What is Black’s sharpest response to 1. d4?

Re the Modern Benoni, don't I just know it. I play it in blitz and against weaker players. Against the modern lines with h3, yes it can be a pain in the neck. The reason is that because black is cramped, s/he'd love to get a pair of pieces off. Any pair except the g7 bishop but usually it's

7. ...Bg4 8. Be2 ... Bxf3

which 5 h3 can prevent. It's slower for white so black is reasonably ok but just doesn't get the sharper lines which are desired.

I would call the Dutch "rather stodgy" and so I play the Staunton Gambit.

I don't really find the Modern benoni to be that bad.

The Modern lines with h3 + Bd3, are relatively tame after 9...b5 as Bxb5 is a draw offer and Nxb5 is more complicated, but black is doing fine tactically there as well. Bb5+ is the strongest line, of course, but you can try 9...Na6 (I think it's move 9) the point being after a few moves, when black kicks out the bishop with a6, it can't go back to f1 where it would usually like to be. The Bf4 lines are no good if you find 9...Na6 as well.

Thanks for that .... I always assumed it was ok for black but it's years or even decades since I looked at theory. These days I rely more on working out theory for myself and since I changed back to QGD against stronger players, there's been little need to swot up the theory for the MB. I'll rethink that because I really like MB formations in general.

I'll throw the Blumenfeld Countergambit into the conversation as well. It has some incredibly sharp and double-sided positions while remaining almost stable enough to consider being part of an actual opening repertoire.

Yeah, i belive sometimes that can be annoying for the attacking side in some scenarios, as more often than not, the defending side tends to find themselves in a situation of only (logical) moves &/or plan...

I think the exchange QGD it's perhaps harder to play from the blackside, at least on the Nge2 f3 system, but still, it's a way to get a double edged game for black.

I also always liked benoni positions, but was always too lazy to do the homework needed on the relevant moves, so I just stuck with the benoni-lite positions from the czech or, when possible, the KID. Made the decision to go straight into the theory recently.

if someone dares to play 1.d4 against you

you should respond with 1.h6

your opponent's position will spiral out of control if you push with black on the kingside

if they do not instantly resign by move 2 (cuz of the opening you played), you will just expand on the kingside and have a sharp, attacking game where white can not control your queenside because you played 1.h6, which *definitely* helps.

trust me 👍

you do appear to be an authority on the matter

Gruenfeld can be very Sharp lines

KID can be very Sharp as well

Horwitz defense