What is Black’s sharpest response to 1. d4?

Benko Gambit 100%.

And I like the Englund there are several playable lines.

But I don't do this stuff I like slow games... I go Nimzo, keep it normal and boring

I myself play the Dutch and assure you it is not the sharpest of all defenses to d4. More in the middle somewhere.

If someone pointed a gun to my head and asked me what the sharpest line that starts 1.d4 is, I'd probably say it would be between the Anti-Moscow Variation and the Botvinnik Variation of the Semi-Slav. Both start 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5.

The Anti-Moscow is now 5...h6 6.Bh4.

The Botvinnik is now 5...dxc4.

I myself played the latter when I was in my mid-20s. Too old for that garbage now!

I'd have to agree with ThrillerFan here, it's likely a Semi-Slav, be it the Meran, Anti-Moscow, or Botvinnik, but I could also see it being one of the more complex QGD variations or the Mar del Plata KID.

The reason I do not consider the Englund Gambit "sharp" is because to me, sharp and stupid are not synonymous. The Englind is a 1 trick pony. White doesn't fall for your dumb trap and you are good as dead.

As far as your other post, good for you if you can keep up with all that Botvinnik theory. I am simplifying my Opening repertoire at 49 and entering my older years, not trying to complicate it. Trompowsky/Levitsky, Petroff, Dutch, French. No Botvinnik Semi-Slav for me. Played that from both sides back when I was 25.

Preach!

Yeah Black really is playing for a draw in the Botvinnik, it's just he can get it if he knows what he's doing.

By no means did Black play the "main line", but if his idea was to try to get me on time in a 3-minute game, figuring I wouldn't know what to do, he was sadly mistaking.

Here's what 1.d4 e5?? looks like:

https://www.chess.com/game/live/129408810801

I never played d4-d5 as black, so I dont know anything about those. But outside of that complex, I'd put my money on the modern benoni. Oh boy.

Depends really at what you are looking; i think you can get sharp games from pretty much any system, but probably the ones that *tend* the most to be sharp are things like the Semi-Slav, King's indian, and Benoni, maaaybe the Grünfeld also. You also have some other options like the Benko, or some lines in the QGD (Vienna, Ragozin, Barmen, or probably just the exchange variation by istelf); however, i think these last one fall more in the category of "Dynamic" rather than "Sharp", but still (they can also get sharp too if allowed).

The Englund Gambit is the sharpest but is quite terrible.

The Modern Benoni is also pretty terrible if your opponent knows what's going on.

The Dutch Defense is very sharp and playable at the same time. A lot of my tournament games have ended within 30 moves with mixed results. Great opening if you are tired of Londons/Catalans/etc. I used to play this more often, but I've become more aware of my limitations as time passed and I grew older.

Black can't force a position to be sharp. White will have to cooperate. You can play something like the King's Indian hoping for complications, and if White plays in the most principled ways, you'll get them. But if White wants to play it real solid (e.g, with e2-e3 instead of e2-e4 -- and you see very commonly at lower levels) you have to be patient and be happy with equality. Maybe you'll get chances for a tactical shot later, but only after patiently improving your position.

This is, as best I can tell, true of all the potentailly sharp replies to d4 (and to e4 too, for that matter -- if you play a Sicilian below, say, 1500, you'll see a lot of sidelines (e.g., 2. Bc4), where you can equalize without trouble, but you don't get the opposite-side castling pyrotechnics you may be looking for.)

I don't really find the Modern benoni to be that bad.

The Modern lines with h3 + Bd3, are relatively tame after 9...b5 as Bxb5 is a draw offer and Nxb5 is more complicated, but black is doing fine tactically there as well. Bb5+ is the strongest line, of course, but you can try 9...Na6 (I think it's move 9) the point being after a few moves, when black kicks out the bishop with a6, it can't go back to f1 where it would usually like to be. The Bf4 lines are no good if you find 9...Na6 as well.

I'll throw the Blumenfeld Countergambit into the conversation as well. It has some incredibly sharp and double-sided positions while remaining almost stable enough to consider being part of an actual opening repertoire.

Yeah, i belive sometimes that can be annoying for the attacking side in some scenarios, as more often than not, the defending side tends to find themselves in a situation of only (logical) moves &/or plan...

I think the exchange QGD it's perhaps harder to play from the blackside, at least on the Nge2 f3 system, but still, it's a way to get a double edged game for black.

I also always liked benoni positions, but was always too lazy to do the homework needed on the relevant moves, so I just stuck with the benoni-lite positions from the czech or, when possible, the KID. Made the decision to go straight into the theory recently.

if someone dares to play 1.d4 against you

you should respond with 1.h6

your opponent's position will spiral out of control if you push with black on the kingside

if they do not instantly resign by move 2 (cuz of the opening you played), you will just expand on the kingside and have a sharp, attacking game where white can not control your queenside because you played 1.h6, which *definitely* helps.

trust me 👍

you do appear to be an authority on the matter

Gruenfeld can be very Sharp lines

KID can be very Sharp as well