Counter attacking against 1.d4?

Hi Gurus,

What opening/system that is counter attacking against 1.d4?

I'm a sicilian player and looking for counter attacking line for 1.d4 that is hopefully will not cost me to study most of d4 oceanic theory.

Is there a 1 counter attacking opening/system that can be use to 1.d4 what ever white succeding moves are?

Or there is no 1 opening/system and you need to have 2 or more counter attacking opening/system based on white next moves (2nd, 3rd, etc moves)?

I'm hoping this d4-counter attacking opening/system can be use against all succeding moves of white and will be variations under that opening/system. Not another opening when white decided to avoid that line.

Or i'm missing something and I should be defending against 1.d4? :(.

I tried looking on tartakower and i get an impression that against strong player im fighting for a draw.

Thank you very much and more power to Chess.com.

You might want to look into the King's Indian Defense (all black openings are "defenses"). It frequently results in imbalanced positions of a "counter-attacking" nature. The e6/g6/Bg7/Nf6/0-0 setup can be played against a wide variety of white moves. All Indian defenses typically allow White to set up a strong center and aim to undermine and destroy it with piece support and well-timed pawn pushes, which results in more imbalanced positions than the 1...d5 reply. They're not strictly superior - but they will result in somewhat fewer draws.

The Indian defenses come in "pairs" often, so to speak. After 1.d4 e6 2.c4 Nf6, 3.Nc3 allows ...Bb4 with the Nimzo-Indian, and 3.Nf3 allows ...b6, the Queen's Indian. Both are very viable, but you do have to know your stuff. Because you're not blocking the center "mechanically", by establishing a strong center pawn of your own, you need to pay attention to the dynamics and plans that make the Indian defenses possible.

(Incidentally, against a strong player, Black is always fighting for a draw - even if Black is also a strong player.)

Thank you very much for the post.

Why i dont feel that i'm fighting for a draw when I'm playing against 1.e4 using a sicilian. But against 1.d4 (using QGD tartakower) its very obvious and i need to use an opening that will liquidate 2 pieces at very early stage of the game just to soften potential attack from white.

I am looking for an opening against 1.d4 that I can use for a very long time as i gradually improve my rating. Hopefully it is a counter-attacking opening/system with a feeling of same fight as I am feeling with dragon sicilian. Queenside play and not stuck fighting for a center with a shield and not using my sword.

Have you considered the Dutch?

1. ..e5 is a nice counter attack ;)

You can also play the Dutch (1. ..f5) which allows some attacking chances and does not have tons of theory.

But "I'm a sicilian player and looking for counter attacking line for 1.d4 that is hopefully will not cost me to study most of d4 oceanic theory." does not sound doable for me. Sharp opening which feautes attacking lines have always tons of of theroy, at least if they aren‘t a not often playes gambit. The sizilian theory may be bigger than national libaries ;)

But if you do not want to study tons of theory, but get attacking chances, I‘d recommend the KID, the Dutch or even (if you‘re willing to sac a pawn) 1. e5.

The Albin Counter Gambit 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 has been used by Morozevich quite successfully and hes one of the top 20 players in the world...

I'm in the same boat as you. I've been experimenting with the Chigorin (although it doesn't have the best reputation) and the benko gambit (which can be declined). Unfortunately, I've only gotten like 2 d4 games on this site since then. Although I did try the chigorin in an OTB tournament about 30 minutes after I learned the first 2 moves, and I won both games with it.

Try the Budapest Gambit  1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5

Thank you very much for all post..I have tried dutch..and after white's Bf4 i found it hard for black..dutch is easy to avoid if the white player is aware.

Little by little im accepting the fact that if i want to have good repertoire against 1.d4 i need to swim the d4 ocean :(.

I have been trying and looking for 3 months now. If i have just study semi-slav 3 months ago or (queen-indian/nimzo-indian comb) i may have been more familiar with it already.

For the past 3 months i tried dutch only to find out i need to avoid Bf4 and pretend to use french which i will also need to learn. KID (maybe i need to check my new book), QGD tartakower (only to see GM's fighting for a draw), i even tried inventing lolz.

I dont get motivated to study a system/opening just to fight for a draw. I believe you prepare because at the end of the day you will have advantage - because you prepared. Not you prepared so you will be able to draw.

You could try the Benko, generally you have pressure for a pawn.

There is no opening that will give you counter attacking chances always on your turf, it doesnt exist. Though i dont know why its so important, playing the sicilian white has a huge ammount of options againt you.

I've always played grunfeld and semi-slav. While you do have to swim the ocean of theory, they give you nice attacking chances. And as for chigorins defense, I don't believe in any opening that doesn't defend d5 with a pawn. For example, in my recent game against a 2200+ USCF player:

My point in showing this game is that I, who am about 400 points lower than my opponent in strength, had a better and almost won position simply because my opponent played an unsound opening that gives me a nice edge and easy play. I don't believe the chigorin, giving white the center and development, is any more sound than this opening, and I think it should not be played by black.

32..nd8+ wins the rook

woops, didnt see it in the variations, bet your opponent was feeling lucky after that 

I also like the move 2. Nc3. Also, the dutch has quite a bit of theory, contrary to what was stated in post #6.

Dutch and other opening stated here is very good as it was played by players definitely is higher than me. Its just that on my current level i'm hoping to get something that i feel suits me..playing 1..e6 is good if you play french as game may transpose to french after 1..e6.

Powerlevel, please don't tell people to play e6 

I don't have any preparation at all in the classical dutch , all of the work I've done is on the 2. Nc3 line.

@shepi..does grunfeld and semi-slav compliments each other? like if the white avoids grunfeld then you can use semi-slav or vise-versa? sorry as i haven't check them yet..

Not really, they're completely different openings, with different ideas and stuff.

On the topic of the grunfeld, does anyone have any good lines for black against this variation (which I play sometimes as white).

i believe grunfeld liquidates the center which i think is good as 1.d4 advantage is occupying the center on opening.

The only good thing about 1. e6 is that they can't play a leningrad. Could black play 1. d4 g6 2. c4 f5?

If so I would lose even quicker, as I know the leningrad dutch is not a piece of cake.

hmmm... im hoping my black repertoire for 1.d4 will compliment my current repertoire..

im using english as white and dragon as black against everything except 1.d4.

If i need to swim 1.d4 ocean of theory so be it. as long as it will compliment my current repertoire. i want to feel playing on familiar grounds...it may not be the same but the landscape is familiar.

Any suggestions..