Best opening vs Queen's Gambit - unique situation

Hey all,

So, I'm looking for the *most sound* response as black to white opening with the queen's gambit. I've been playing the Albin but it isn't working anymore. Here's why:

The unique situation is that I play against my dad every morning. We're both around 1200-1300 rated players. When we play, he plays the Queens Gambit as white literally every time like a robot. If I play something new or different to counter him (for example the Albin), he inevitably goes to YouTube and looks up the perfect counter from Miudrag Perunovic or the like. 

So basically, for *repeated games of chess*, what is the most effective opening against the Queen's Gambit? Assume your opponent will look up a counter and implement it. 

So yes, given all that, what opening(s) would you recommend against white playing the queen's gambit?

Thank you for your time and taking the effort to respond 😊

Will depend on what variation of the Queen's Gambit he plays if you play d5. The narrowest amount of opening theory from the black side that isn't too complicated is I think to play the Queen's Gambit Accepted. If you as black choose to go for the Queen's Gambit Declined, you are going to have to put some work in looking at 5. Bf4 (Harrwitz attack), the Exchange Variation and Catalan looking lines where white plays an early g3.

Yeah, I played the Queen's Gambit accepted, he knows how to counter it perfectly unfortunately now and leave me at a disadvantage in the early game. It worked for a short time, but he looked up how to beat it and then just did that each time.

Which specific line is there that doesn't have an easy "counter" like the Albin counter gambit and queens gambit accepted do?

I don't mind studying, I just want something I can build a solid foundation off of that he can't just beat by looking up a YouTube video haha.

How about the sharp McDonnell variation of the queen's gambit accepted?

there are many ways your opponent can go wrong in this line!

In my eyes you have two options:

Learn an Indian Defense, NID/Benoni is probably your best option but Grunfeld or a more positional KID line are also decent in this situation.

Learn a QGD, Orthodox would be my first choice, but Cambridge Springs, Ragozin, and Slav are all very good options as well.

In your current situation unfortunately you’re going to have to play far more positionally than you would like, unless you’d like to lose out of the opening or face deep engine Mar del Plata lines in the KID or theoretical draws in the Semi-Slav.

I really don’t think any of these lines are worth worrying about at all. 4… Be7 is a terrible line as Black (as shown by White’s phenomenal stats in the Harrwitz), the Exchange Variation is played by those who want simple, easy play, not by those who study theory and play the same opening religiously, and the same somewhat applies to the Catalan. That’s the only one I actually think has a chance of occurring, and against that I’d recommend that OP just plays c6 b6 Bb7 and play solidly and counter the Catalan bishop rather than trying to push for an advantage.

You should try the benko, It is very solid and gives alot of chances to win.

But the d5 classic response is the slav defense. Deadly effective.

There is also the QGD but g3 straight up transposes into a catalan... And the catalan is like hyper bad for black

I don't allow the Queen's Gambit. Sure, White can play 2.c4, but it's not a Queen's Gambit if Black hasn't played 1...d5 or some subsequent transposition with ...d5, like 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 is a Queen's Gambit Declined.

But I answer 1...e6, and only after 2.e4 or 2.Nc3 do I answer 2...d5. The former is a French. The latter is a Jobava Attack if 3.Bf4 and French if 3.e4.

Otherwise, I play 2...f5. 1.d4 e6 2.c4 f5 is the Dutch Defense, not the Queen's Gambit.

Hi!

I would suggest you to play what better suits your style. Take the games with your father as a challenge to learn the opening you like the most. You know he will be playing the best lines then it will be an excellent opening training for both. But opening theory has a limit no matter the source he checks, then try to beat him in the middle game or in the endgame.

Perhaps best if you choose openings with not so much theory involved, or that are not so sharp. Have you tried the Chebanenko/Camaleon Slav?

Just in case you are interested in building an opening repertoire, check out my posts:

https://www.chess.com/blog/maafernan/openings-for-intermediates

https://www.chess.com/blog/maafernan/a-solid-opening-repertoire-for-speed-chess

Good luck!

no, always consider the most challenging lines for white

Sounds like you and your dad are in an arms race of sorts...The QGA is perfectly sound. Maybe you have to look deeper rather than broader. I assure you that if you have a disadvantage early on, the fault is yours and not the QGA :-)

I play the Queens Gambit as white and it is the line I least like facing. Besides 1...d5 is excellent against the London/Colle/Stonewall crowd IMO.

There is much to be said with sticking to a sound system. I have chopped and changed myself too much over the years. There comes a point I think when it is best to just concentrate on several openings.

I would never consider the QGA perfectly sound, instead I would consider it almost sound but dubious. Just looking at the board after 3. e4 makes me wonder whether or not Black has any prospects at all. White has full control of the center and will be up two tempi of development after Bxc4, which isn’t even a bad square for the knight, and will be ready to castle after Nf3. Meanwhile, Black has… a semi-open d-file… I guess, and the rest of this worse middlegame to figure out how to use it.

The advice of ThrillerFan above is pretty sound. It's your best bet to take him out of his comfort zone, though it will require more study on your part. Or you could play 1...e6, 2...Nf6 and then c5 to head toward the Modern Ben-Oni--another big mess that will drag him out of his comfort zone.

I don’t quite think the Dutch is really the best way to play against someone who uses Miodrag Perunovic prep, considering that Mio has extensively covered the Dutch. I agree with the Modern Benoni, but I would add the caveat that against 3. Nc3, the Nimzo-Indian is much better, without essentially any theoretical forcing lines.

this is crazy talk. id say 3.e4 is the worst of the 3 options and black gets great play with 3.e5

Albin doesn't have the best stats. Englund gambit hartlaub charlick variation isn't objectively sound, but is super easy to learn from Igor's chess academy video and I've been 2:1 CRUSHING 1.d4 with it and even grabbed a londonder premover's free bishop with it. As an added bonus, you can keep your albin as a sideline. I want to learn it myself as I've always wanted to play it, but despise the idea of having to fianchetto in its sidelines.

Watch the video and just test drive the hartlaub charlick, and transpose to albin when opponents rarely play 2.c4 already secure in what you already know. If it doesn't work, play a boring toothless system instead... I mean "sound" line. Why the eff are QUIET lines called sound? Talk about oxymorons!

Me? Hartlaub charlick is the ONLY line ive ever enjoyed as black and just love the pressure, the traps, and ESPECIALLY the open center and mobility that is the exact opposite of the stonewall straight jacket.

If you play the albin, you like tactics and don't mind risk. You'll get that with much better results with MINIMAL PREP!

Even when things don't go according to plan in it, there's time to regroup and chose another target, like the attacking flexibility of Smith morra. Just TRY IT before you dismiss it. You can thank me later