Beating 1. d4 - Any recommendations?

@20

King's Indian Defense is very risky.
Nimzovich Indian Defense is hard to play.
Queen's Gambit, either Declined, or Accepted, of Slav Defense are more natural.

The Modern Benoni is possibly the only realistic try if you have to win, unless you're aware of a particular weakness your particular opponent has. The reason is that the game is so completely unbalanced if white plays into it and if not, development is easy for black. Don't play 1. .... d5. That's an absolute no-no if you have to or want desperately to win. Some like 1. ... e6 but that just invites a French. So 1. ...Nf6.

Both are definite negatives. Black can't force a Nimzo Indian and the Queen's Indian is just about the most complex and difficult opening to play and white is on the front foot, whilst against the Nimzo white has too many options. Same with the King's Indian. It's no good at all until you've studied it for 5 years. Quite simply you wouldn't know what to do.

There's less theory in the Modern Benoni. It's more seat of the pants stuff.

That virtually loses btw. The Modern Benoni, not that rubbish. White has too many options to get an unbeatable position.

Seriously, what does this has to do with anything?

It's entirely obvious that I wasn't talking about this Grünfeld vs Gruenfeld vs Grunfeld stuff. I was talking about the fact that you randomly changed the name of the openings, putting in some words that are not there.

It is a fact that those openings have names, and you butchered those for no reason other than your own enjoyment.

@28

Nimzovich himself called it New Indian Defense, so Nimzovich Indian Defense is a fitting name as a tribute to him as per the reasonable request of his brother.

You throw history out of the window for no reason other than your own enjoyment.

You can't just rename an opening that already has a name. Just because it "is a fitting name", that doesn't matter. It already has a name. A name that everyone uses and understand. It's not for you to rename it.

I can and I do.

But most don't stick in the word "Indian" for the Grunfeld. It is known as the Grunfeld Defense, even though it falls in the category of Indian Defenses. It is like how 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 is not called the Queen's Gambit Slav. It is merely the Slav Defense, while the Queen's Gambit Declined is specifically 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6.

@32

Grünfeld Defense or Gruenfeld Defense (as in Chess Informant) is OK, but it is an Indian Defense: Nf6 and g6 like in Chaturanga.

Nimzo-Indian is disrespectful towards Nimzovich.

Bah, again, there is nothing official in openings names. All what happens when one uses a name that is not the most commonly used one, is to be misunderstand, thassal there is.

You don't beat d4. You don't beat e4. You don't beat Nf3.... You beat someone's middlegame blunder or endgame goofup.

I said it already at #15 and #16.

KID leads to a complex game with chances for both sides. It is an opening where one can learn a lot from wins and losses. If you want interesting games and to improve try KID.

It's not one where black has a mechanical attacking formation with one well trod plan of attack. For that try stonewall dutch. If you want to crush people at your level in blitz, try stonewall dutch.

All just my opinion--Bill

Try the Dutch with f5, Nf6, g6, Bg7, O-O. Also bring your queen to e8 and knight to d7 in an attempt to push for e5, perfect for aggressive players. The best part is that most of them aren't prepared for the f-pawn push!

If the OP has problems with 1...d5 sidelines, then going to have even more problems with more complicated openings. So would suggest improving what knows something about already.

Carlsen played several games with stonewall dutch, and had a course on chess24, Just curious what happened after chess24 demise, is the content available somewhere else now?

dutch