Chess Stack Exchange
Chess Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [1.d4]

1. d4 is one of White's two most common first moves. It tends to produce closed games.

66 questions
24
votes
7 answers

What is a good French-like defense against 1. d4?

I enjoy playing the French Defence as black against 1. e4, for the following reasons. It often creates a closed position without wild tactics It takes white away from the more familiar lines (1... e5 and 1... c5) If black survives the attack, black…
Eric Wilson
  • 1,257
  • 3
  • 12
  • 20
22
votes
7 answers

Openings - e4 vs d4

In more than 90% of chess games I play in, the first move is either d4 or e4. When I am black, I try to counter e4 with Caro-Kann and Sicilian, and against d4 I usually just play d5 and see where it goes from there. I'm however puzzled by one…
OmnipresentAbsence
  • 1,079
  • 2
  • 10
  • 14
20
votes
11 answers

Looking for an aggressive opening for black vs 1. d4

I like the King's Gambit a lot, and even the Latvian Gambit as black (with dubious results), so my style is very aggressive openings with potentially sharp lines and hack n' slash type of tactical sacrifice lines. However as black when facing the…
Anonymous Entity
  • 301
  • 1
  • 2
  • 6
15
votes
3 answers

What are the common themes in the Catalan?

I have looked over some of the main lines of the Catalan in MCO-15 and feel pretty lost as to what's going on in them. What are some of the key positions and goals for either side? Or is the opening just too tactical to have any real unifying…
Nathan Monteleone
  • 469
  • 4
  • 7
14
votes
3 answers

Why does Black want to trade off their King's Bishop in many d4 lines?

I feel that in many lines starting with d4, such as the Queen's Gambit Declined, or especially the Nimzo-Indian, Black is more than happy to trade their King's Bishop for White's knight on c3. For instance, one frequent line in the Nimzo-Indian…
Marc Vaisband
  • 293
  • 1
  • 8
13
votes
11 answers

What can I play against 1.d4?

I've been playing chess for some time and I've studied lots of theory, but I don't know what to play against 1. d4. I'm searching for something with good chances for black but without much theory. Note: If someone has some videos or theory on…
Panzer
  • 1,357
  • 1
  • 11
  • 14
13
votes
5 answers

Why are side pawns better than center pawns in this position?

So center pawns are usually regarded as more powerful than side pawns, which is why I have a question about this position. After 1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 c5 the engine and theory recommend playing 3. e3 to defend the pawn on d4, but if black exchanges for…
Fanny Raymond
  • 131
  • 1
  • 3
11
votes
1 answer

What are the main plans for black and white in the main-line Slav after 5...Bf5 6.e3?

I'm thinking about adding the Slav defense to my opening repertoire. I'm looking at the following line, which I believe is the main line: [fen ""] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 Online, there's a lot of variations and…
Rebecca J. Stones
  • 4,340
  • 1
  • 26
  • 43
11
votes
2 answers

What are the main ideas and goals in the Queen's Indian Defense?

There's no real surprise when it comes to the strategy for the King's Indian Defence: storm white's king side, maybe sac a few things, and mate (ideally). But what does a practitioner of the QID hope to achieve in terms of the opening and long term…
chubbycantorset
  • 4,656
  • 7
  • 31
  • 53
10
votes
2 answers

In the Slav, after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6, what are all the differences between 4. Qc2 and 4. Qb3?

In the Slav, after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 : What are all the differences between 4. Qc2 and 4. Qb3 ? Which one of them is better to reach some Catalan type positions? Which one of them tends to lead (on average) to the most solid, quiet,…
Fate
  • 4,786
  • 2
  • 34
  • 68
10
votes
3 answers

Why after 1. d4 Nf6, 2. c4 is so common but after 1. c4 Nf6, 2. d4 is so rare?

I am using Lichess's master database and after 1. d4 Nf6, 71.63% of the game continues with 2. c4. However, after 1. c4 Nf6, only 5.22% of the game continues with 2. d4. Are they not essentially the same opening? My question is: Why after 1. d4 Nf6,…
Zuriel
  • 8,749
  • 6
  • 39
  • 93
10
votes
2 answers

Why is 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Bg5 almost never played?

Why is [fen ""] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Bg5 almost never played? Isn't it a logical opening move? OK, it goes against the rule of "Knights before Bishops in the Opening", but is a general rule enough for this move to be virtually never played at…
A. N. Other
  • 6,816
  • 2
  • 28
  • 66
10
votes
1 answer

Modified move-order in the KID 4. ..0-0. What is the point and how to react?

A main line in the King's Indian Defense is this 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6. However, black could castle instead of d6: [FEN " "] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 O-O Is this a more-or-less inconsequential move order inversion or…
quid
  • 563
  • 4
  • 13
10
votes
3 answers

What are the ideas behind the Blackmar-Diemer gambit?

I have a new chess student who likes risky openings. We conducted an exercise where we played the first 4 or 5 moves to see which openings come naturally to him. He chose the Scandinavian Defence and Queen's Gambit Accepted as Black, and the…
user1108
9
votes
1 answer

Early f3 in d4 openings?

Are these openings playable for white? I use the first move order to counter my friend's very well prepared Benoni, and manage to whoop him many times, but its only in blitz. I was wondering if early f3s are playable in "actual" i.e. longer games as…
chubbycantorset
  • 4,656
  • 7
  • 31
  • 53
1
2 3 4 5