What to play against 1. d4

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RIP-Kobe-Bryant
MelvinDoucet wrote:

I've been playing chess for almost 2 years and the Nimzo is still too hard for me to understand. I wouldn't recommend it for sub-2000 players.
Since you're rated 1600, you should have a look at the Semi-Slav. It does take some studying but it's well worth it because it's easy to punish White in that opening if they don't know what they're doing.
That you like dynamic positions doesn't mean so much - whatever the opening, you can always end up in a quiet position where pressing for sharp play won't do you any good.

whaaa

the few times ive played it ive got good positions and won

ThrillerFan
Kummatmebro wrote:

my opening choices against 1. e4 is sicilian or marshall gambit. 

however, as my OTB rating goes up a lot of players are playing 1. d4 almost exclusively. What am i supposed to play against this? I like dynamic positions which 1 d4 doesnt seem to have much of.. unless i want to learn a lot of theory. 

 

So im basically stuck between:

Modern Benoni

Kings Indian

Nimzo Indian 

Queens Indian

 

Ive been playing the slav for quite some time but too many of my games are draws or im just waiting for my opponent to slip up and i get a win. 

Im about 1600 OTB rating, the two clubs i go to have an average of 1600-1700 rating, but i usually get paired against 1800+ and end up in a queen pawn game.


You might as well join the Nimzo-Indian and Queen's Indian together into one.  You can't play only one.

After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6, White has a choice of moves.  By the way, you better know the Catalan too if you take this route (3.g3).

Against 3.Nf3, you can still play 3...Bb4+ (The "Bogo-Indian" defense), but it's VASTLY Different than the Nimzo-Indian.  Of course, 3...b6 is a Queen's Indian

Against 3.Nc3, you can play 3...Bb4 (Nimzo-Indian), 3...d5 (Queen's Gambit Declined) or 3...c5 (Benoni), but anybody that plays 3...b6 against this has no clue what they are doing, and all they know about the Queen's Indian is some robotic mimic of moves and the name, that's it.  They don't understand the idea at all.  The whole idea from the get-go is to prevent e4.  After 3.Nf3, Black has time to take 2 moves, b6 and Bb7, to prevent e4.  After 3.Nc3, the threat of e4 is immediate, and you don't have time for ...b6.  On the flip side, after 1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6, you have what is called the English Defense, which allows White the big center, but then Black shouldn't play ...Nf6 too early so that he can counter with ...f5, especially if White develops his LSB, leaving g2 to hang.  So 3...b6 can't even be used as an argument for the English Defense as the Knight has already been played.

Therefore, you can narrow it down to:

Modern Benoni
King's Indian
Nimzo-/Queen's Indian

Quasimorphy

After 3. Nf3 you can play d5. Nimzo-Indian/QGD is an option.

MervynS

Try the King's Indian first, for an opening I have never studied, it is relatively straightforward to play and there are few tactical tricks for white early on.

Masterjatin

I'd suggest you try queen pawn game or f5 silican. another great alternative is the French defence or nimzowich defence. caro-kann or scandinavian defence are also good. my last suggestion is to try to fianchetto on b7 and put a knight on f6. in that way white center can succumb to the pressure.

lilhopsin

I suggest h5.

Masterjatin

Masterjatin wrote:

I'd suggest you try queen pawn game or dutch. another great alternative is the French defence or nimzowich defence. scandinavian defence isalso good. my last suggestion is to try to fianchetto on b7 and put a knight on f6. in that way white center can succumb to the pressure.

sorry if any names are still wrong...... I haven't learnt names of openings but know many moves still.... old benoni is a good choice still but I simply play French, dutch or qpg in my games

Jhorwin

Kings Indian is a good choice.  You can play the first five moves regardless of what white plays. if whites queenside expansion troubles you then play the ..Na6 variation.  It's just as good or better than the main line.

KingDhoni
Kummatmebro wrote:

my opening choices against 1. e4 is sicilian or marshall gambit. 

however, as my OTB rating goes up a lot of players are playing 1. d4 almost exclusively. What am i supposed to play against this? I like dynamic positions which 1 d4 doesnt seem to have much of.. unless i want to learn a lot of theory. 

 

So im basically stuck between:

Modern Benoni

Kings Indian

Nimzo Indian 

Queens Indian

 

Ive been playing the slav for quite some time but too many of my games are draws or im just waiting for my opponent to slip up and i get a win. 

Im about 1600 OTB rating, the two clubs i go to have an average of 1600-1700 rating, but i usually get paired against 1800+ and end up in a queen pawn game.

So, to sum up, you want a low theory, dynamic defence against d4 because you are drawing and winning too often against better opponents with the Slav.

 

I recommend the Englund. It is low theory because nobody plays it. Nobody plays it because it is terrible, so that also solves your problem of all these great results. I also hear that it is quite dynamic, I mean why else would anybody play it? Unless like yourself they just want to lose more.

 

Hope I helped.

MS Dhoni.

Kummatmebro

update:

ive tried the nimzo indian in about 10 OTB games, about 6 of em, opponent played 3. Nf3 forcing me to transponse into either QID, or a QGD so i could actually get into a semi slav starting position without fearing exchange variation. QID games, i had no idea what to do and ended up drawing all the games, even against 1100 players that like to play boring games and drawish lines.

 

The games that actually played as NID went 2 wins and 2 draws.

varelse1

Go to chesspersonality.com, and take the quiz.

It will tell you the best opening for you.

Kummatmebro

Wile I appreciate the advice I fail to see ow I feel about my opponent will affect the openings I like to play.

Tho that was a fun little thing to do

Till_98

why Do you disconnect when you lose during live games? Thats very unfair

Kummatmebro

Not sure by that has any relevance to anything but I'll humour you

99% of the time Im playing on the chess.com mobile app, which isn't the greatest and will lag me it of games all the time. Cant help it. Oh well, OTB games are the only thing that matter.

Till_98

Just look at your profile comments... Doesnt sound nice

Kummatmebro

Look man if you take 5 min chess so seriously that you need to go flame someone because of internet connection issues then you need to reevaluate your priorities in life

Till_98

No I just told you to take a look at your profile comments. It is not because of your connection issues, it is because you leave the game always when your position is lost. Thats unfair for your waiting opponent. Even if you would have connection issues( What is Not the case) then you shouldnt play live chess here, just because you know that your connection is not good enough, so you shouldnt waste other peoples time. And btw. what the hell has that to do with my life priorities?! Thats non sense...

Kummatmebro

i dont really care about losing on here... its online chess lmaoo OTB chess is the only chess that actually matters, because theres money involved. 

i have no problem hitting the resign button... IF the damn app actually works on mobile. 

Prudentia
plutonia a écrit :

You have a lot of choices for dynamic play against d4. Nimzo indian is my favourite, with both sides. It's one of the most interesting openings in all of chess. The only issue is that white can avoid it.

 

If you don't mind gambits, I would seriously look into the Albin. It can lead very dangerous attacks by black, only at the cost of a pawn.

I've been told that several strong players have made several new contributions to the albin as of late.  It will probably result in more tactical play than something like an indian defense would be.  If you really wanna have fun, you can always consider the Budapest.  Probably just try out a bunch of different openings, and see which one suits you best.

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