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What do you like to play vs. 1.d4?

What do you like to play vs. 1.d4?

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I have my defense of choice for 1.e4: the French: 1.e4 e6, but I haven't really decided on a favorite defense for 1.d4. Suggestions?

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Originally posted by magnublm
I have my defense of choice for 1.e4: the French: 1.e4 e6, but I haven't really decided on a favorite defense for 1.d4. Suggestions?
I also play e6 though I'm not a huge fan of the french defense. I prefer it better that my original prefered opening (the semislav).

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Originally posted by magnublm
I have my defense of choice for 1.e4: the French: 1.e4 e6, but I haven't really decided on a favorite defense for 1.d4. Suggestions?
Currently I play 1. .... g6 against everything except 1. b3 and 1. b4. Against 1. d4 it allows transposition to a King's indian if white allows and i feel like it but also seems to avoid some of the nasty unconventional openings that white can annoy black with. For instance, a bishop on g5 looks particularly silly with no knight on f6 to pin or attack.

Before now I have played the Benko Gambit but white very often just ignores it and condemns black to death by suffocation so I abandoned that.

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1...f5 leningrad.

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1. ..Nf6 2. c4 Nc6! and black has equalized.

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1. ...c5

The Old Benoni. I don't especially like it, but it's served me well. I'm not comfortable as black yet facing d4...

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Currently I'm looking at The Modern Benoni and The Tango

1.d4...Nf6
2.c4...c5

1.d4...Nf6
2.c4...Nc6

If they play 2.Bg5 (The Trompovsky) I'm happy with that as I'm learning this from the white side.

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Originally posted by wormwood
1...f5 leningrad.
Any good online sources for the Dutch?

I want to make a change from the Benko which players keep avoiding with 2. Nf3, 2. Bg5 etc

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Originally posted by demonseed
...I want to make a change from the Benko which players keep avoiding with 2. Nf3, 2. Bg5 etc
How does the Benko go?

and

What are everyone's thoughts on the Slav/Semi-Slav which I seem to keep running into when I play 1.d4. Sound defense?

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Originally posted by magnublm
How does the Benko go?

and

What are everyone's thoughts on the Slav/Semi-Slav which I seem to keep running into when I play 1.d4. Sound defense?
I play the benko, it goes


1. d4 Nf6
2. c4 c5
3. d5 b5!? --after this there are many deviations, I will give the line where the gambit is accepted.
4. cxb5 a6
5. bxa6 g6
6. Nc3 Bxa6

and there are many popular variations from here.

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Originally posted by magnublm
I have my defense of choice for 1.e4: the French: 1.e4 e6, but I haven't really decided on a favorite defense for 1.d4. Suggestions?
d5, I used to open with d4 myself before I switched to c4

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Originally posted by demonseed
Any good online sources for the Dutch?

I want to make a change from the Benko which players keep avoiding with 2. Nf3, 2. Bg5 etc
I couldn't find any, so I started by ordering the fox dvd for leningrad dutch (and the anti-dutch dvd as well) by andrew martin. then I've been just going through games.

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I play h4

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1...d5 (I'm too predictable),

2e4 e6

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Originally posted by wormwood
1...f5 leningrad.
Here's a Dutch Defense game: Game 3941339 Stonewall variation

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