I have found turning the positions into a slav type game has worked fairly well for me - white inevitably has to play d4 and if he is really stubborn and wont transpose into a d4 system then black should try and stake a hold in the centre to teach him a lesson.
So my usual replies are something like this.
Against 1.Nf3 d5 (and c6 soon after)
Against 1.c4 c6 (with d5 played as early as possible.)
Although, having said this, over the board I have quite a liking for 1.c4 c5 as black to keep whites activity to a minimum.
Originally posted by zebanoUser 340422 is the Dutch!
Against the dutch, I will play c4, Nc3, d3 aiming to play e4 which is more or less impossible to do once you have committed to d4.
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Originally posted by exigentskyTo be honest I had the same problem for a while.
Being a Nimzo Indian/Queen's Indian and Sicilian player, I have many choices against 1. c4 and 1. Nf3. However, I am still not sure what to do because I don't just want to play what easily fits with my repertoire. I want to try to play the best moves. This is why I refuse to play Nf6 against 1. c4. Nf6 tells my opponent that I consider his move equal to 1 pe you will help me. What should I do against 1. c4 and 1. Nf3? What do you do and why?
I'm primarily a Nimzo-Indian/QGA player and the moves 1.Nf3 and 1.c4 are a bit of a spanner in the works.
Options v 1.c4 are indeed 1...e5 or 1...c5 giving a pure English Opening. I tried both of these options and was never fully satisfied with the positions I got, (although if you are a Sicilian player you will probably prefer 1...c5 to 1...e5).
If you want to play 1...e5 v 1.c4 then why bother playing 1...c5 v 1.Nf3 where you are just learning two openings after 2.c4
Contrary to popular belief 1.c4 c5 and 1.c4 e5 are about as theoretcal as a 1.d4 or 1.e4 defence.
With this in mind I prefered to learn another 1.d4 defence!
Against 1.c4 I now play 1...e6 followed by 2...d5
Against 1.Nf3 I now play 1...d5
Also I can play 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 enetring a QGD again.
So by learning the QGD I can still play the lovely NID but only then need to learn one defence against 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 and 1.c4 and 1.Nf3!!
This is certainly my method when playing OTB, but of course you must find a way of playing the QG that suits your style.
(Personally I think everyone should have a good grounding in the QG as it is such a historical opening which teaches you a lot about chess as a whole, as does the Ruy Lopez!!!!!!)
Originally posted by Dutch DefenseYou're not even Dutch yourself. Go away 😉
User 340422 is the Dutch!
I might call myself the 'Scheveningen Variation' if I lived in Scheveningen, but unfortunately that's at least 10 minutes away...
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Originally posted by TyrannosauruschexThat's what I do. I try to get a Slav going vs. 1.c4, 1.Nf3, and 1.d4. It works for all three openings, so I only have to "know" two defenses as Black.
I have found turning the positions into a slav type game has worked fairly well for me...
Edit: vs. 1.e4 I play Ze French (1...e6)
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Originally posted by TyrannosauruschexBlack can play ...c6 and ...d5 against any opening! If you know the Slav and the Caro-Kann, then most of your games with Black will at least have similar pawn structures. In his "Black Defensive System for the Rest of Your Chess Career", GM Andrew Soltis recommends the Slav and Caro-Kann.
I have found turning the positions into a slav type game has worked fairly well for me - white inevitably has to play d4 and if he is really stubborn and wont transpose into a d4 system then black should try and stake a hold in the centre to teach him a lesson.
So my usual replies are something like this.
Against 1.Nf3 d5 (and c6 soon after) ...[text shortened]... over the board I have quite a liking for 1.c4 c5 as black to keep whites activity to a minimum.
Originally posted by magnublmopenings help, since they can reduce games to familiar territory on a regular basis. The tactics involved change significantly for black if he plays 1. ... c5 versus 1. ... c6
I agree. Tactics should be the bulk of study.
Why? because of the different positions resulting from different control patterns in the centre...
Originally posted by gaychessplayerno argument against your statement that 1. ... c6 and 2. ... d5 can be played no matter what, but the Caro-Kann DOES get boring after awhile...
Black can play ...c6 and ...d5 against any opening! If you know the Slav and the Caro-Kann, then most of your games with Black will at least have similar pawn structures. In his "Black Defensive System for the Rest of Your Chess Career", GM Andrew Soltis recommends the Slav and Caro-Kann.
I mean, how many times can you play:
1. e4 c6
2. d4 d5
3. Nf3 dxe4
4. Nxe4 Bf5
5. Ng3 Bg6
6. Nf3 Nd7
7. h4 h6
8. h5 Bh7
9. Bd3 Bxd3
10. Qxd3
and for the first time, black can change it up. 10. ... e6 or 10. ... Qc7
you must admit that even with as solid as Caro-Kann is, it gets a bit boring/drawish after a while... I will say that it's a great alternative to Petroff's if black wants an almost garunteed draw...
Originally posted by rubberjaw30I agree that the Caro-Kann often leads to boring positions. That's why I almost never play it anymore. I prefer more offbeat lines like 1 e4 Nc6 (Nimzovich Defense) and 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 c5 (the Marshall Variation of the French Defense).
no argument against your statement that 1. ... c6 and 2. ... d5 can be played no matter what, but the Caro-Kann DOES get boring after awhile...
I mean, how many times can you play:
1. e4 c6
2. d4 d5
3. Nf3 dxe4
4. Nxe4 Bf5
5. Ng3 Bg6
6. Nf3 Nd7
7. h4 h6
8. h5 Bh7
9. Bd3 Bxd3
10. Qxd3
and for the first time, black can change it up. ...[text shortened]... will say that it's a great alternative to Petroff's if black wants an almost garunteed draw...
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Originally posted by exigentskyI'm not sure there is such a thing as 'best' moves in the opening (at an amateur level at least). Personal preference and taste is probably more important than any apparent objective measure of "best"
... I don't just want to play what easily fits with my repertoire. I want to try to play the best moves.
Anyhoo, for reference I have played 1. Nf3 about 20 times over the last year or so (OTB).
Most popular responses where based on ... c6, ... d5 or KID (about a third of all games each).
I also got multiple games with ... f5 on move 1/early on and a similar number where black played lines based on ... d5, ...e5, ...Nf6.
Other moves where rare (e.g. 2. ... d5-d4, 2. ... dxc4) or non existent (e.g. I never once faced 1. ... c5)
So ... take your choice as you see fit.
Best of luck.
J