well some GMs play the Nimzo Indian and the Vienna.

I did make a mistake there:  I referred to 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. d4, or its transpositional twins.  The relevant distinction being between c4, d4, and Nf3 vs. c4, d4, and Nc3.  I was not intending to speak to actual Reti/English systems with no d2-d4.   

Probably colored by the fact that I open 1. Nf3 occasionally without any intention of playing anything independent of 1. d4 lines, on the theory that if 1. ... c5, I get an open Sicilian without any worries that I might have to play a Petroff, Berlin, or Marshall.

I still can't call the Taimanov Variation of the Modern Benoni the "flick knife".  Sounds childish.  Anyway, I agree with the above that generally, the QID and Benoni are substitutes; you play the NID, and if 1. Nf3, you can play the QID or a Benoni without risking the Taimanov, since the knight has been played out to f3 in front of the f pawn.

I'm not sure why anyone would play the QID but not the NID, since the NID can be played as a QID - plus - e.g. the Fischer variation with 4 e3 b6.  The NID is less flexible for White because Black has an instant positional threat and flexible development.

Avoiding the Catalan is a good point, but there are lots of ways to do that after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3; 3...b6 isn't a bad move.

After 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3, Black probably needs to prevent 4. e4 - so ...Bb4 and ...d5 are the main moves.  ...c5 is okay (I don't think the Taimanov is much worse than the MML in the Benoni).  ...b6 is probably playable.

But you would probably be just as well off playing the Nimzo and retreating the bishop to e7 in all the lines where you can do that without just being worse.

Indeed, I find the QID/NID combo very sensible, and NID combined with 3.Nf3 d5 is a much more common combo than QID combined with 3.Nc3 d5. I can think of two reasons to go for the latter:

- You like QID lines where Black does not give up the bishop pair, and you simply do not want to play the QGD in every game.
- You want to play the QGD, but you want to avoid the Catalan. Against 3.g3, you play either 3...c5 or 3...Bb4+.

I can imagine the latter reason increasing in popularity looking at the recent successes of the Catalan.

MNb wrote on 04/14/10 at 00:12:53:


It's hard to imagine a GM, whose opening repertoire includes so different in style openings (Queen's Indian + Benoni). 

But is there anything else after 3.Nc3? Maybe only 3...d5, which will transfer game into the QGD. But then why to play 1...Nf6 if 1...d5 leads to QG?

Smyslov_Fan wrote on 01/26/10 at 22:24:58:


Who?

Is there any GM who plays the Queen's Indian (or the Bogo-Indian) but against 3.Nc3 plays something other than the Nimzo-Indian?