d4 opening

What is a good response to the d4 opening?

I have just been through a couple of games where white has opened with d4 and I seem to be in a reactionary mode the entire match. And subsequently get whupped. Part of it is of course my opponent is a stronger player, but still I would like to at least have a good initial response to the opening.

If you want to see the debacle here it is.
http://www.redhotpawn.com/core/viewhistory.php?gameid=243598

you can play queen's gambit declined if you want a clear, classical defense (try Cambridge Springs variation to surprise some)...many other defenses include Nimzo Indian, Grunfeld, King's Indian, Benoni...those are modern and may require more effort to get good with.

No matter what you do, Do NOT play 1.d4 d5 2. c4 Nf6??

It's an immediate advantage for white since when he takes on d5 any recapture by black will lead to a loss of tempo for black after white's 3rd move.

You can respond to d4 with just about anything, and I guarantee you there's a name for the opening. I usually respond with d5, it directly opposes white's control of the center and counters with black's control as well.

A common response by white to 1. d4 d5 is to play c4 - called the queen's gambit. Again, there are multiple ways to reply to this - but they fall into two general categories; Queen's gambit accepted, where black plays dxc4 and queen's gambit declined. A popular response in queen's gambit declined games is to play e6, but again there are a variety.

Accepting the gambit gives white an advantage of one tempo and slightly better control of the center in exchange for the loss of the c pawn. White often responds to dxc4 with Nc3 - this develops white's queenside knight, halts the advance of the c pawn and attacks the e4 and d5 squares - possible leading to the creation of a strong pawn center for white.

Queen's gambit declined games are usually less tactical and result in more closed positions. Both are solid responses, and it's more a matter of your personal preference in what sort of game you'd like to play.

There are also variants where you can initially decline the gambit and then later accept it - but these often hinge on poor play by white.

-mike

Thanks guys that clears that up for me a lot.

Having never really played serious chess prior to joining red hot pawn, trusting to my own brain power and no external knowledge will only take me so far. So I just ordered a book on chess("reassess your chess&quot😉 because of issues like this.

Hopefully reading it will shoot me right up into the 2000's (stop laughing).

That is a great book! I highly recommend it! Nice choice. Should shoot you right up in the ratings AFTER you finish and work on some tactics, but not the 2000's! 😀

I've been ploughing through Reassess your chess as well - very nice book.

If I may, I'd like to recommend Chess Tactics Art 3.0 (CT-Art 3.0), a CD-Rom of practice tactical scenarios that goes very well with this sort of book. I recently acquired this program and it has been very helpful in evaluating positions. You can buy it for something like $23 from chesscafe.com, I highly recommend it.

-mike

I my self am expeirimenting with the d4 openings as white, to tell you the truth i hate kings indian defence as a black responce because i rarely get to play a match with it. and i love it when queen's indian is acepted, 2.e4 is the perfect oppurtunity for white, it imediately gains control of the center and attacks blacks c pawn which becomes an easy target for white during the opening.

i recomend the book "weapons of chess, by bruce pandulfini" and "standard chess openings by eric schiller"

I have both of those books! Hahaha....Weapons is good for new players to explain a lot of things but I think that RYC is a better choice and overshadows "Weapons". SCO by Schiller is alright. It's good if you want to look into openings to choose one to learn, but not to actually learn it. Schiller picks extravagant games from all the openings, not actually typical games. He also shoves some of his own in there to make him look good instead of putting a GM quality game in. It is normal Schiller material (riddled with spelling and diagram mistakes, grammar, etc.) Also, it doesn't cover enough variations of some openings. If my memory serves me correctly, he leaves out the French exchange, and for the French advance, his "typical" game is a gambit. His coverage of the modern and the Pirc sucks, leaving out all the main line modern material.
Also, for the QGA, a better move than 3.e4 is actually 3.e3. On 3.e4, black can play 3...e5!. 3.e3 still targets the c-pawn it is just a better move. 😀 Sorry for the ranting about Schiller.

Originally posted by gregoftheweb
Thanks guys that clears that up for me a lot.

Having never really played serious chess prior to joining red hot pawn, trusting to my own brain power and no external knowledge will only take me so far. So I just ordered a book on chess("reassess your chess"😉 because of issues like this.

Hopefully reading it will shoot me right up into the 2000's (stop laughing).

Sorry!

4. shouldn of course, be: How to Reassess Your Chess - WORKBOOK!!!

Jan