emary wrote on 08/29/12 at 22:28:19:



Actually the QGD is probably what I will end up going with, but also look at the a6 Slav.
And Cox's New book Declining the Queens Gambit is the book I was considering.

As far as sidelins I am waiting for the book Grandmaster Repertoire 11 - Beating 1.d4 Sidelines by Boris Avrukh to be released this year, Boris plays the Grunfeld and also the book is supposed to cover the sidelines no mater how you anwser 1.d4.  Should be good Im sure!

Thanks for the suggestion, have experimented with the QGD a little, just looked at a couple of a6 Slave games.  the next step will to be to try out a couple of openings in blitz.


Also after years of Chess I still do not have a consistant  anwser to the English opening, which I think the QGD might also work well.  

thanks!

I would suggest the QGD, beginning with the Lasker: 

1) QGD can be used against 1.Nf3 and 1.c4  
2) It is very solid and a classical opening. 

3) You get the optimal setup against Queens-Pawn-
openings: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5. 

Especially 3.Bf4 c5! is a very combative line 
against the London. 

3.e3 g6 is a good line against the Colle and could transpose to 
the Gruenfeld. 

3.Bg5 Ne4 is a good line against the Torre. 

Cox has written an interesting repertoire-book against 
Queens-Pawn-Openings, if you play QG, Nimzo, QID, 
Modern Benoni, Bogol Indian etc as your main defences 
against 1.d4.

4) There are very good books on the QGD, I mention two:  

Cox: QGD. 
A black repertoire with the Tartakower, 
the Lasker, Short's line against the QGD-exchange and 
the Bb4 line against the Catalan, 
a solid line against 5.Bf4 and 
what Black can do if White avoids the main lines. 


Sadler: Queens Gambit Declined
Sadler teaches the Lasker, the Tartakower, the Orthodox, 
Bf4-lines, Bxf6 lines and QGD-exchange lines. 
He uses an instructive question-answer format, 
I like this book very much.  

Btw: 
If you don't like the QGD-exchange, 
then offering a Semi-Tarrasch could be a 
surprise weapon: 
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 
Now 5.Nxd5 exd5 is nothing for White, because 
after ...c6 White has no pressure against d5. 
Black has already exchanged a pair of knights and 
has easy development.   

Critical is 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 c5 7.Rb1!?  
(7.Nf3 is natural and transposes to the 
Semi-Tarrasch. This line is very well worked out. 
A IM has told me, that this line is very difficult to win 
for White if Black is well prepared, he avoids it with White. 
But in the other lines the Semi-Tarrasch is solid. 
 

Unfortunately, the Noteboom & Marshall Gambit require knowing many concrete lines.

JEH wrote on 08/28/12 at 10:31:31:


Exactly!  I do not like the blocked pawn center, but more than that I do not like attacking on the same side as my king, I don't feel comfortable with an open king, even though I know it is a closed opening. In the Grunfeld the king feels safer to me and you can attack on the queenside, I guess it is just a matter of taste I have played most of the openings that Kasparov played because I love his style, but the KID never appealed to me, althought exchanging in the center does sound more appealing, I have always preferred to play the white side of the KID. 

Michael Wilde wrote on 08/26/12 at 23:44:01:

Why? Kasparov, Vachier Lagrave, Svidler, Grischuk, etc... and others reknown Grunfeld palyers have also played the KID.

Ender wrote on 08/27/12 at 21:05:38:


If I Like the a6 Slav then I might check out the Triangle systems...Thanks

Mortal Games wrote on 08/27/12 at 18:01:57:



Yes I agree, knowing different postions is crucial for improvemnet, I may experiment with the QGD and a6 Slav, one of the Benifits if the QGD was that I would learn to play some defense!