Taking the hint of Guy Kerr, I'm opening a new thread on defenses to 1. P-Q4. I like the Gruenfeld myself; it is difficult for White to avoid and the strategical ideas are clear cut. It's main drawback is its complexity; the virtue and the vice are the same.

I've been searching for an easier way to defend, so if anyone has ideas, I'm open to suggestion.

I started out by playing systems with early ...P-QB3 vs. both 1. P-K4 and 1. P-Q4, thus the Slav (Caro-Kann reverse respectively). I found the Slav somewhat difficult strategically and became fascinated by the many beautiful Semi-Slav lines (in which strategy can take a back seat to tactical melees), but there's just too much theory.

I've lately been studying the Chigorin, which is probably unsound at high levels, but is hard for White to avoid and is making me learn to play some unfamiliar but interesting types of positions.

The best defense to 1. P-Q4 is to learn algebraic.

Yeah, I don't like DN, but thought I'd go along with Ed. Also, there's an older guy in my club who "only speaks DN" and I occasionally have to use it.

Guy, I've fiddled with the Tchigorin. It's kind of like a blue-eyed redhead: no matter how many times you vow to stay away, you get lured back. I think it is the iconoclastic nature of playing ...N-QB3 in front of the queen's bishop pawn. Rather the same allure as the Guimard in the French Tarrasch.

"Iconoclastic" is definitely the word for the Chigorin. It can really shock opponents.

Have you ever seen Jacques Mieses' Tchigorin Counter Gambits? After 3. N-QB3 or 3. N-KB3, Black plays 3...P-K4. Not great, but liberating in a mid-life crisis sort of way--rather again like a blue-eyed redhead....or a petite brunette with a sassy haircut and spike heels...

I've looked at 3. Nc3 e5, which doesn't seem worth playing.
3. Nf3 e5 appears more playable, but I don't really trust it and have been studying more "standard" Chigorin continuations. One can only devote so much time to oddball lines...

True. Studying oddball lines are like dating married women: not worth the rare return on investment.

I've always had an affection for the line 3. N-KB3 B-N5, 4. PxP BxN, 5. PxN BxQBP. There's something pretty about the bishop on that square.

Yeah, the oddball lines above (3. Nf(c)3 e5) suffer from a frequent drawback of weird lines (Latvian Gambit is a slightly imperfect analogy): White has to be very compliant to allow Black to enter the sharp fighting lines, when he can get pleasant positions by playing simple natural moves.

I agree that the variation with the backwards Bishop recapture on c6 is pretty. I'm surprised that it occurs often, and don't expect to see it OTB, as I'd expect most White players to go for the Bishop pair.