Yes, good point. There is no free lunch. For me the ...g6 versions of London and Torre are more comfortable for black than the ...e6 versions, but that may just reflect my greater experience in ...g6 setups. Actually I usually play 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3
d6, but this is just a move order detail, available because I don't mind 3.Nc3 there. But I agree with you about the ...c5xd4 English lines. There the ...e6 setup is far easier to play than the ...g6. Still, the Accelerated Dragon / Maroczy is defensible for black, but it does require another opening.
Mtal wrote on 06/20/22 at 19:35:43:
I been wanting to cut down on my studying and hope I don't have to learn another opening (like a QGD or KID).
White, being white, can _always_ choose a move order that shakes you up and forces a different opening. Even the KID, that most universal of defenses, can be "move ordered". White simply plays 1.e4! Also after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3!? there will not be a KID.
I see two possible approaches.
- Knuckle down and learn a good alternate defense to 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3. And be satisfied that in order to avoid your Benoni white had to play a soft move like 2.Nf3, restricting their own choice more than black's.
- Find an offbeat reply and see how your results are. Not 2...Ne4?!, but maybe 2...b5!?. If your results are okay, job done for little effort. If your results are bad, then it is back to option 1.