Suitable defence for average club player against 1. d4?

[Nick Grey]

Benko - average club player plays for a win/initiative with black pieces.

[Roger de Coverly]

Benko - average club player plays for a win/initiative with black pieces.

If you can persuade the "average club player" to play 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5, then yes. It's also an option in delayed form, for example against the Averbach, 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 0-0 6. Bg5 c5 7. d5 . Both the immediate b5 and playing a6 first are plausible, with a6 also playable on move 6.

But the Kings Indian, Benoni (and related things like the Benko), Grunfeld are good against players lacking the knowledge or confidence to go for main lines. Whilst the potentially seriously good can continue to decline or accept Queen's Gambits, I would argue that for a 130 player with ambitions to reach 180, that a mastery of the defences to d4 involving g6 and Bg7 is next to essential, for the simple practical reason that your grade goes up by winning games. Once you reach 180 and play other players of that standard, a less risky approach might be appropriate. It depends on playing style.

[LawrenceCooper]

Benko - average club player plays for a win/initiative with black pieces.

If you can persuade the "average club player" to play 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5, then yes. It's also an option in delayed form, for example against the Averbach, 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 0-0 6. Bg5 c5 7. d5 . Both the immediate b5 and playing a6 first are plausible, with a6 also playable on move 6.

But the Kings Indian, Benoni (and related things like the Benko), Grunfeld are good against players lacking the knowledge or confidence to go for main lines. Whilst the potentially seriously good can continue to decline or accept Queen's Gambits, I would argue that for a 130 player with ambitions to reach 180, that a mastery of the defences to d4 involving g6 and Bg7 is next to essential, for the simple practical reason that your grade goes up by winning games. Once you reach 180 and play other players of that standard, a less risky approach might be appropriate. It depends on playing style.

This reminds me of a time that I decided that a student looking for a more dynamic defence to 1 d4 than the QGD should try one of the Benko, Benoni, Grunfeld or Kings Indian. My prepared lesson was somewhat derailed when the player stated that they didn't like fianchettoing their f8 bishop

[MartinCarpenter]

Can always throw it out to b4 instead I suppose

[Matt Mackenzie]

Another thing to remember with the Benko is that club players will often decline it (often with "non book" moves like 4 b3 and 4 e3)

[Roger de Coverly]

Another thing to remember with the Benko is that club players will often decline it (often with "non book" moves like 4 b3 and 4 e3)

Both have been played often enough to have built up a respectable number of games. "Normal" play from those positions is likely to resemble a Benko or Benoni, so a knowledge of the underlying themes is valuable.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Another thing to remember with the Benko is that club players will often decline it (often with "non book" moves like 4 b3 and 4 e3)"

and a lot of people decline it on move 3 with Nf3 or dxc5 e.g., not that either move worries black.

[Paolo Casaschi]

Another thing to remember with the Benko is that club players will often decline it (often with "non book" moves like 4 b3 and 4 e3)

Both have been played often enough to have built up a respectable number of games. "Normal" play from those positions is likely to resemble a Benko or Benoni, so a knowledge of the underlying themes is valuable.

The major issue comes from White's move order 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 Playing 2... c5 gives you a position substantially different than the Benko / Modern Benoni, usually leaving Black rather passive. And all your Benko preparation is gone.

[Roger de Coverly]

The major issue comes from White's move order 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 Playing 2... c5 gives you a position substantially different than the Benko / Modern Benoni, usually leaving Black rather passive. And all your Benko preparation is gone.

There is a point to playing the sequence 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c5. If you suspect White might try 3. Nc3, 3. Bg5 or 3. Bf4 then playing c5 immediately does force them to declare their intentions. Naturally 3. d5 can be played and they still have the possibility of leaving out c4. The sequence 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c5 3. d5 b5 presumably has some Benko like positions. One of the main lines starts to look like the Benoni version of the Tromp with the next moves being 4. Bg5 Ne4 5. Bf5 Qa5 6. c3 .

Looking at my collection of British games, it's apparent that you have to be a reasonably strong or well booked player to know that 3. .. b5 is even possible.

[Phil Neatherway]

Whatever defence you decide on, there will always be players who against virtually anything, will play something like:

1. d4, 2. Nf3 3. e3 4. Bd3
1. d4 2 Bf4 (or Nf3 first)
1. d4, 2. e3, 3. f4

you need to know what to do against these possibilities.

[Roger de Coverly]

you need to know what to do against these possibilities.

At the level of players who compete in Opens, it's only really the London system with 2. or 3. Bf4 that you have to be prepared for. Arguably players who only ever play the Colle or Stonewall will never get a high enough grade to play in such events or appear on a high board in matches. But I entirely agree that if you are trying to help an average or lower player ( average being 135 to 140) with their openings and middle games, that suggesting lines and ideas against the Colle and Stonewall is a must. I'd suspect both are totally harmless, worse even, against a Kings Indian setup.

I know one way that the Stonewall could be dangerous for Black using a Kings Indian style defence. That is where they laboriously organise e4 and succeed, at which time they have transposed to an Austrian attack Pirc a tempo down. But does Black want the Pirc position now reached? In the parallel Colle, it's just a Classical, so less to worry about.

[Graham Borrowdale]

There are plenty of strong club/county players who wheel out 1d4 2Nf3 3Bf4 against virtually anything. If there is one thing ever likely to persuade me to give up chess it is that lot!
But agreed, having a repertoire based around the Benko is likely to result in a true Benko once in a blue moon, and playing Benko positions needs to go hand in hand with having a feel for Kings Indian positions. I was once told that players tend to be either 'black square' or 'white square' players, and these are all 'black square' systems. Very sweeping, I know, but in chess things tend to be black and white.

[MartinCarpenter]

Some quite effective Colle - Z players (comfortably strong enough for opens) round Yorkshire too

[Paolo Casaschi]

Whatever defence you decide on, there will always be players who against virtually anything, will play something like:

1. d4, 2. Nf3 3. e3 4. Bd3
1. d4 2 Bf4 (or Nf3 first)
1. d4, 2. e3, 3. f4

you need to know what to do against these possibilities.

Exactly. And there's no silver bullet that would work on all of those... and on the mainline 1. d4 ... 2. c4

Anyway, probably the best answer to the question of the original post is that a player at club level can afford to play anything without an extensive opening preparation, so any defense is ok and playing them all is even better!

[Nick Grey]

Other than Indian defence complexes (various), fiancetto's or those with Bb4, Queens Gambit Accepted or not, benoni/benkos & systems where white plays a different move than 2c4 I think you will find that covers a lot of responses.

Look at your overall structures & what type of positions you play well in. Examine games of players that are better than yourself. Look for key positions & then work on them.

Try not to change too much at once & remember that it is usual that 50% of your games are with black pieces & there are plenty of other opening moves.

Openings are just part of the game.

Never think of yourself as an average club player. Try to be above average. But analyse your games & especially your losses, & where you may have played an inferior opening move refer to your literature & find out why many players play a different one.

As for the Benko - a number of our school (40 years ago) came across this system because our library bought his book.
It was different. Then again we were also following some wonderful games in Sicilian dragons, & then realised from some players like Basman & Miles that you could get your average player out of their comfort zone at move 1 or 2.