Choosing a defense to d4

I don't face d4 over the board very often so I have never seriously considered a defense to d4.  I was considering the Slav and the Tarrasch.  My defense to e4 is the Caro-Kann if that helps you out with the type of game Ilike to play.

Thanks,

Mark 

I've considered the Noteboom, but afraid it could be hard to understand since it violates a lot of opening principals and is a bit complicated.

If you play Caro-Kann then the Slav Defence is most in the same spirit.

I'm currently using the Caro-Kann against 1.e4 and the Stonewall Dutch against 1.d4, and the combination seems to work well for me. I've tried a lot of defences to d4, and the only other one I really liked was the QGD Tartakover. But the Stonewall has the advantage that Black more often gets an early chance to go on the offensive, especially if White underestimates it, which happens quite often.

The slav is similar to the caro, but the slav is extremely boring by comparison. 

I play 1.nc6 vs d4. This an idea you probably wont hear about often. Check out the dark knight system if you want to hear more about it. 

the Slav is not boring if you go for the Semi-Slav but it has nothing to do with the Caro-Kann: people just see the c6 pawn and assume it's similar

Just wing it. I will appreciate that very much.

Terrible idea... 

Caro Kann. So you like boredom, good! The best opening against d4 is also a bore - the only reason I left it - "Nimzo Indian", but you need to also know the "Queen's Indian" - it's a duo opening.

I play the Benko-Gambit.

Hanging Pawns, who plays the Caro-Kann against e4, is playing Semi-Slav against d4. zzzZZZzz

Benoni and I think that also Grunfeld, are for the big leagues - CMs and above.

Wonderful idea!

Benoni? No, you don't want to do that...

Grunfeld is an awesome opening for your rep.  

@marknatm if you don't face d4 often i'd recommend you the slav or qgd. you can use similar setups in queen's pawn games and other games that don't open with 1. e4

e.g.: against 1.c4 you play c6 for the slav (transposition to the caro kann possible) or e6 for the qgd

Everybody should do this. Thankyou in advance.

Maybe no one knows this Opening, but I use the Old and Gambit Benoni

No no no no no no no no no. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMESRatAG04

Nf6, e6. Playing this would mean you have to learn a lot of theory (Catalan, Nimzo-Indian, Queen's Indian), but its very intresting and sharp positions arise out of these openings. Or, if you want less theory, you can learn 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6, (Grunfield or King's Indian Defense).

Queens gambit declined with 3...a6

Rather simple, not a lot of theory and often you will get the Carlsbad pawn structure after cxd5 exd5, which you should already be familiar with from the exchange variation of the Caro-Kann.

1) d4 c6 e4 Nf6 the Masi Variation of the Caro-Kann with similarities to the Kings-Indian in one of its lines except with a Northernlion knight fianchetto on g7 and the DSB on e7

2) d4 a6 the St George Defence

3) d4 b6 the English Defence 

4) d4 e6 c4 Bb4+ the Keres Defence to transpose to a Nimzo-Indian or a Bogo-Indian 

5) d4 c5 the Old Benoni 

6) d4 b5 the Polish Opening/Defence