In OTB events, I generally play d4 against higher rated players and e4 against lower rated. However, some of my best games have been from 1.e4 against higher rated players. Against the highest rated player I have faced in an OTB tournament, I played 1.d4 f5 2.Nc3 twice, losing the first and drawing the second.
It's funny that these higher rateds played the Dutch against you. Coincidence?
My highest rated OTB opponents have been two FIDE masters, both friends. I played a four game match against one for my city championship in 2008. He wanted to win 3-0 and not play the fourth game. He won 2 1/2 - 1/2. I very nearly drew the second game, a French (I was Black), and drew the third. He always plays the Dutch, and I knew that. Against the Raphael, he plays d5, and I knew that. I prepared the Raphael for the match, and studied every master game that reached the position I knew we would have after move three. Many hours of opening study helped minimize the 500 Elo rating difference.
We played game 1 on Thursday night at club. Games two and three were played on a Saturday in conjunction with a Swiss tournament at the same time. Had we played a fourth game, it would have been Sunday morning. That Saturday was quite possibly my best day ever playing chess. I was well prepared and played at a level I can rarely achieve. If I could consistently play the way I did that day, I could easily be over 2100, and maybe even reach NM. FM would require another step up. My USCF peak of 1982 was reached four years later after thirteen consecutive wins, most against A Class players and one expert (two games).
I feel you are contradicting yourself. Almost everyone can agree that white has an advantage, but you say that
It is a must play if you want a draw or equal position against a stronger player. Playing d4 allows you to get dry and equal or at least very balanced positions by force if you know how.
If d4 is so good it would be winning, not equal.
If chess was a good game, it would not be a draw with best play.
Utter nonsense.
Both 1.e4 and 1.d4 have merits. Neither is winning. Fischer said 1.e4 is best by test. 1.d4 scores better, by about 1%. So, Fischer was wrong. The Sicilian Defense takes 1.e4 down a bit. It can be more difficult to create an imbalance with 1.d4 in many cases.
Fischer only played 1.e4 with some notable exceptions.
US Women’s Champion Irina Krush always plays 1.d4.
Most GMs play both.
I'm sorry but the op is wrong, and anything he said about d4 could have been said about e4
The OP hasn't been here since April 2018. Someone revived this thread. Nothing wrong with that, IMO.
1.d4 is certainly one of the best moves. 1.e4 is, too.
Ideally, though, I think one should strive to master them both. Your overall chess understanding will benefit greatly, as a result.
If you are serious about gaining the maximum chances to win a game as white you have to play 1.d4. It is by far the best for multiple reasons.
It is very dynamic, you can play sharp lines or play very safe and calm lines depending on what you want.
It is very very complex, there are a lot more choices than for example in e4 lines. Alone against the Kingsindian Defence White can choose between 10 continuations which then subdivide in multiple different ways to follow up.
It is a must play if you want a draw or equal position against a stronger player. Playing d4 allows you to get dry and equal or at least very balanced positions by force if you know how. If you play 1.e4 black can for example play the Sicilian which WILL lead to imbalanced and sharp positions which favor the better player.
With 1.d4 you can build up a repertoire with a lot of dynamics, where you can choose between different options. For example instead of always following the mainlines you can also go with the Veresov or Colle or Trompovsky. You can switch move orders in most 1.d4 variations which gives you extra options.
If you are decently booked up with White as a 1.d4-player you can not have any trouble in or after the opening.
Period.
No
Beginning players: "What's the best first move?"
Intermediate players: "THIS is the best first move!"
Masters: "There is no best first move."
"If you are serious about gaining the maximum chances to win a game as white you have to play 1.d4."
Don't tell us, tell Carlsen, Caruana, MVL, and the rest. They are in far more need of your very profound advice than we are
Yeah thats why all the world champions always play 1. d4
(I'm obviously being ironical)
If you are serious about gaining the maximum chances to win a game as white you have to play 1.d4. It is by far the best for multiple reasons.
It is very dynamic, you can play sharp lines or play very safe and calm lines depending on what you want.
It is very very complex, there are a lot more choices than for example in e4 lines. Alone against the Kingsindian Defence White can choose between 10 continuations which then subdivide in multiple different ways to follow up.
It is a must play if you want a draw or equal position against a stronger player. Playing d4 allows you to get dry and equal or at least very balanced positions by force if you know how. If you play 1.e4 black can for example play the Sicilian which WILL lead to imbalanced and sharp positions which favor the better player.
With 1.d4 you can build up a repertoire with a lot of dynamics, where you can choose between different options. For example instead of always following the mainlines you can also go with the Veresov or Colle or Trompovsky. You can switch move orders in most 1.d4 variations which gives you extra options.
If you are decently booked up with White as a 1.d4-player you can not have any trouble in or after the opening.
Period.
No
Dude this is literally the most epic answer ive ever seen on chess.com to a stupid affirmation
1...d6
If you are serious about gaining the maximum chances to win a game as white you have to play 1.d4. It is by far the best for multiple reasons.
It is very dynamic, you can play sharp lines or play very safe and calm lines depending on what you want.
It is very very complex, there are a lot more choices than for example in e4 lines. Alone against the Kingsindian Defence White can choose between 10 continuations which then subdivide in multiple different ways to follow up.
It is a must play if you want a draw or equal position against a stronger player. Playing d4 allows you to get dry and equal or at least very balanced positions by force if you know how. If you play 1.e4 black can for example play the Sicilian which WILL lead to imbalanced and sharp positions which favor the better player.
With 1.d4 you can build up a repertoire with a lot of dynamics, where you can choose between different options. For example instead of always following the mainlines you can also go with the Veresov or Colle or Trompovsky. You can switch move orders in most 1.d4 variations which gives you extra options.
If you are decently booked up with White as a 1.d4-player you can not have any trouble in or after the opening.
Period.
No
Dude this is literally the most epic answer ive ever seen on chess.com to a stupid affirmation
Hahaha, It's funny because while d4 is tricky it's worse theoretically (according to computers) and if you're trying to be tricky then there's other options. I love the English since no one knows how to play against it.
If you are serious about gaining the maximum chances to win a game as white you have to play 1.d4. It is by far the best for multiple reasons.
It is very dynamic, you can play sharp lines or play very safe and calm lines depending on what you want.
It is very very complex, there are a lot more choices than for example in e4 lines. Alone against the Kingsindian Defence White can choose between 10 continuations which then subdivide in multiple different ways to follow up.
It is a must play if you want a draw or equal position against a stronger player. Playing d4 allows you to get dry and equal or at least very balanced positions by force if you know how. If you play 1.e4 black can for example play the Sicilian which WILL lead to imbalanced and sharp positions which favor the better player.
With 1.d4 you can build up a repertoire with a lot of dynamics, where you can choose between different options. For example instead of always following the mainlines you can also go with the Veresov or Colle or Trompovsky. You can switch move orders in most 1.d4 variations which gives you extra options.
If you are decently booked up with White as a 1.d4-player you can not have any trouble in or after the opening.
Period.
No
Dude this is literally the most epic answer ive ever seen on chess.com to a stupid affirmation
Hahaha, It's funny because while d4 is tricky it's worse theoretically (according to computers) and if you're trying to be tricky then there's other options. I love the English since no one knows how to play against it.
I suppose you can just play the anglo-indian? It's generally the most simple I guess, as white will eventually play d4 and transpose to the indian game in most cases, but I personally prefer the symmetrical variation
There's a lot of reason to promote 1.d4 as a first move—it's certainly one of the best choices there is.
Though declaring 1.d4 as the best move in a "must win" situation seems like a tenuous argument at best—seeing as 1.d4 has, statistically, one of the highest draw percentages of all first moves.
In last year's World Championship match, both Carlsen and Karjakin played 1.e4 when they got down to the tie-breaker games—which we can logically conclude that, in a "must-win" situation, the strongest player in the world, and his challenger, both believe that 1.e4 gives white the best fighting chance.
1.Nf3! or 1.Nc3! are both better first moves than any of those other options as if you start with the Reti Opening you can transpose to Queens Pawn : Zukertort Variation and then to a London System or to a Nimzowitsch Defence Declined and to a Kings Pawn Opening : Kings Knight Variation and then to an Italian and from there to either a Guioco Piano : Guioco Pianissimo Variation or to an Italian Gambit and from there to a Scotch Gambit / Haxo Gambit and from there to a Scotch Gambit/Haxo Gambit : Haxo, Saratt Variation or to a Nakmahnson Gambit and from 1.Nc3! the Van Geet Opening you could transpose to a Reti Opening : Reversed Mexican Defence and then to a Queens Pawn Opening : Chigorin Variation or to a Reti Opening and from there to a Four Knights Game and then from there to a Four Knights Italian and then to a Guioco Piano : Four Knights
1.Nf3! is my personal favourite as there are alot more possible transpositions there as opposed to the 1.Nc3! transpositions
2. Both are better as they are more flexible opening moves where you can move order your opponent wherever you like
3. Both are better also as your opponent can rarely transpose to an opening that he likes for example if 1.d4! you're opponent can just play 1.c5! and go to the Old Benoni Defence or play 1.c6! and then e6 or even a6 and try to either delay d7-d5 forever or just try to transpose to a Slav Defence : Modern , Triangle System and then to a Semi-Slav Defence and 1.d4! would actually favour black not white!
I hate Sicilian and French, so I don't play 1. e4; I hate playing against Slav or Nimzo-Indian, so I don't play 1. d4. 1. c4 is where it's at!
The English is indeed god tier
If you are serious about gaining the maximum chances to win a game as white you have to play 1.d4. It is by far the best for multiple reasons.
It is very dynamic, you can play sharp lines or play very safe and calm lines depending on what you want.
It is very very complex, there are a lot more choices than for example in e4 lines. Alone against the Kingsindian Defence White can choose between 10 continuations which then subdivide in multiple different ways to follow up.
It is a must play if you want a draw or equal position against a stronger player. Playing d4 allows you to get dry and equal or at least very balanced positions by force if you know how. If you play 1.e4 black can for example play the Sicilian which WILL lead to imbalanced and sharp positions which favor the better player.
With 1.d4 you can build up a repertoire with a lot of dynamics, where you can choose between different options. For example instead of always following the mainlines you can also go with the Veresov or Colle or Trompovsky. You can switch move orders in most 1.d4 variations which gives you extra options.
If you are decently booked up with White as a 1.d4-player you can not have any trouble in or after the opening.
Period.
No
Dude this is literally the most epic answer ive ever seen on chess.com to a stupid affirmation
Hahaha, It's funny because while d4 is tricky it's worse theoretically (according to computers) and if you're trying to be tricky then there's other options. I love the English since no one knows how to play against it.
I suppose you can just play the anglo-indian? It's generally the most simple I guess, as white will eventually play d4 and transpose to the indian game in most cases, but I personally prefer the symmetrical variation.
Of course, but I'm very comfortable with the positions that arise while they likely are not.
Also not everyone knows it even though most do 
In OTB events, I generally play d4 against higher rated players and e4 against lower rated. However, some of my best games have been from 1.e4 against higher rated players. Against the highest rated player I have faced in an OTB tournament, I played 1.d4 f5 2.Nc3 twice, losing the first and drawing the second.