Seeking help for my 1.Nf3 project

Hello everyone,

I am currently planning to make a whole white repertoire for 1.Nf3 from scratch. I have been working with my strong chess friends and my IM chess coach on this white opening and my goal is to have this whole thing up and ready so I can make a smooth transition from being a 1.c4 player to a 1.Nf3 player.

What I am asking basically is if you (the community of chess.com) would like to help me find out the answers to some of the most troubling black responses in the system I am trying to recommend for myself. Your contributions would be greatly appreciated and if you would like to view the finished product as a whole than I could post the lines here on chess.com or by other means like e-mail.

I know a great person to look up would be Kramnik and his games.  Thanks in advance for all those who care to help a fellow chess player in need!

A little test for you:

1.Nf3 c5

A) 2.e4

B) 2.c4

C) 2.g3

1.Nf3 Nf6

A) 2.c4

B) 2.d4

C) 2.g3

1.Nf3 Nc6

A) 2.e4

B) 2.c4

C) 2.g3

No wrong/right answers.

My answers.

1.C 2.C 3C

I am a little confused about this post. But if it refers to me picking the lines I would prefer as white I would say the following:

For 1.Nf3 c5 I would pick B: 2.c4. For 1. Nf3 Nf6 I would say A: 2.c4. For 1.Nf3 Nc6 I would say B: 2.c4 only because 2.d4 is not on that list.

Has your coach recommended Khalifman's excellent Opening for White According to Khalifman?

It answers all of your questions in five easy volumes!

No he did not, but instead of buying 5 separate volumes I would think it would be much more beneficial to look for the answers through independent study and asking around for answers when I run into a brick wall. But I will keep that series in mind for the project.

Soon I will post lines I have already found to be troubling my repertoire. Thanks SmyslovFan for your suggestion!

Sorry, as pellik pointed out, I wrote the wrong name.

You claim you want to do this by independent study, but instead make it a group project for chess.com?  That detracts from the expertise you would have had from Khalifman without the benefit of learning this for yourself by true independent study.

why are you switching from c4 to nf3? what did you not like about 1. c4? I personally believe 1. c4 is more flexible because you haven't commited your g1 knight as it might be more useful on e2. 

I loled at this! 

In any event 1.Nf3 is flexible and you can transpose to queenpawn systems, English, Nimzo-Larsen, and has so much flexibility.  Also, with the King's English you could play a reversed dragon, and Petrosian played positions like this. 

Moving a pawn is more flexible than moving a knight? Hardly ever so and this is not the exception.

Nf3 prevents e5 and thus makes it harder for black to achieve their preferred anti-English setup.
c4 can be answered with c5 and a symmetrical English which is not too theoretical. Nf3 c5 can be answered with 2. e4 and a transposition to the Sicilian (even if you don't play it, the sheer possibility makes life harder for your opponent)
c4 c6 pretty much forces either a Slav or a Caro setup. Nf3 c6 leaves you a few more options (try a queenside fianchetto for example)

Nf3 can be used either for the English opening, the King Indian Attack or (if your opponents choose a setup where they are possible) to a queen pawn opening or an Open Sicilian. The point is that you try to get black to commit (move a central pawn) first and THEN choose your development plan.

Or at least that's the way I play the opening. I do find it highly recommendable, though.

if someone is playing c5 against nf3 they most likely also play sicilian.  i am sure people are aware of the move order trick into sicilian. nf3 prevents e5...uh so what?  Most english players like seeing e5, so this isnt relevant.  what do you mean symmetrical english is not theoretical? first of all white can just play d4 at the appropriate time and get into maroczy and then its symmetrical in name only and there are other sharp lines if black plays e6 or g6.  c4 c6...you can still queenside fiancetto in these lines too.  

Kings indian attack gives black easy play; it's not even critical. Essentially nf3 avoids e5 yes but this is not something that needs to be avoided lol.  However, the price is you can't put your knight on e2 where it might be better placed in some lines.  Also have fun hitting your head against the hedgehog with 1. nf3

Kypromancer appears to understand where I am coming from. I don't like some of the positions I get when I play c4 e5. So that is the main reason why I switched to 1.Nf3. My coach wanted me to learn the catalan but I don't want to play 1.d4. So 1.Nf3 provides for me a nice ability to play both english positions and catalan positions.

can you give me an example of a position you don't like from c4 e5?  I am interested since I play 1. c4 often.

Also the catalan has a lot of positional subtleties that you have to understand; it is probably unsuitable for most players who aren't masters not sure why your coach is recommending it.

Ok so the first question I have for all you guys is what to do in the following line: 

I found this hard for white to handle. He either needs to take on d7 and reach a possibly equal endgame or go back to d1 and after black player Nc6, 0-0-0 and e5 it seems the queens could be off again since white will probably need to take on e5 and expose a queen trade.

I find the positions that occour in the reversed open sicillian to be annoying.

1.c4 e5

2.nc3 nf6

3.nf3 nc6

4.g3 d5

5. cd nxd5

6. bg2 nb6

I don't know lines if white can hold a serious advantage in later continuations.

The line you give shouldn't be annoying.  You just have to play slowly and improve your pieces. You should expect slower games rather than wild tactical complexities when you play nf3 or c4.  

You are mostly arguing my points here:

- if someone is playing c5 against nf3 they most likely also play sicilian.  i am sure people are aware of the move order trick into sicilian.
=> Yes. Which means that they will be avoiding c4 c5 unless they are ready to play sicilian. If you see Nf3 c5 you get to decide whether to go sicilian or english. The point is not that the move is objectively best, the point is that you have a greater say in the kind of position that is going to be played.

- what do you mean symmetrical english is not theoretical? first of all white can just play d4 at the appropriate time and get into maroczy and then its symmetrical in name only and there are other sharp lines if black plays e6 or g6.
=> Playing against a Maroczy setup is not what I consider very theoretical. The sharp lines appear when black makes a choice to go there. Which is once again the kind of control I am trying to retain.

Also there are matters of personal preference where I don't really want to argue points. At my level being familiar/comfortable with a position is much more important than a theoretical edge.

does anyone have an answer to this post?

Hard to handle?  It's equal.  Anyway I used to reach that position when I opened with 1.c4 and IIRC you're not supposed to try and win back the pawn right away on move 5 like that... in fact in some lines you just keep developing normally and don't win it back for a long time (if black tries b5).

It seems quite unlogical to me when you play g3 in combination with c4. You will have to get out with your queen to retrieve the pawn or you will go for it using your bishop. Hence, I would suggest that when you play g3 you will not play c4 early in the game. I consider c4 the breaking move of that position. If everything is well in place, you can play c4. Until that time, wait and prepare.