Kafka:
Quote:Thanks for the reply TN. My current rating is 1419 and I generally like to play tactical, attacking games. I've been thinking about KID but would like a book which contains white's other options other than 2.c4.
The obvious recommendation for me is Dembo's 'Fighting the Anti-King's Indians' for meeting 1.d4 Nf6 without 2.c4 (and 1.Nf3/1.c4), and 'Dealing with d4 Deviations' by Cox for most other openings (other than KID).
For someone that likes tactical, attacking games, the KID seems the most logical choice, and it also contains the advantage that it isn't easy for White to avoid a complicated game without making concessions.
smrex13:
Quote:I was wondering if you might offer some elaboration on why you chose the openings you mention. There's a lot of discussion about playing certain openings vs. 1.e4 depending on your level and rating, but very little about facing 1.d4. Might you provide more info? I'd be interested to hear your opinions.
The main reason is due to personal preference and my feelings at the time of posting, but I recommended the King's Indian and Modern Benoni for <1400 players because starting out players need to learn to play tactical, attacking chances and become familiar with concepts such as the initiative and attack. In my view the KID is the best choice for this, but the Modern Benoni is a nearly equivalent option if the KID is not to Black's liking.
I recommended the QGD or Slav for the <1700 player because these openings are very solid and have a good reputation, and they are also relatively easy for a club player to learn. My main recommendation would be the Slav because it is a solid yet active defence, but I offer the QGD as an alternative for players dissatisfied with some variations of the Slav (e.g. Slav Exchange or the main line).
For <2000 players, I recommended the NID/QID/Catalan/anti-d4 Deviations and the Benko. My recommendation is the former because it usually leads to positional/strategic middlegames, and at this level it is important for a player to develop a strong familiarity with simple and complex positional concepts. In my view, this combination is one opening which assists this process in a player's development.
Naturally some players will not like the Catalan or other lines, so for this reason I offered the Benko as an alternative because it has a decent theoretical reputation (not as good as the NID/QID but still sufficient) and offers a positional struggle for Black, as his compensation for the pawn (in the Accepted lines) is almost entirely positional. Also, many players below 2000 will prefer to decline the pawn as White, which does not threaten a well-versed Black.
Kylemeister:
Quote:I find it quite curious to recommend the King's Indian or Modern Benoni to sub-1400 players, instead of some sort of QG (well, 1...d5). But of course this opens up one of those perennial cans of worms.
There is nothing wrong with recommending 1.d4 d5 as it is solid and will provide the new player with a good idea of how to develop their pieces, but I think it is more important for the player at this stage to develop a feel and understanding of tactics and the initiative.
Markovich:
Quote:There is just one d4 defense that I would recommend to players at that level, and that is the Tarrasch. But yes, it is a perennial debate here.
I agree that this is a good choice, but the only disadvantage of it is that White can avoid it with his alternatives to 2.c4. However, these lines are not theoretically dangerous for Black, and the Tarrasch also contains the advantage that most sub-1400 players will not have a prepared system to meet the Tarrasch. So I support the suggestion of the Tarrasch.
Smyslov_Fan:
Quote:Another choice is the QGA. The main problem with the QGA for the novice is learning to defend against 3.e4. But the same arguments can be made for any opening system, that White has aggressive alternatives.
The QGA is another good possibility, but only for a positional player. I once read that the main goal for Black in this opening is to neutralise White's slight initiative, but this should not concern a novice player.
Against 3.e4, I would recommend 3...e5 4.Nf3 ed4 5.Bc4 Nc6 which has a good reputation and usually provides Black with active counterplay. For a higher-rated player, I would recommend 3...Nc6.
Quote:Now that I am wiser (?!) I would look for defences that are relatively easy to understand thematically for Black, while at the same time be cynical enough to exploit knowledge of which openings white players on lower levels often struggle with! To that end I think the QGD Tarrasch and the Benkö Gambit are great options. If you had wanted something more solid/positional I would probably suggest the Nimzo/Bogo-Indian combo as well.
I don't agree with the recommendation of the Benoni or the King's Indian; I think on lower levels they are very difficult openings for both sides and the games could easily turn into strategical "comedies of errors".
I agree with your first paragraph - the Tarrasch and Benko are definitely good practical choices. The Nimzo/Bogo may be a better choice for a positional player, but it is a matter of taste.
They are difficult for both sides, but that is partly why I recommend these openings. By creating difficult, complicated positions, the player develops a familiarity with tactics and the initiative more quickly than if he/she played a 'solid' QGD. The games would probably contain a lot of mistakes by both sides as the players try to work their way through the complications, but for a low-rated player this clearly shows them what areas of their game they need to improve, and this also provides them with better chances of scoring an upset win or draw against a higher-rated player.
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Repertoire against d4! (Read 13228 times)
