Suggestions for black against 1.d4

Hi,

I'm quite a positional player. I prefer long, strategic struggles rather than tactical games. I don't mind reaching endgames where I have some slight advantage. I'm lazy in regards to learning theory, so I'd rather avoid mainlines when I can.

With white I play 1.e4 Ruy Lopez, the closed and quiet variations with d3 and sometimes the exchange Ruy. Against the Sicilian I like the Chekhover (4.Qxd4) since it usually puts Sicilian players off. Against French I play Tarrasch, against Petroff the line with 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Nc3!.

With black I play French against 1.e4. I sometimes play Sicilian Kan as well. 

What I'm lacking is a choice against 1.d4. I've tried everything but I don't reach comfortable positions. I don't mind playing with less space, like in the French. But in the French I have clear targets so coming up with my plan is usually easy.

Any suggestions? Please give some recommendations which don't require much theory and lead to quiet games. Thank you!

can you try going for a closed system setup with pawns on d5, c6 and e6 and slowly try to manoeuvre your pieces to good squares?

Systems with pawns on d5, c6 and e6 are often the most tactical, for example the Semi-Slav. Instead you could opt for the Chebaenko Slav.

I'm definitely thinking about it. 

However, I'd like some opening which doesn't give white so many options, since it's harder to prepare against.

An example of the Chebaenko Slav, including the thematic move Ra7

What is black's plan long term?

 The plans in these sorts of positions involve pawn breaks - sometimes e5, c5 or b5. The idea is to advance these pawns at the right moments depending on the position. However I don't play this myself as black so I can't give very specific advice, but I believe @pfren will be able to help

Well, you can't play neither c5 nor b5 in that opening...

Not in this specific line but for example 5.e3 b5

Ben Finegold plays the Czech Benoni (Nf6, c5, e5 and then d6) with good results.  The main value is that White cannot really avoid it if he plays 2.c4.  Both Black and White have obvious pawnbreaks in b4/b5 and f4/f5, but the positions aren't as easy as they may first appear.  May be worth checking out.

It's possible to play the Nimzo in a fairly theory-less way; Nf6, e6, Bb4, 0-0, d6, and now either b6, Bb7 and c5, or push with e5, or a combination of both, and you aren't worried about exchanging on c3 at any point.  If White doesn't play 3.Nc3, you can do the exact same thing with Be7 instead.  And as a bonus, the set-up works well against the omnipresent Colle and London systems seen at club level.

Finally, the classic Queen's Gambit Declined can lead to quieter games, especially in the Lasker or similar variations where Black manages to exchange a few pieces, but I've never played these and can't comment much.

Try Indian Game (Nf6) because u develop quickly and establish control of the center

Whenever I see 1.d4, I think to myself:

• "Man, I wish I could punish my opponent for that..."

And so once I played the Old Benoni.

The positions in the introductory videos looked sorrowful indeed, but still I decided to give it a chance. If it meant I could punish the d4'er then so be it.

It worked. In the very few games I've played with it I had one of the most fun experiences in the last few months.

King's Indian Defense

The famous SmithyQ!

Thank you for your suggestions. I find them very useful. I'm gonna try the QID setup.

Thanks!

Czech Benoni and Gruenfeld. 

Who likes quiet games???

The fact of the matter is, that if you don't like mainlines and theory, then your opponent (if he has any sense at all) will be able to force you to get tactical whenever it suits him.

Even the Indian Defenses can be worked around through the very tactical Trumpowsky Attack.  You should be wary of this.

QGD may be ok; lasker and tartakower (with h6 and b6) but remember that only positional approach has some drawbacks too, many times you might just get sqeezed and loose game without game actually being played and lets say if you play against weaker player who wants just draw and you want to win than this may be really hard since particularly in QG and Slav there are very simple plans for white ones and as black you ll have to do unclear things.

also may i advice some tarrasch things with e6, d5, c5 setup. There will be isolated d pawn but you might get activated pieces and easier play.

You are very positional player who doesn't want to learn openings much. The London System as white, the 3...Qd8 Scandinavian and 4...a6 Slav as black. In the 4...a6 Slav (also known as the Chebanenko Slav) black is often seeking to break with ...e5, or perhaps ...b6 (if white has played c5). In the 4...a6 Slav if white locks his queen's bishop in with e3 then black can head for ....g6 and play for the ...e5 break in that way, or if white plays his bishop to f4 as white often does then black can harass the bishop with ...Nh5 so as to get the bishop off of hampering the ...e5 break. One something I don't like about the 3...Qd8 Scandinavian is 3 Nf3 (instead of 3 Nc3 Qd8) is worrisome when in the main line black pins the f3 knight, the queen floats around in the middle of the board, and black faces uncomfortable pressure on his own king. It can get tactical. Instead, I think black may can just try to play against 3 Nf3 with a ...Bf5 Caro Kann type setup, or even like a Rubinstein French type setup. The London System and the 4...a6 Slav can be quite similar in ideas and be played with minimal theory knowledge (though knowing some theory is helpful). The 3...Qd8 Scandinavian bypasses a lot of theory. Carson played the 3...Qd8 Scandinavian and even won with it against a player rated almost 2800. 

This entire repertoire is system play, which is ideal for a positional player who wants to avoid theory as much as possible, use ideas, and keep things under control as much as possible.