How to play against 1. c4?

It's always confounded me as black. I typically play 1.e5 against it. But what is the best plan? Could you please show me some reasonable alternatives? How do you counter 1. c4?

I typically do e6 with a lot of success. The most common response to this is d4 which should be responed with Nf6.

I'll just list it here.

1. c4 e6

2. d4 Nf6

3. Nf3 c5

This should get you off your feet in most situations.

But that's just the same thing as playing 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 right? You'd want to actually know some theory for that, I'd think.

c4 annoys me too, since it's hard not to transpose into something. I guess I'm kind of interested in what people here say too, but for now I play Nf6 with the intention of getting into the KID or Grunfeld if white plays d4.

You could play 1. Nc6 if you like the Chigorin, or you play 1.e6 or 1.Nf6 if you want to transpose into d4 openings. e5 is a viable option, it's usually a Sicillian down a tempo. c5 is also an option, and can sometimes transpose into Maroczy bind setups.

Unless you play  1...e5, a lot depends on what you favor against 1 d4  2 c4.

Glanced at a few of your games and it looks like you prefer the Slav against 1 d4  2 c4.  You could go ahead and play 1 c4 c6, inviting White to play into the Slav.  You'd need to know how to play the Black side of the Caro-Kann Panov Attack because you might get 2 e4 instead of 2 d4(1 e4 c6  2 d4 d5 3 exd5 cxd5 4 c4 arrives at the same position as 1 c4 c6 2 e4 d5 3 exd5 cxd5 4 d4)

1 c4 Nc6 invites 2 d4 d5(Chigorin's Defense of the Queen's Gambit).  1 c4 Nc6 2 Nc3 e5 leads toward some sort of Reversed Closed Sicilian set-up.

1 c4 e6 2 d4 can go several ways depending on what defenses you like against those first two moves by White.

The Symmetrical English is another way to play against 1 c4.  The first few moves go something like 1 c4 c5 2 Nc3 Nc6 3 g3 g6 4 Bg2 Bg7 then it splits depending on whether White plays 5 Nf3 or not.  Or 1 c4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Nc3 or 3 d4 cxd4.

As someone who plays the English exclusively as White, I can tell you that the 2 most annoying moves for me are 1... c6 and 1... e6. Since I play the QGD as Black (usually aiming for Semi-Tarrasch Defense), I play 1... e6 against 1.c4, but 1... c6 has many of the same ideas.

White generally plays 1.c4 in order to control the d5 square. If Black plays the immediate 1... d5, White will simply take on d5 and Black can never again put a pawn on d5.

However, if Black preps 2... d5 with 1... e6 or 1... c6, there's nothing White can do to stop Black from getting the pawn to d5. d5 is an especially important square for Black to put a pawn on since it is naturally protected by the Queen.

Once Black gets the pawn to d5, the rest of the opening should be comparatively simple for Black (focus on development while at the same time making sure d5 is adequately protected). White will often fianchetto the King's Bishop in order to add even more pressure to d5, so be prepared to defend that square.

At least in my experience in playing 1. c4, I've always found 1...Nf6 to be the most sensible reply. 1. c4 is a bit like 1. Nf3; white is not really wanting to commit, and is holding back just a little bit to see what black does. At least when I play 1. c4, I love to see my opponents play commital moves like 1...c6, 1...e6, or even 1...e5. It gives me the potential to "trick" my opponent by a transposition into a setup that he really doesn't know. The virtue of 1...Nf6 is that the king's knight almost always goes on f6, and not a lot of intent is disclosed by it. If white has his heart set on an english set-up, just develop sensibly, either based on 2...e6 or possibly 2...g6, and you should have a good game. If white instead decides to transpose into a d-pawn opening, that's just fine! You have nearly all sensible defenses to 1. d4 to choose from, except the Dutch.

You are on the right track if you answer 1.c4 with 1...e5. It is a favorite reply of former world champion Anatoly Karpov. I recommend Mihail Marin's book GM repertoire 3 and it's companion GM Repertoire 4 and 5 The English Opening.

I move 1... c6 because I play Slav defence as Black.

1...e5 is fine.  Develop normally and try to control the dark squares if the game stays closed.  If it opens, your faster kingside development may prove to be of attacking benefit.

Against c4, I would reccomend c5, the symettrical. Chances are, your opponent doesn't know anything about it. Even if they do, it's a good opening 

I get annoyed when people play this v me.What they play is

1.C4 ???

2.G3 ???

     So I play this

1.C4 B6

2.NC3 BB7

3.E3 C5

I've tried it twice and its 50/50 but both games were against higher rated players.

1.c4 is the ultimate anti-Sicilian weapon.

pellik wrote:

transpo wrote:

1.c4 is the ultimate anti-Sicilian weapon.

Really? I find it leads to the maroczy bind a lot, which is only a fairly decent anti-sicilian weapon imo. What am I doing wrong?

It could be because you are playing it against the Boleslavsky Wall.

c6 Nf6 d5 is comfortable IMO.

I always play the King's Indian Defense when white plays 1.c4.

Well, against the english, for some strange reason, i like to play the kings indian, with 1...e5 it gives me always good results.

A fairly decent anti-sicilian? The maroczy is hazardous for black.

I think what you play against 1.c4 should depend on what you do against 1.d4, as White can easily choose to transpose.  If you go differently, he can switch over to a d4 opening that you don't know.  Therefore, here's what I'd recommend:

King's Indian Players - Play like you normally would a KID

Grunfeld Players - Play 1...Nf6 and 2...d5 (2...g6 allows 3.e4 and forces you into a KID if he plays 4.d4)

Nimzo-Indian Players - If you can handle the line 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.e4, take that route.  If that line drives you up the wall, the Symmetrical is fine if you understand Anti-Benoni lines

Benoni/Benko Players - If you like agressive, tactical lines, play 1...e5.  If you are willing to deal with more positional games, then 1...c5 would be good because you'll also get some Anti-Benonis

Dutch Players - Play 1...f5, but watch out if you play the Stonewall.  There may be times when the Classical setup is more appropriate

QGA/QGD players - Play 1...e6 intending 2...d5 and going into an Open or Closed Reti

Slav Players - Play 1...c6 where White can play either the Reti-Slav or transpose to Slav lines.

ALSO NOTE:  If you play the Accelerated Dragon as Black against 1.e4, it may be worth learning the Symmertical English as certain lines of the Anti-Benoni can transpose directly to the Accelerated Dragon, but others will be just static Symmetrical English positions.

So look at what you play against 1.d4 (or if you play the Accelerated Dragon, follow the last route), and base accordingly.

It should be noted that the dutch is quite bad against the english. The anglo dutch does not leave black a happy camper at all.