Queen's Pawn Game - Raise Your Level

Queen's Pawn Game

The Queen's Pawn Game contains the QGD, the Slavs and Indian Systems. There are also several smaller, but important, independent openings available after 1.d4.

You have sharp, theoretical openings like the Trompowsky Attack and the Dutch Defense. Then you have positionally orientated schemes like the London System and the Colle System.

1.d4 games can lead to any conceivable position. The pawn structures can take very different forms. Careful maneuvering or sharp and sacrificial, you'll find something of interest here.

Take Control with the Little Known Veresov

Queen's Pawn Game, Veresov Opening - 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bg5

The Veresov Opening, sometimes called the Richter-Veresov Attack or simply the Veresov Attack, is an unusual kind of 1.d4 opening. As White you will follow up either 1...d5 or 1...Nf6 with 2.Nc3.

In most Queenside openings you want 2.c4 to increase control of d5 and release the Queen but not here. Here after 2.Nc3 you are threatening an e4 advance which will compel ...d5 on the second move if not the first.

On move 3 you will bring your dark square Bishop to g5, threatening to remove the f6-Knight. This is another play for control of d5 and more particularly e4. Black must play precisely to avoid conceding a sizeable advantage in the opening. He has scope for counter-attack on the Queenside if he plays his cards right.

Play Cut-throat Chess in the Benoni Defense

Queen's Pawn Game, Benoni Defense - 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5

The Benoni Defense is an opening for the ultimate street fighter. It's a voluntary sacrifice of central space. You're creating a cramped position for yourself. White will try to overwhelm you in the center. He will do this by playing against your main structural weakness, d6.

No one would do this if there wasn't some compensation involved. Here the pay off is claimed by playing in classic hypermodern fashion. Trade off a piece, usually your light square Bishop, to alleviate the space problem. Then attack White's center from both wings.

You've got your powerful dark square bishop on the long diagonal. You need to get your Knights on to good outposts. Sometimes it's e5 and h5. Your Queenside Knight can in other lines find himself slipping into c5 after the ...c4 advance, ready to plant himself into d3. Black must play aggressively and material sacrifices and imbalances ought to be regarded as standard procedure for the regular Benoni player. This is a sharp opening with chances for both sides.

More Complications in the Schmid Benoni

Queen's Pawn Game, Schmid Benoni - 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.d5

As White you will delay playing c4 in the Schmid Benoni. Nc3 is a common move and provides the characteristic of the opening with the c-pawn prevented from advancing by this piece.

Black's methods go along thematic play with ...Bg4 to trade off some pieces popular. You can also try the provocative ...e6, challenging White's monster d5-pawn at the cost of loosening the defense around your King. You have to do something before White gets his center rolling with f4 and e5.

Black will try to hold on the Kingside and center, hoping to get counterplay on the Queenside. A lot of his energy on this wing will go into prepping ...b5 and perhaps ...c4 allowing ...Nc5 and ...Nd3.

Facing this with the White pieces, you should be ready to play ...a4 in time to frustrate this plan. If Black can get his Queenside moving you could be in trouble so you want to nip that in the bud.

Catalan Opening - Discourage the ...c5 Assault

Queen's Pawn Game, Catalan Opening - 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3

In the position shown 3...d5 4.Nf3 will bring the game to the Main Starting Position of the Catalan Opening. You know that ...c5 is always a likely move in these kind of positions so you tell Black that there will be positional repercussions when this happens.

Your Bishop on g2 will stare down the h1-a8 diagonal. After ...c5 Black will not be able to close this diagonal down with ...c6. From that moment the Bishop will be a thorn in his side.

Black can respond in three main ways. He can just play 4...c5 anyway to attack the center and just put up with the fearsome light square Bishop. He can play 4.dxc4 and try to do something with his pawn majority. Or he can simply play 4...Be7, continuing with his development.

Trompowsky Attack - Take Black Out of Book

Queen's Pawn Game, Trompowsky Attack - 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5

The Trompowsky Attack is a really good theory dodger if you want to stay out of the main 1.d4 systems. When you see 1...Nf6 you know you've probably got a KID or a Grunfeld coming. If you're not at home in those lines you may consider denying Black the chance to play his pet system.

If you have the Black pieces and you get 2.Bg5 from White, you have 3 main choices to choose from. It's going to be 2...e6, 2...Ne4 or 2...d5. 2...e6 prevents White from doubling your pawns with ...Be7 and ...0-0 in the post.

2...Ne4 centralizes your Knight with the attack on the Bishop ensuring you do not lose a tempo. 2...d5 gives White the chance to damage your pawn structure with 3.Bxf6 but you have good central control and the King is still pretty safe.

Tear Up Black's Kingside in the Torre Attack

Queen's Pawn Game, Torre Attack - 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5

The Torre Attack was popularized a century ago by Carlos Torre of Mexico. As White it gives you a strong initiative on the Kingside with simple development and relatively easy moves to find.

Black should play 3...c5 and 4.e3 takes you to the Main Starting Position. Black's main options include the humble 4...Be7, the more ambitious 4...Qb6 and 4...b6 which may be a little ropier than it first appears.

The sharpest of the three, 6...Qb6 involves a poisoned pawn sacrifice after 5.Nbd2 Qxb2 6.Bd3. Black can survive and maybe even hold an advantage with perfect play but many players have lost their way in this messy position.

Go for the Jugular in the Dutch Defense

Queen's Pawn Game, Dutch Defense - 1.d4 f5

The Dutch Defense is like Black's version of Bird's Opening. You're making a demonstration on the Kingside and introducing structural imbalances into the game on the very first move. You are spoiling for a sharp fight.

The relationship between 1...d5 and 1...f5 as a response to 1.d4 can also be compared to the two main answers to 1.e4, 1...e5 and 1...c5. In this way the Dutch is to 1.d4 what the Sicilian is to 1.e4.

These days there are three main branches in the Dutch Defense. The Classical Dutch with 2...e6, the Leningrad Dutch with 2...g6 and the Stonewall Dutch featuring ...e5 sooner or later.

Polish Defense for Tactical Tricks

Queen's Pawn Game, Polish Defense - 1.d4 b5

The Polish Defense comes about with 1...b5. This is a bid for control of c4. It does not have a great reputation as it practically invites 2.e4. There is a tactical try behind the Polish. Black will play 2...Bb7 leaving the b5-pawn as a tasty titbit for the White Bishop.

If White is hasty and takes without looking at the position then Black can pounce with 3...Bxe4 with pressure. After most moves other than 2.e4 and the repercussions are even worse.

Then Black would have 3...Bxg2 and the h1-Rook is trapped. If White can see through this crude trap and develop sensibly with 2.Nf3 the b5-pawn will likely become a liability for Black.

This is not the greatest opening no doubt but that does not mean you shouldn't look at it. Even if you don't use something, some of the ideas involved will give you more insight into possible tactical and positional motifs that can be better constructed elsewhere.

Fight to the Death with the English Defense

Queen's Pawn Game, English Defense - 1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6

The English Defense is one of the finest examples of Hypermodern theory. As Black you argue that White can build no center that should be feared. After 1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6 you demand that White should play e4.

Your light square Bishop is going to b7 and you will attack White's great center with all the force and ferocity you can muster. The English GMs who worked on this opening proved there are ample resources in the position to take the fight to White.

This opening has been adopted by strong players across the world. They are attracted to chess on a knife edge in sharp double edged variations. There is danger and chances for both sides and no prisoners are taken.

Stay Versatile in the Modern Defense

Queen's Pawn Game, Torre Attack - 1.d4 g6

The Modern Defense can be seen in KPGs and QPGs. Whether you have to deal with 1.d4 g6 or 1.e4 g6, the same truths ring true. Either can transpose to the other on the second move if White wants a big center. Strictly speaking it's neither exclusively a 1.d4 or 1.e4 opening. It straddles both.

This opening is mainly a transpositional starter for Black. It often transposes to the KID or the Pirc. The Dutch Defense is also a possibility.

With the right moves on the Queenside, Black can make the opening a Sicilian Defense or a Benoni. This is the great strength of 1...g6. It's remarkable versatility. You're waiting to see what White does before committing to any one of a number of openings.

Spring Stealthy Kingside Attacks in the London System

Queen's Pawn Game, London System - 1.d4, 2.Bf4, 3.e3, 4.Nf3

The London System is maybe the most single transferable opening system for White. You can play it no matter what moves Black plays in response. The move order is for the most part not critical although there are a couple of rules of thumb worth remembering.

Black's most usual responses against 1.d4 are of course 1...d5, 1...Nf6 or 1...e6. White has strategic plans in the London System designed specifically for each of these moves. All are based on simple and easy positioning of dangerously posted pieces.

After 1.d4 no matter what Black plays it is always a good idea to play 2.Bf4, getting the Bishop outside the pawn shell. Then against any logical move from Black you can play 3.e3.

Your King's Knight will come to f3 sooner or later but it is recommended to wait until Black plays ...e6. Then the annoying ...Qb6, ...c4, ...Bf5 maneuver is unavailable. Your Queen's Knight should go to d2 with some top players recommending c3 in conjunction with e3.

Colle System for a Break in the Center

The Colle System is kind of similar to the London System except instead of being outside the pawn shell, now White's dark square Bishop is on it's home square. This isn't necessarily disastrous since White's main idea in the opening is to prep the e4 advance.

Black can sometimes play ...b6 and ...Ba6 to try and exchange his poor Bishop off for White's star minor piece on d3. If he can get rid of White's light square Bishop he can maybe blunt White's attacking power. After ...0-0 and ...Re8 another key defensive idea for Black is ...Nd7-f8 defending the h7 square.

The Colle System is solid if not spectacular for White. Black should be able to equalize with sensible play. It is a reliable system to get you to the middlegame in one piece.

Moving On

English Opening - 1.c4

If you can say you have a command of these openings then you are a positional titan not to be messed with. You are also a tactician who can land vicious blows with deadly accuracy.

The Queen's Pawn Game gives you a solid positional platform as White to create tactical opportunities that are difficult to refute. You can combat these ideas as Black with a diverse arsenal of weapons ranging from the super-solid to the razor-sharp.

All that being said there are more than two ways to start a game of chess. If you want a change of scenery from 1.e4 and 1.d4 you can have it. There's another completely separate genre out there. This is chess on the wings. The most important of these systems is the English Opening.

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