New Weapon vs. D4

e5 is actually a pretty bad move according to the statistics. e6 scores much better and turns into a Bogo Indian. However, I see what you mean, it is definitely not a very aggressive line. On the other hand, the Nimzo/Bogo doesn't seem much more aggressive.

Originally posted by exigentsky
Introduction

I've always responded to d4 with the Nimzo/Bogo Indian (if Nf3). These are all solid responses employed even at the highest level. Even in the most trying situations, Black is left with only a slightly inferior position. However, sometimes, this isn't enough.

The Bogo-Indian positions are somewhat frustrating. They offer White a lasting ...[text shortened]... What do you guys think about this opening and why wouldn't it be played more often?

You have to be careful with statistics. It could be that, as mentionned, a transposition is possible, and that stats for the transposition are logged under the other opening. This could be important if the transpositions lead to inferior or poor-scoring lines for black (which is quite possible having Nc6 in a d4 game). Make sure none of the transpositions lead to a line that scores 65%+ for white...

Originally posted by Mister Meaner
I think the reason is that White can head for the Milner-Barry variation of the Nimzo Indian (E33) 1.d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 Nc6
which does not have such a good hit rate at top level - not since the 1940's at any rate. If this transposition (1.d4 Nf6 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nf3 e6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qc2) is avoided Black (by d5 or d6 for example) he has to ...[text shortened]... n break c5 is obstructed by Nc6, or that he has lost tempo in comparison with normal QGD lines.

Black Knight's Tango! Sounds like a good drink to try! hehe

Originally posted by Mister Meaner
I think the reason is that White can head for the Milner-Barry variation of the Nimzo Indian (E33) 1.d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 Nc6
which does not have such a good hit rate at top level - not since the 1940's at any rate. If this transposition (1.d4 Nf6 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nf3 e6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qc2) is avoided Black (by d5 or d6 for example) he has to ...[text shortened]... n break c5 is obstructed by Nc6, or that he has lost tempo in comparison with normal QGD lines.

1.d4 Nf6 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nf3 e6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qc2 d5 is a kind of Ragosin.

5. ... d6!? intends e5

I have a good book on this line: "Tango! a dynamic answer to 1d4" by Richard Pallliser. I think it's interesting and I was going to take it up this tournament season but opted for the modern Benoni instead...partly because the books aimed at a slightly higher level so a bit of a jump for me to get into it...anyway here is a sample move order from chapter three which sets out to deal with an early d5:

1.d4...Nf6
2.c4...Nc6
3.d5...Ne5
and white has all of 6 options here: 4.Nc3, 4.Qc2, 4. Qd4, 4.b3?!, 4. f4!?, 4.e4

lets follow 4.f4 because of it's !?

4.f4 (3.d5 was an aggressive move, but this is even more so: White shows himself prepared to sac the c4 pawn for a strong centre)

4...Nxc4
5.e4...Nb6
6.a4...a5
7.Nc3...e6!
This improvement of Orlovs casts doubt on whites sac...but black does have to be accurate

8. dxe6...dxe6!
9. Qxd8+...Kxd8
10.Be3...Bb4 Orlov leaves White struggling for compensation. Not only is e4 weak, but black intends to devlop simply with ...Ke7 and then...Bd7-C6 then 11.0-0-0+... Bd7

There is more to the annotations in the book...so the above is just a sample.

I think the line 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nf3 e6 4. a3! is rather annoying for black, and probably one of white's best chances for a solid advantage in this opening. That said, I like the Tango alot and have played it a bunch.

Well I think this might be a better example - a game : Zhu Chen - Christiansen US-China Summit Seattle 2001 (Zhu Chen was rated 2538)...have to skip most of the annotations due to time.

1.d4...Nf6
2.c4...Nc6
3.Nc3...e5
4.d5...Ne7
5.g3!?...Ng6
6.Bg2...Bc5
7.e3...0-0
8.Nge2...a6!
9.0-0...d6
10. Bd2...Bd7
11.Rb1...b5!
12.b4...Bb6
13.a4? (no doubt White thought she should be much better on the queenside but, compared with a King's Indian, Blacks dark squared bishop is playing a key role outside the pawn chain.

13...bxc4
14.a5...Ba7
14.b5...axb5
16.Nxb5...Bf5!
17. Ra1...Bc5

like all tango players strive to do, Christiansen is accurately responding to the downsides of whites plan. The position has now opened up for his bishops, although the kingside remains the overall target.

18.Nec3...Bd3
19.e4...Qd7!
20. Re1...Rfb8
21.Qa4...Ng4
22.Be3...Nxe3
23.fxe3...h5!
24.Bf1...h4
25.Bxd3...cxd3
26.Kg2...hxg3
27.hxg3...d2
28.Re2...Qg4!
the white monachs defence blown away and black comes in for the kill
29.Rh1 (preventing Nh4+ but black now has a neat finish)
29...Nf4+
30.exf4...exf4
31.Rxd2...Qxg3+
32.Kf1...Qf3+
33.Ke1...Qxh1+

0-1

Originally posted by !~TONY~!
I think the line 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nf3 e6 4. a3! is rather annoying for black, and probably one of white's best chances for a solid advantage in this opening. That said, I like the Tango alot and have played it a bunch.

...fumbles through the book...chapter nine "The flexible Kings Indian: countering the crafty 4.a3"

1.d4...Nf6
2.c4...Nc6
3.Nf3...e6
4.a3

A critical test for the Tango: by preventing Bb4,....(missing text)..However, worry not, 4.a3 does not refute the Tango and Black can still gain good counter play with 4...d6!, 5.Nc3...g6, as has been championed by Bologan. Black intends to play Kings Indian style, although with an important twist in that...e5 will not be the prelude to a kingside attack. Indeed there are no direct transpositions to any very theoretical Kings Indian lines and so white players should not feel too at home after 5...g6

4...d6.
5.Nc3...g6
6.d5!? (one of four lines given)
6...Ne7
7.e4...Bg7
8.Be2...0-0
9.0-0...exd5
10.cxd5...c6!

How about the ...a6 Slav? It's *solid* and Black scores 47-48%.

1.d4 d5
2.c4 c6
3.Nc3 Nf6
4.Nf3 a6

Originally posted by magnublm
How about the ...a6 Slav? It's *solid* and Black scores 47-48%.

1.d4 d5
2.c4 c6
3.Nc3 Nf6
4.Nf3 a6

maybe it is too sharp

Try the Dutch:
1.d4 f5

you could try the grunfeld defence.

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 d5

Originally posted by exigentsky
Introduction

I've always responded to d4 with the Nimzo/Bogo Indian (if Nf3). These are all solid responses employed even at the highest level. Even in the most trying situations, Black is left with only a slightly inferior position. However, sometimes, this isn't enough.

The Bogo-Indian positions are somewhat frustrating. They offer White a lasting ...[text shortened]... What do you guys think about this opening and why wouldn't it be played more often?

After 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nf3 e6 4. g3 Bb4+ Black is playing a Bogo-Indian anyway. I'm not sure whether this is better for White or Black statistically: the RHP games database (Master games) shows a definite edge for White; the online chessgames.com database shows Black having the edge; chesslab.com shows White with an edge.

If you are playing it here in correspondence games, it seems that the opening move sequence indicated above wouldn't be that uncommon.

I've been attempting to develop a response to 1.d4, though I haven't had any opportunity to use the resulting repertoire yet. So far I have four basic lines from which to develop variations. These include an Open Catalan (if White will play it), a King's Indian (or Modern Benoni, depending on White's fifth move), and a Nimzo-Indian (Rubenstein). Basically, I just started looking at various game databases and attempting to construct opening responses based on the stats. (Naturally, it helps to take each line sufficiently far to see if it continues to pan out. This really takes a lot of work and multiple databases must be consulted to insure that you aren't mislead by meaningless statistical variations.)

So far (since developing these) I have had no 1.d4 games to try them out with. (I've also scaled back my games volume for now, due in part to some ongoing life changes which may end up claiming a lot of my time: new games often mean, for me, a lot of time-intensive database study in the opening.)

The thing to do is find openings where you will be able to do well regardless of how White responds. (Easier said than done, I know.) The point being, you don't want to come up with an opening that depends on your opponents playing weak moves simply because they are unfamiliar with the opening -- especially if you are playing correspondence chess where players have access to databases and time to study them, though really it's a good habit (regardless of venue) to assume your opponent will play well and plan accordingly.

That isn't to say this is a problem with Knight's Tango -- I simply have no idea. A better question is, does it appeal to your playing philosophy and style? I saw some diagrams in looking at the Joel Benjamin article at Silman's site, which showed White getting a massive and possibly very dangerous central space advantage before Black was finally able to "luft, and dismember" White's center. Are you cool as a cucumber and willing to become as well versed in the theory of the opening as is necessary to insure that, ultimately, you can prove that White's central space advantage lacks merit? (Assuming that the opening is indeed sound on this point.)

The point being, you don't want to come up with an opening that depends on your opponents playing weak moves simply because they are unfamiliar with the opening --

The opponent playing weak moves is the cause of my problems in learning a new opening for OTB from studying a book. It's the slightly weaker moves - the ones that aren't shown in the book because they are weak - that I find so difficult to prepare for.

For example in the Modern Benoni:

1.d4...Nf6
2.c4...c5
3.d5 is the book move

But white has a few choices here in 3.Nf3, 3. Nc3, 3. cxd5 all of which are presumably weaker than 3.d5 but any of which may well be played by someone at my level who doesn't know the opening. It makes for a lot of study. I find 1.e4 easier to prepare for as I get more practice as most games I play here and OTB open with 1.e4.

Originally posted by Mahout
It makes for a lot of study.

Chess is inexhaustive - you cannot prepare in advance for every eventuality. Opening preparation should aim to give us an adequate overview of the typical ideas, but that seldom means that we get to sail through the opening in auto-pilot. When your opponent plays an unexpected opening move, don’t worry with thoughts like “I should have prepared for that”. Instead, regard it as a test of your chess skill; your ability to find moves on your own. No amount of opening study can substitute for practice of this ability. Don’t try to hide a weakness in skill by pursuing never ending knowledge gaps.