What a beginner should play against 1.d4

1.e4 has proved more instructive for me than 1.d4.

What defense will develop my chess skills more after my opponent plays 1.d4, 1...d5 or 1...Nf6? I've been playing 1...Nf6, preventing 2.e4. So far, I like it.

It doesn't really matter. Beginners don't play 1.d4 anyway...

I prefer 1...g7

I enjoy playing Nf6 because you have flexibility. The Indian defenses are pretty solid, or you can play the benoni/benko which are riskier counterattacks. The Dutch (f5) is also pretty strong and can be aggressive or quiet depending on how you play it.

Ofter recommended for improving players are the tarrasch QG(1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5) and the albin countergambit(1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5!?) Both leads to open and relatively "e4-like" games.

Tarrasch pro: the same setup works against everything apart e4. Instructive since it teach you how to play isolated queen pawn positions.

cons:not as intuitive as the albin, you need some practice before using it with confidence.

Albin counter pro: very easy to play at a basic level. Nice introducing articles avaiable for free online (i can give you the link if you are interested).

cons: doens't work against 2.Nf3, probably less instuctive in the long term.

That said, playing 1...d5 and just develop is probably good enough to start. Don't worry, time for theory will come much later!

I agree with the QGD Tarrasch setup. Good choice & very instructional. Don't fear the iso!

Thanks for the tips guys !

As a kid I truly hated the 1.d4 d5 openings. My only opening book explained the King's Indian against d4. As soon as I understood that a bit I played it exclusively. It was brutal sometimes, but I picked up a lot from it. After a while I did pretty well with it. I rarely lost with black against 1.d4 

As it is I still rather hate 1.d4 d5 openings. If I can I will play the KID, the Benoni or the Dutch, or pretty much anything that will liven up the play. If you're like that, it really doesn't matter if you're a beginner or not. Just dig in an opening and do it, if you like it.  

d this...e that... Why not just focus on taking control of the center?

Queen's Gambit Declined! I not only think it's instructive, but easy to play.  I am not a great player, but Neil MacDonald's Starting Out: The Queen Gambit Declined I found to be awesome.  Just what I needed to get started

Yes,good idea. But this is usually archieved by playing either "d this" or "e that" 

But if you meant that applying general principles should be enough, then i'm with you. Theory is not nearly as important as generally tought. 

In my early days I also had a bit of a phobia of defending 1.d4, and what I found helped me was just picking an answer and sticking with it for a while. I think the key is finding an opening that leads to the kinds of games that you enjoy playing.

I hated d4 because it lead to closed, awkward games with a lot to remember. That's why I now play the leningrad dutch (f5, with a view to an early kingside fianchetto).

I can't claim to play it particularly well, and I desperately need to study it in more depth, but generally speaking, the leningrad setup prevents the game from becoming one of those horrible locked pawn staring contests that queens pawn games often turn into. Basically, I've found that just having a system I can use that I know will get me a game I recognise that isn't TOO unpleasant to play has given me a lot more confidence against 1.d4 openings, and that is the most important thing. It's easy for a beginner to see 1.d4 and feel like they've lost already, so just make sure you find an opening that keeps your confidence up. As long as you have that, it probably doesn't matter too much which opening you pick.

One word of advice: If you are hoping to avoid closed positions, remember its the leningrad dutch you want to play, not the stonewall dutch!

The first defense against d4 that I was able to use with success was Lasker's Defense.  It's fairly straightforward, has a lot of exchanges, and can get you to an endgame fairly easily against non-master competition.  I had troubles in trying to win with it, though.  I didn't start winning against d4 until I learned the KID, but that is a fairly sophisticated line--just like the Gruenfeld and Benoni.  I recommend getting your feet under yourself first with something simple.  Learn the crazy stuff later.

Either the Slav or Queen's Gambit Accepted. The Old Benoni is not bad either.

 Of course I am talking about principles.

This "usually achieved" says little. Tell me about it, though, because I am d4e4...that is positional (and not necessarily in that order).

"Usually" leaves out much. Nothing wrong with Nc3 or Nf3 or this or that...

Too much "line" talk. Worry about taking control of the center.

Play the stonewall

I've heard from several good sources that to start out, you should play e4 e5, and/or d4 d5. There's so much to learn about how a game flows, how to use control of the center, how to use piece activity...the list goes on. 

The Dutch defense (which I play, and have done well with) can be dangerous to the point of being lethal to a player who can't deal with anti-dutch lines. One sensible-looking move can lose the game in a few moves. You really have to be very aware of what's going on to not dig yourself into a very deep hole. I wouldn't recommend this starting out.

The King's Indian Defense and other hypermodern openings do involve control of the center, but you control it with pieces from the flank. It's easy to get into trouble, and it's a very different kind of game. I wouldn't recommend it right off the bat either, but it's probably better than Dutch.

These other options just seem more likely to get you into trouble unless you spend a lot of time on them, and that time would be better spent on other things at the beginner level.

it depends on any black openings with e4. If you play say the caro kann or french,, maybe you can transpose e.x. d4 e6 e4 d5.

good question . hmmmmmmmmmmmm

Thank you. I'm simply looking for the most bang for my buck, as in instructive chess positions for the beginning chess player.

So far, I have discovered the following:

1. Opening the game with 1.e4, NOT 1.d4, is so much better for me. With both the f1-a6 and d1-h5 diagonals free and clear at the start for my bishop and queen, I am learning how to attack. I can also castle faster than if I opened with 1.d4, thus bringing my king to safety sooner.

I'm getting to exercise what I am learning from tactics trainer more with 1.e4, especially when Black gives me the opportunity to play the King's Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4), the Scotch (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6) or the Scotch Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4). The Scotch Gambit/Italian Game is a really great position for exercising both attacking chess and tactics (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bc5), as well as the Scotch Gambit/Two Knights Defense (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Nf6). All of these opening lines above are extremely fun and challenging for the beginning chess player. 

2. With Black, I have discovered that playing 1...e5 after 1.e4 is best for the beginning/improving chess player. I get to see what the King-Pawn opening looks like with the Black pieces, and I know better what to look for, and what to avoid, since I open with 1.e4 all of the time now.

After I play 1.e4, do I see Black playing 1...d5 (The Scandinavian) at the beginning level? Yes. The Scandinavian is absolutely THE most popular response at my skill level after 1.e4, far more popular than 1...c5 (The Sicilian) or 1...e6 (The French), or 1...c6 (The Caro-Kann). I'm not sure why, but it is.

I finally found a local chess club for OTB! These guys are really into chess, with chess clocks, roll-up tournamnet size chess boards, AND U.S.C.F. rated chess tournaments once a month!! This one player loves to play the Philidor, even though he doesn't know the name of the opening. I am very happy to see Mr. Philidor, as after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6, I get to push a second center pawn two squares with 3.d4! He is not familiar with 3.d4, and I am more than happy to play it, freeing both of my bishops for easy development.

I'll just need to trust you on this, as the more experienced player, that after 1.d4, I will learn more as a beginning chess player by playing 1....d5, NOT 1...Nf6.

I know the Nimzo-Indian Defense (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4), the Old Benoni (1.d4 c5), the Modern Benoni (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5) and the Benko Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5), however, at my level, when White plays 1.d4, I hardly see 2.c4, but mostly 2.Nf3 and 3.Nc3. It's not a fun line, but I can't prevent White from doing it after 1.d4 d5. The one plus to The Old Benoni Defense is that it does put a stop to that three knights nonsense with 1.d4 c5.

It will be very cool to see 1.d4 and 2.c4 after I play 1.d5, starting the game with the Queen's Gambit. I almost always followed 1...d5 with 2.c4 when I was a 1.d4 player.