Need help vs. 1.c4 e6 2.e4

A friend of mine has been playing 1.c4 e6 2.e4 against me and it is a bit more annoying than I realized mainly because it seems to transpose into lines outside of my repertoire. It seems to me that there are two sensible replies: 2...d5 and 2...c5.

Now as black I play the QGD and I use the same setup against the English starting with 1...e6 and 2...d5. However after 1.c4 e6 2.e4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.d4 we're now in a sideline in the French Exchange. I don't play the French against 1.e4 I play 1...e5. After 1.c4 e6 2.e4 c5 3.Nf3 he usually follows up with d4 in a move or two and we end up in some Sicilian Maroczy Bind, which is also outside my repertoire since I don't play the Sicilian.

Is there anyway to punish his unusual move order? I really don't want to have to learn something like the Maroczy Bind just to deal with this oddball opening. Should I just play the French sideline?

The French sideline is okay because it's objectively equal for black. But what about playing 1...Nf6 as black? That stops e4. After this you can play 2...e6 en 3....d5. Or is there some sort of issue with this move order that I don't know of?

1.Nf6 is a good way to start, but there is a move order problem for my repertoire in that I would have to learn the Trompowsky: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 which is a fairly major line.

As u said it is a minor line, no need to know the french.

1.c4 e6 2.e4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.d4 just goes into a IQP position, what's the problem playing against it?

Just learn how to play IQP positions, useful to improve your chess, because it is an essential structure.

1.c4 e6 2.e4 c5 is indeed another approach but if u don't play sicilian, then not a good idea, it is more rich than the exchange french with c4.

Another idea would be 1.c4 e6 2.e4 b6 which leads to english defence (usually defined by b6/e6 against d4/c4), which is a bit more complicated than QGD ^^

The_Lone_Deranger пишет: A friend of mine has been playing 1.c4 e6 2.e4 against me and it is a bit more annoying than I realized mainly because it seems to transpose into lines outside of my repertoire. It seems to me that there are two sensible replies: 2...d5 and 2...c5. Now as black I play the QGD and I use the same setup against the English starting with 1...e6 and 2...d5. However after 1.c4 e6 2.e4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.d4 we're now in a sideline in the French Exchange. I don't play the French against 1.e4 I play 1...e5. After 1.c4 e6 2.e4 c5 3.Nf3 he usually follows up with d4 in a move or two and we end up in some Sicilian Maroczy Bind, which is also outside my repertoire since I don't play the Sicilian. Is there anyway to punish his unusual move order? I really don't want to have to learn something like the Maroczy Bind just to deal with this oddball opening. Should I just play the French sideline?

Just play d5 and he will either get an isolated pawn without having enough development to compensate for the weak structure (if he takes twice on d5) or an equal position (if he goes exd5, exd5, d4. I also would really prepare my pieces before taking on c5, since an isolated d pawn can be very dangerous).

Thanks for the help guys. I think going into that French Exchange line is the ticket. The position is fairly open (which I like) and it's easy to develop my pieces. I guess it's not like I'm going into a major line like a Winawer or something. I really don't like playing the Sicilian as black let alone the Maroczy Bind so that eliminates the c5 option; not that there's anything wrong with playing the Sicilian obviously. I just feel more comfortable with classical openings.

I guess I thought there might be some way to refute his weird move order. I suppose it's toothless but playable which is fine; instant equality as black is good enough for me.

Although I said that position is equal, you REALLY need to know how to play against an isolated d-pawn to keep it equal if he takes on d5. It can honestly be scary sometimes, the knight on e5, the rook lift, the two bishops, the constant worry of a nxf7 tactic, it can be difficult to play against an isolated d pawn (it of course depends on the position)

1.c4 e6 2.e4 e5 is not too bad, albeit un-Frenchlike.  See also 1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.e4 e5.

I will play this as white.

Here is a line for black you can probably use to make an easy draw if you'd like... maybe will make your friend try something else:

In the 7.cxd5 sideline I show (ending with 9.Bb3) I sometimes see black play c6, Nb8-d7-f6 just focusing on owning d5. Maybe this is good in some positions, but here it gives white a lot of time to activate pieces and get threats going, so don't do that.

Be more active e.g. Bg4, Nc6, Bf6 (focusing on d4 instead). In the IQP white wants active pieces, not to be forced to defend and close the e file with Be3 for example.

Anyway, this might not be to your taste, but good luck.