Quote:Sorry to have to contradict you, M.Nb, but there is also the Franco-Benoni : 1.d4, e6 2. e4, c5. But you do not have to dislike the french to play that.
If you play the Franco-Benoni, you have to be ready for an Open Sicilian with 3.Nf3 or a c3-Sicilian with 3.c3. Also, after 3.c3 d5 4.e5 Black would find himself in a French anyway. The only good way to avoid this would be 3...Nf6 when 4.e5 Nd5 transposes to a variation of the c3-Sicilian with 2...Nf6. Nevertheless, if White has played 1.d4 he probably won't want to transpose into a 1.e4 opening.
In practice, the Franco-Benoni doesn't seem to be very popular (maybe partly due to these tricky transpositions), and 1.d4 e6 players are happy to enter a French with 2.e4 d5. The point of 1.d4 e6 is usually to avoid the Trompowsky whilst allowing Black to aim for his favourite Nimzo-Indian or Modern Benoni. Some Dutch players also like it (i.e. 1.d4 e6 2.c4/g3/Nf3 f5!) as it avoids certain awkward variations (e.g. 1.d4 f5 2.Bg5/e4). And of course 1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6 is the English Defence.
1.d4 e6 2.c4 Bb4+ is quirky but hardly a reason for White to avoid 2.c4. Even so, 2.Nf3 is popular with 2...c5!? being an interesting idea [see Eric Prie's section at ChessPublishing.com, but watch out for that Open Sicilian again with 3.e4!]. Or, if you play the Dutch, go ahead with 2...f5, but I wouldn't recommend 2...b6 on account of 3.e4! with an Owen's Defence which isn't that great for Black.
2.Nc3!? has some independent significance. Black must be careful, e.g. 2...f5?! 3.e4! with a bad Dutch (i.e. after 1.d4 f5 2.Nc3, Black would avoid 2...e6?! in favour of 2...d5 or Nf6). Also, 2...c5 3.dxc5 Bxc5 4.Ne4! transposes to a good line for White normally reached via 1.d4 c5. The threat of Nxc5/Nd6+ gives White the bishop-pair, although Stefan Bucker thinks 4...Bb4+! 5.c3 d5 6.cxb4 dxe4 7.Qxd8+ Kxd8 is fine for Black. Finally, 2...b6 3.e4 is Owen's Defence again.
The safest answer to 2.Nc3 is either 2...Nf6 or d5. But then the game reaches a Veresov-type position with Black having restricted his options by committing himself to an early ...e6 (e.g. there's no 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bg5 c5!?). Also after, say, 2...Nf6 3.Bg5 (or 3.e4 d5) 3...d5 4.e4, Black finds himself in a Classical French which might not suit fans of the Winawer! Glenn Flear suggested 2...d5 3.Nf3 c5!? to me, but 4.e4 dxe4 (or 4...Nf6 5.Bg5) 5.Nxe4 cxd4 6.Qxd4 seems to give White a useful lead in development. Maybe the best bet is 2...d5 3.Nf3 Nf6, but an early ...e6 and ...d5 looks like the sort of thing a QGD enthusiast would play, not devotees of the Nimzo-Indian / Modern Benoni!
One final thought: is 2.Nc3 Bb4!? playable?
Obviously Black would be happy with 3.e4 d5 (the Winawer!), but can White take advantage of the fact that he hasn't played e4 yet? Any thoughts much appreciated.
P.S. Check out the
1.d4, e6; thread for a similar discussion:
http://altmax.com/cgi-local/cpf/YaBB.cgi?board=dpawnspecials;action=display;num=...