So it occurred to me that I have plans for how to deal with most major opening moves, except this one. I don't have a plan for dealing with 1. Nf3 as black.

I definitely prefer open, tactical games, so I'm reluctant to play something like 1. ... d5, for fear of getting suckered into a double queen's pawn game after 2. d4. Any suggestions?

--Fromper

I always respond with 1....Nf6 or 1....g6 depending on my mood and play usually transposes either to a QP opening or an English Opening.

Crash

and white is in the throes of defeat!

See, that's my problem. I'm not comfortable in Queen's Pawn or English openings. I play gambits just to avoid the normal positions in both. Luckily, nobody ever really plays this in tournaments at my level, but I have no idea how I'd get the type of open game I like against 1. Nf3 if someone were to try it on me.

--Fromper

Well, part of why I like the Tarrasch defense (I'm pretty evangelical about it, quite frankly) is it's a good way to go for active piece play against 1.d4 (which you need) and it gets you comfortable playing with an IQP, which is important for when you're feeling your way around offbeat stuff.

But, no, you won't be able to open the game, always, no matter what.

I usually play 1.. d5 or 1.. g6, I can't imagine a better response.

It's not really about what openings I like. There are no openings that I particularly like or dislike. I'm sure I'll learn normal Queen's Gambit and English positions later on, and I probably won't mind doing so. In fact, I'd say that being a quiet, positional player is probably more my nature than being a wild attacking player. So I'm likely to eventually switch to playing closed openings all the time.

But that's exactly why I've been playing an opening repertoire based on open positions and gambits. I was never any good at attacking, and I knew that diving in was the best way to learn. It's the "learn to attack or die trying method".

So now that I'm playing those openings a lot, those are the types of openings I'm becoming most comfortable with, since I didn't really have any openings I was all that comfortable with before.

--Fromper

FROMPER I play 1...Cf6

but which defense you play against 1.d4 and 1.c4? Based in this he can plan the possible transposições.

transposições = transposition.

There is nothing against 1. nf3 that black can do. That's why the opening is so strong and I play it all the time. If your opponent has played 1.nf3 you are done for.

You might like the Dutch, 1...f5. You can play it against anything but 1 e4.