you will get similar pawn structures in the Slav.

In fact, You should be able to respond as black with the same move 1...c6

Against 1.c4, 1.d4, and 1.e4

If I am not mistaken.

Yes, the pawn structures and many of the tactics in the Slav (as well as the semi-Slav to a degree) are similar to the ones in the Caro Kann, which the OP is already familiar with.  Another advantage of responding c6 to d4 is that at least half the time, White accepts the transposition to the Caro Kann. 

Thank you all for your responses. Yet somehow, this all leaves me a bit unsatisfied. The plans that arise from all these openings seem to be a bit unclear to me. 

The only openings that have a plan that I can grasp are probably the Nimzo-Indian and the Grünfeld. So maybe after all I should learn one of them although it takes some time. But playing 3.Nf3 avoids the Nimzo. I wonder what is the most sound reply here for black: The Queen's Indian, QGD, Bogo-Indian? And for the Grünfeld, can it be somehow avoided?

If you play the Nimzo-Indian then either the QID or the Bogo would be good.

I personally play the Caro-Kann and Slav. Against 1. c4 I play 1...c6. Against 1. Nf3 and most other options I play 1...d5.

There's not exactly a single plan in the Slav like in the Grunfeld, but it follows opening principles well and can be quite positional. Black's pieces get developed to natural squares and Black can often aim for the e6-e5 or c6-c5 pawn break in the mainlines. It's a lot like the Caro-Kann, so if you like that I would try the Slav.

I wrote an article about the London System.

Which is the link below:

http://www.chess.com/blog/X_PLAYER_J_X/london-system

It is not as bad as people make it out to be.

The pawn move d4 allows white the chance to get a fair share of the center space.

The only reason people call it passive is because white can be more ambitious with his pawns. He could be more aggressive in the center so to speak with like d4 and c4!

Since white moves first in the game he has the luxury of being more aggressive in the center.

If white choses not to be ambitious/aggressive in the center than the chess community considers it as being passive.

However, white position is solid and the passive-ness does come with some compensation in the form of allowing himself to play a very harmonious set up. White doesn't have to worry about a huge amount of theory which often happens in other openings.

White does have to be careful in some continuations. However, a well prepared London player can manage fairly well.

play the kings indian.

you can use that setup successfully against everything white does, including london system, colle, tromp etc

get the following books:

1. Play the King's Indian by Gallagher

2. David Bronstein on the King's Indian

3. King's Indian: A complete repertoire by Bologan

All three books can be found in pdf format if you look around. I know this because i have all of them ;)

The first two are game books, and the Bronstein book is especially good because he goes over his games from the white and black side of the opening.

Gallagher book is a little outdated, but its still really good as it has a bunch of sample games fitting the repertoire.

And if you dont like the lines suggested in Gallaghers book, you can go to Bologan's book and choose lines you like from there.

But just remember that at the 1500-2000 level, youll probably not play 100% mainline so knowing a bunch of theory might not always help so general ideas might be more helpful than learning 30 moves of Mar Del Plata.

This is an interesting thread, especially as questions have been asked about good sources rather than a quick recipe against a given setup by White. I will recommend a few books in a minute.

First, please allow me a few comments on what you say you are seeking:

1. As has been pointed out, there hardly ever is such a thing as a strategical win without tactics. So if they are your weak spot, by all means improve them!
2. I gather you want to make an attempt at improving each time you "get back into chess" To that end I firmly believe in classical openings, e.g. 1.e4 e5 and 1.d4 d5. Thus I like your idea of playing 1.e4 e5. Although admittedly there will be a fair share of tactics, it is incredible what e4 e5 openings can teach you about positional chess.
3. That said, I agree with the suggestion of playing the QGD. Somehow it always gets overlooked when people search for a repertoire option against 1.d4. The good point about this is that you can usually transpose to it after both 1.Nf3 d5 or 1.c4 e6 (or 1.c4 Nf6 2.{White move} e6). The only exceptions will be the KIA and the Réti proper, as in both cases White will refuse to play his d-pawn to d4. There's some theory but nothing you can't handle.

So to the meat of it - books:

• John Cox' "Declining the Queen's Gambit" discusses both the Tartakower and the Laker Defenses while also adressing the Catalan, the fashionable 5.Bf4 systems and the exchange variation. Cox uses illustrative games to explain the ideas behind the opening - something I appreciate as there's hardly a better way to get a feel for an opening than seeing full games played with it.
• The same author has written a book on all those nasty 1.d4 sidelines: "Dealing with 1.d4 Deviations". I have found Yelena Dembo's "Fighting the Anti-King's Indians" to be a very reliable set of systems for KID-, Grünfeld- and some extent Benoni-players. The King's Class of this part of openening theory however is Boris Avrukh's "Beating 1.d4 Sidelines", which has had several practitioners of said sidelines running back for the mainlines :-).
• Mihail Marin's "Beating the Open Games" and "A Spanish Repertoire for Black" constitute a very reliable and usuable repertoire. I learnt my e4 e5 stuff from there with great results after having avoided it for 20 years of playing chess.
• Unfortunately "Beating the Open Games" is sold out, but among several other great books on that topic I like "Bologan's Black Weapons", which offers a variety of choices against each white system, enabling you to tailor your repertoire according to your taste. Explanations are very accessible, especially as there is a +20pages chapter on strategical ideas at the beginning of the book. There's a complimentary book on the Ruy López due this year. Rumour has it the Breyer System will be at the heart of it.

@OP : if you want solid and like the endgame, then QGD and Slav are probably your best shots.

Thank you (especially Torkil!) all.

1. I just wanted to say that I do not feel that comfortable playing very sharp, tactical positions. I do solve tactical puzzles regularly on chesstempo.com, where I am currently rated 1615 (peak 1711). Earlier this year I practiced tactics 30 minutes every day for 6 weeks and I improved my rating from 1350 to 1550. When I started again a few weeks ago, the rating instantly went up to 1650+. I don't have that much time, but I still practice tactics regularly.

2. Of course I want to improve! ;) And yes, the Ruy Lopez can lead to really strategic struggles which is one of the main reasons I want to learen 1.e4 e5.

3. This suggestion sounds really interesting. I also don't know why I just dismissed it as a possibility. Maybe I can also play the Nimzo and if someone plays 3.Nf3, then go to the QGD? That is mainly because I cannot think of a great plan for Black if White plays the QGD exchange variation with Nge2 and f3 e4 ideas (I also play it on the white side with success).

There is also not that much stuff about the QGD online. Where can I find at least basic information about it so I can try to understand the basic concepts? I know very little about this opening since I always play the Exchange variation as White.

Thank you for the book recommendations, I will look into them :)

I personally have played several different lines through the course of my chess journey.

I will admit. I do play the Gruenfeld and KID against 1.d4.

I have played Caro-Kann and the Sicilian Najdorf against 1.e4.

I am no master in them of course.

However, I do get some nice positions from them which seem perfectly playable.

When I feel like playing positional I would lean more toward the Caro-Kann.

If you like the Caro-Kann structure than I would recommend the Slav or Semi-Slav with like c6 instead of the QGD with e6.

I think you will hugely like this.

If you like more dynamic chess and/or some more counter attacking chess. Than I would recommend Gruenfeld and the Sicilian.

Furthermore, There are different variations in the Sicilian.

My line of chose is the Najdorf as of yet.

However, The Sicilian does offer a little bit of everything. For different chess players. For example some lines which can be more positional in the sicilian are lines such as:

• Sicilian Kan variation

• Sicilian O'Kelly variation

• Sicilian Taimanov variation

• Sicilian Paulsen variation

Lines which have a nice mix of both position and aggressive are lines such as:

• Sicilian Classical variation

• Sicilian Accelerated Dragon variation

• Sicilian Schevenigen variation

Lines which have a lot more aggressive intentions are lines such as:

• Sicilian Dragon

• Sicilian Najdorf

Obviously these are lines in the Sicilian the Sicilian has over 20-30 different variations which most are playable.

I believe you could find something in there you like.

Furthermore, Even if you don't you always have other options such as the French Defense 1...e6.

The Kings Pawn game with 1...e5

Obviously you will never run out of lines lol. You only have to try and find the line you may love to play.

4...Bxc3+ is a horrible error, saving White a critical tempo.  Black should only do that when forced to via White wasting a move with a3.  Only line where that doesn't apply is the Hubner (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 c5 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nf3 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 d6 intending 8...e5).

As for Avoiding the Grunfeld:

3.g3 - Black can still execute a Grunfeld, but the lines with ...d5 are thought to be riskier than ...d6 against the fianchetto lines.

3.f3 - Many players that play the Saemisch against the King's Indian will frequently play this, and it even takes on the name of "Anti-Grunfeld"

1.c4 - The Anti-Grunfeld runs 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 (2...g6 allows White to avoid the grunfeld completely - 3.e4! d6 4.d4 is a KID) 3.cxd5 Nxd5 4.e4 Nxc3 5.dxc3 (5.bxc3 and White almost inevitably must play d4 at some point, which is a Grunfeld).

If you do intend to switch to the QGD after 3 Nf3 (i.e. 1 d4, Nf6 2 c4, e6 3 Nf3, d5), I will repeat the earlier warning and advise you to ensure you have something reliable against the Catalan (3 or 4 g3 in the above line). Defending the Black side of it is not a fun task and I have suffered many a defeat when White's space advantage, excellent coordination and g2 Bishop just grind me down in the endgame. It is mainly because of it that I switched to the KID.

My only problem with 1 e4 e5 is when White doesn't play 3 Bb5 - I used to often fall victim to "book" tactics in the Italian while playing in scholastic tournaments. I eventually tried the Petroff but would always meet 3 Nc3 and end up in a Four Knights. As a result, I made a complete switch to the Sicilian with the Caro as a back-up for days when I feel like something different.

For books/material about the QGD, in addition to what was suggested above, may I suggest Chess Explained The Queen's Gambit Declined by James Rizzitano (sorry, I am not sure how to attach a link for it). It doesn't provide a repertoire, but it does give a good overview about how the QGD typically pans out and explains opening and middlegame positions in a more general way than a normal repertoire book. I personally found it to be very useful in learning the QGD.