2 c3 is interesting......with a view playing a Stonewall with the queen bishop outside the pawn chain eg 1d4 d5 2c3 Nf6 3 Bg5 or 1d4 d5 2c3 e6 3Nd2 followed at some stage by Bg5 and f4....
White is playing as "black" with useful type of waiting move....not as good as 2c4 of course but a little surprising. I recently got a better postion against a higher rated player in a rapid play game recently before losing it :-)
How about the Catalan? :P (1.d4 d4 2. c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3) It is a very positional opening in nature but its not fully "closed" (4...dxc4 is the Open Catalan)
I've never played the Catalan, but I know it's a solid opening, solid enough to beat Topalov, at least ;) I'll definitely try it out, but I was also hoping for an opening to avoid 2. c4 as white, as the Catalan seems to depend a bit on black's moves.
I've had some fun with the Torre Attack on occasion.
I've been meaning to try that, along with the colle system. I used to love playing the stonewall attack, but I've heard it's not sound.
There are a lot of similarities. I like the Torre a little better because it gets the queen bishop active outside the pawns. A logical but lackadaisical defense by black can give white the opportunity for some quick attacks. It can also be a surprise alternative to some QG defenses while still leaving open transpositional possibilities early (if you choose to play c4 later than move 2).
Bro the last post was from over 12-13 years ago.
But an alternative to the Queen's Gambit could be (for white) 2.) Qa4+ (Queen from d4 to a4 checking the black king, while also threatening/attacking the black pawn on c4).
Also, playing the move (for white) e4 with the white pawn, protecting the pawn on d4 from being captured/taken by the black queen on d8.
Can you play the knight from on g1 to f3, also protecting the pawn on e4 from the black queen? Or play the knight from b1 to a3, threatening to capture/take the black pawn on c4? Could you also play the white pawn on b2 to b3, which also threatens to capture/attack the black pawn on c4?
Psuedo-Catalan.
There is probably nothing better after 1. d4 d5 than the QG, but there are lots of other things to play. Why anyone would is beyond me.
There is probably nothing better after 1. d4 d5 than the QG, but there are lots of other things to play. Why anyone would is beyond me.
I just never got around to learning it. I'm planning to, but I started by learning everything there was to know in e4 e5, then I learned the Indian Defenses, now I'm learning the Sicilian, and then after that I'll learn the QG and QPOs.
There is probably nothing better after 1. d4 d5 than the QG, but there are lots of other things to play. Why anyone would is beyond me.
I just never got around to learning it. I'm planning to, but I started by learning everything there was to know in e4 e5, then I learned the Indian Defenses, now I'm learning the Sicilian, and then after that I'll learn the QG and QPOs.
You must have a lot of free time on your hands! For those who think Q-pawn openings are simpler, there is the nest of Indian Defenses which make the Sicilian look simple.
There is probably nothing better after 1. d4 d5 than the QG, but there are lots of other things to play. Why anyone would is beyond me.
I just never got around to learning it. I'm planning to, but I started by learning everything there was to know in e4 e5, then I learned the Indian Defenses, now I'm learning the Sicilian, and then after that I'll learn the QG and QPOs.
You must have a lot of free time on your hands! For those who think Q-pawn openings are simpler, there is the nest of Indian Defenses which make the Sicilian look simple.
Definitely used to. Not so much anymore. Yeah I tried studying the KID and the Botvinnik Semi--Slav once and... no. I'll stick to my Benko Gambit repertoire against QP any day of the week.
There is probably nothing better after 1. d4 d5 than the QG, but there are lots of other things to play. Why anyone would is beyond me.
I just never got around to learning it. I'm planning to, but I started by learning everything there was to know in e4 e5, then I learned the Indian Defenses, now I'm learning the Sicilian, and then after that I'll learn the QG and QPOs.
You must have a lot of free time on your hands! For those who think Q-pawn openings are simpler, there is the nest of Indian Defenses which make the Sicilian look simple.
Definitely used to. Not so much anymore. Yeah I tried studying the KID and the Botvinnik Semi--Slav once and... no. I'll stick to my Benko Gambit repertoire against QP any day of the week.
I have no idea what any of that means. :/
There is probably nothing better after 1. d4 d5 than the QG, but there are lots of other things to play. Why anyone would is beyond me.
I just never got around to learning it. I'm planning to, but I started by learning everything there was to know in e4 e5, then I learned the Indian Defenses, now I'm learning the Sicilian, and then after that I'll learn the QG and QPOs.
You must have a lot of free time on your hands! For those who think Q-pawn openings are simpler, there is the nest of Indian Defenses which make the Sicilian look simple.
Definitely used to. Not so much anymore. Yeah I tried studying the KID and the Botvinnik Semi--Slav once and... no. I'll stick to my Benko Gambit repertoire against QP any day of the week.
I have no idea what any of that means. :/
The King's Indian Defense (KID) and the Botvinnik variation of the Semi-Slav Defense both have a reputation for having theory stretching all the way into the endgame. My Benko Gambit repertoire (involving the London system, Benko Accepted, Benko Half-Accepted, Benko Declined, Blumenfeld Countergambit, and Old Benoni) is my current response when my opponent plays 1. d4 as White.
The Queen's Gambit has been my bread and butter for a while now as white, and while I still love the opening, I was wondering if there are any good alternatives I could check out for white after 1. d4 d5? Preferably something similar the the Queen's Gambit (closed/positional) to fit my playing style?