[Event "International Chess Forums Tournament"]
[Site "Internet"]
[Date "2009.03.18"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Chess Forums UK"]
[Black "Chess Talk (Canada)"]
[Result "*"]

1.



ChessForums.org to move first, move is due Wednesday evening USA time. So hopefully within the next 24 hours gentlemen Members, please use this thread to recommend the opening move.

Since I never invest time in d4 for white, I'd be inclined to play some sort of Catalan.

Catalan? Never heard of the opening before.

The Catalan is one of my favorite openings:

1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 g3.

It can be reached through a number of move orders and often arises after 1 d4 Nf6 as well. White has a nice space advantage, although it can be trickier to round up the pawn if black capture dxc4. Black is nice and solid, but he'll usually have issues with that light-squared bishop as white is going to try to command the long-diagonal.

The nice point is that if the c-file is opened and black does play b6 or b5, the c-pawn is usually weak and a very nice target. There are also lines where black prevents that weakness by playing c6, in which case white can play c4-c5 in a lot of lines to really take scope away from that light-squared bishop.

The most popular line seems to be:

1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 g3 Be7 5 Bg2 0-0 6 0-0 dxc4 7 Qc2 a6 8 Qxc4 b5 9 Qc2

The plan for each side is simple. Black wants to organize and play c7-c5. White is going to do all he can to prevent this, and try to eventually either win the c-pawn outright, camp a piece in front of it on c6, or play b2-b4 to prevent the c7-c5 push.

Thank you Abba for the Catalan info. I can see how the light-square bishop for White would be good after a trade on d5 or after dxc5. Would White have problems after an eventual Nc3 with Bb5?

Why do we not have a move from Black by now?

I know why, because Black is still voting! Agh!

For those who didn't catch it in the Inter. Tourney thread, I'll be the poster of their voted on move on this forum. I've also contacted Arrogant-One, so hopefully we'll get a move from Chess Talk sometime!

Below is the corresponding thread to this one, on Chess Talk Canada.

Chess Forums (UK) vs Chess Talk (Canada) - ChessTalk / Parlons Echecs

[Event "International Chess Forums Tournament"]
[Site "Internet"]
[Date "2009.03.18"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Chess Forums UK"]
[Black "Chess Talk (Canada)"]
[Result "*"]

1. d4 Nf6

Observing the other forum, it appears that the majority of members on the other side are after a KID setup with Black.

On this basis, 2.Bg5 makes sense to disrupt their plans, but I will vote for 2.c4 on the grounds that it is White's most popular move, and also offers us the most flexibility against the King's Indian. I would then recommend the Classical Variation and wait for the other side to deviate.

I'm fine with either 2 c4 or 2 Nf3. I'll usually play 2 Nf3 to prevent the Budapest, but also because I play the Classical anyways. I guess we should play 2 c4 if we have any interest in playing the 4-pawns or Saemish.

I'll vote for: 2 c4

I vote 2. Nf3.