The Aronian line for Black is a slightly Meran-like version of the Orthodox QGD that Ntirlis gives for those who don't like the more technical Kramnik variation. 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Bg5 O-O 6.e3 Nbd7 7.Qc2 h6 8.Bh4 c6 (instead of Kramnik's 8...c5), followed up by ...b5. The OP doesn't need it; he would play the Lasker after Nf3.

About the Eingorn with 1.d4 e6 2.c4 Bb4+ and 3.Nc3 c5--I see that Langrock, who wrote a book on the Rubinstein French, plays it, and there is a clear analogy to the Rubinstein in Black's pawn moves. But doesn't it give White a lot of choices, and don't these include  many variations where Black should probably go for a Hübner-like, completely-blocked center with ...c5, ...d6, and ....e5? The OP said he didn't like maneuvering games. Still, I guess one just can't clear the center that fast against 1.d4 unless one wants to play things like the QGA, Tarrasch, or Budapest. He's going to have to give up something from his list!

These "what is the 1.d4 equivalent of the X defense" questions are always so frustrating. I think there just isn't one.

Laramonet wrote on 08/16/20 at 16:04:06:


This would have been my suggestion too.

What is this line of Aronian?

The QGA is a good idea. I would suggest the Kramnik QGD+Alatortsev. It might be a good fit for you, if only you would find a good reply to 5.Bf4, where avoiding an IQP is a challenge.

Spongebobiscool wrote on 08/15/20 at 16:13:40:

First point, your performance with black is exactly what we would expect. Consider a 2330-player who scores 67% with white and 55% with black, this is 61% average, which predicts +78 Elo. Now let's look in the database, using ChessBase Big Database 2018: 

WhiteElo from 2280 to 2380 vs BlackElo from 2202 to 2302
N34318 +15183 =13125 -6004 ?6 average: 65.6% 

WhiteElo from 2202 to 2302 vs BlackElo from 2280 to 2380 
N34229 +8113 =14649 -11465 ?2 average: 45.1% 

Spongebobiscool wrote on 08/15/20 at 16:13:40:

Too bad about that second red bullet. Maybe you can get over it? Or just admit that black can't have everything he/she/they wants in the opening. Because otherwise the Tarrasch Defense perfectly fits the three green bullets and the first red one.

Hi ChessPub!

I am rated around 2330 and I'm hoping to become IM someday. However, my performance with the Black pieces has always been significantly worse than my White performance. I score 55% with Black whereas my White performance is around 67% (against similar opposition). This is one of many reasons I haven't achieved my goal yet.

I used to play a 1... d6 based repertoire. I was, and still am, satisfied with my repertoire against 1. e4. I mostly play the Philidor, but sometimes I switch to the Pirc Defence when I'm looking for a more double-edged game. What I like about these openings is that they are fairly narrow: White has a limited amount of set-ups/systems he can choose from.

Against 1. d4 I also used to play 1... d6, hoping to reach my comfortable Philidor/Pirc territory, but the majority of my opponents choose 2. Nf3 - simply stopping 2... e5. Naturally, I wouldn't want to go to a King's Indian Defence and tried (nearly!?) all independent systems available to Black: 2... Bg4 (the Wade Defence), 2... g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 e5, or 4... Bg4, but the resulting positions are simply not my play style. Some of these systems could be considered dubious too. I disliked the fact that White has many options to choose from (which is, of course, typical for 1. d4-openings), but the real problem was that the closed positions didn't suit me. On a sidenote, I consider 1. d4 d6 2. c4 e5 3. d5 to be very strong for White too.

I experimented with the Semi-Tarrasch after having studied Marin's dvds on the opening, but I lack understanding of the resulting middlegame positions. Recent games at the top level, in for instance the Chessable Masters, also made me doubt this type of position for Black - giving up the center without a fight. Black is solid, but it's not for me.

However, against the Catalan (1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3), I was satisfied with 4... c5. This system has a somewhat dubious reputation but with limited analysis, I at least managed to get decent results in blitz games. White usually gets an initiative on the Queenside, but the positions are rather simplistic and Black usually doesn't have too much trouble developing his pieces.

I was interested in the Lasker Defence (1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 O-O 6. Nf3 h6 7. Bh4 Ne4), but quickly realised that 4. cxd5 is the real problem 🤦‍♂️

Against 1. e4, I recently started experimenting with the Rubinstein's French too (1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 (or 3. Nd2) dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7) and I really, really enjoy this opening  White's options are extremely limited and Black is able to quickly eliminate the center with ...c5. I don't mind to suffer in the middlegame a bit as long as can take my opponent's center down.

I'm looking for a similar option against 1. d4, which is not trivial. Ideally, I'd like to achieve the following from the opening:

• White's options should be limited,

• Black is able to quickly take down the center,

• I prefer my opponent to be absolutely disgusted with my play/the type of middlegame positions, as in the Rubinstein

What I don't want:

• White can decide the character of the play (I especially dislike the manoeuvring positions)

• An IQP

Any suggestions at all would be helpful! Also, I am not an opening expert at all and I believe we can all learn from each other, so please don't hesitate to share your experiences regardless of your rating 🙏