How to play against 1. c4?

The Maroczy was considered hazerdous for black, quite a long time ago! Since then, Black can has found ways to break the bind, and can get a fine position against the Maroczy if he knows what he's doing. Plenty of decent players specialise in these setups on the black side.
Greg Shahade is one example, who used it to draw against GM Shabalov last year:

Randomemory, the Dutch is fine against the English.  You just have to know the tricks that are available to white with c4 played instead of having committed to d4.

The Leningrad setup can be played against either one without problem.  It will often transpose to 1.c4 e5 lines with an early f5 since Black will typically play f5, Nf6, g6, Bg7, d6, and e5.

The lines with 2...e6, Black must know when it's appropriate to play ...d5, and when it's not.  Many times, he has to be willing to take on a classical setup (Black pawns on d6, e6, and f5, preparing ...e5).  To play "stereotypical" moves in the Dutch, virtually not paying attention to White is doing, and yes, those Anglo-Dutch lines will kill you.  However, 1.c4 f5 is not any stronger for White than any other "normal" position after Black's first move (i.e. e4 e5 or d4 d5 or f4 d5 or e4 c6, etc.)

FlintEastwood wrote:

The Maroczy was considered hazerdous for black, quite a long time ago! Since then, Black can has found ways to break the bind, and can get a fine position against the Maroczy if he knows what he's doing. Plenty of decent players specialise in these setups on the black side.Greg Shahade is one example, who used it to draw against GM Shabalov last year:

Shahade used a modified Symagin System. Symagin was a Russian analyst who proposed his system to break the Maroczy in the 1950's.

I think most players preparing to play c4 expect to get the english opening therefore I like to play the Caro Kann c4 c6.
most c4 players at club level does not count on facing c6.

When your opponent plays 1.c4, wait till he's not looking, then reach across the board, pick up the c pawn and put it in your pocket. 

There are countless ways to get a playable game against 1.c4. The English may transpose into a Sicilian, and if Black plays 1...e5, it often becomes a Sicilian Reversed.

But Black can equally play it as a Q-side opening. 1...Nf6, 2....e6, 3....d5 is quite common. Just be aware that 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.e4 d5 creates the Mikenas attack after 4.e5!? Vladimir Kramnik and Hikaru Nakamura have both tried this as Black very recently.

Another way to play that is much less sharp, but requires knowledge of the Slav defense and the Caro-Kann Panov-Botvinnik variations: 1.c4 c6. This is extremely popular among strong players.

Yet another option is to play in King's Indian style. It sometimes transposes to the Maroczy bind which has already been discussed, but that's Black's choice.

Isn't it fair to say though that there are plenty of positions where black can go to a worse endgame but still have good chances to hold a draw? If it's a Tabiya yet IMs and GMs are still using it to draw then it must be playable right?

That makes total sense, of course. Although I do sometimes remember Kasparov's advice: don't be scared about not knowing an opening as well as Kasparov, becuase you are also not playing Karpov! I guess it's a fine balancing act, knowing when such a position could be playable and when it's just too risky.

Anyway, to get back on topic, what line do you suggest to your students to play against the Maroczy? I don't actually play it as black but I get it as white sometimes and am curious to know what is considered black's best try these days.

I'M TRYING TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT SO I'LL GET BACK IF I LEARN SOMETHING... but as far as i can see it's like totally a different game altogether. Met a bloke who reckons it's wicked for angles....so, I'm trying toplay with that spirit of looking for tricky stuff!!

I like e6 and d5 because here you can change the openint into queen's gambit  declined

if your opponet plays the english most likely they are an extremely good positional player and know what they are doing probabley the best way to play is 1.nf6 so that white gets tempted into playing d4 where it would be normal queens pawn games

all these transpositions are fine an dandy, except for the fact almost no english players I face play 2.d4, they play it to avoid d4 theory and just go for g3, nc3 etc.

Ive taken a liking to the dubious 1..b5 just to mess with them, since i hate the english so much.

Just play c5 and get f5 in before their f4, it will annoy them...

Also annoying is e6 followed by d5 moving into a QG

What's the highest rated victim you've felled with this, and at what time control?

This is indeed a reasonable system, but if White plays 1.c4 e5 2.g3 d6 3.d4! is very good, but so is transposing via 3.Bg2 f5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.d3 c6 6.e4, when your plan lacks bite.

Belated thanks for the example games.

How's this: 1.c4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6! 5.b3 Bg4. This line is reminiscent of the London/New York/Lasker system that gives Black equality in old ECO. Black can also choose 5...Bf5 with equality. 

Here's one game that illustrates Black's basic plan.

A video on here recommends an interesting system:

Its like a reverse alapin sicilian, theres a range of moves but things seem to often get pretty sharp, nice way to spice things up.

I suggest 1...c5 and go for a hedgehog formation with pawns on a6, b6, d6 and e6. Try and trade off the c pawn for white's d pawn to get an open file for the rook on a8. Sergey Shipov has an excellent 2 volume book series called "The Complete Hedgehog". Volume one deals primarily with how to play against 1.c4.

good idea!