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Dutch Defence facts for kids

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This page is about a chess opening. For the defense of the Netherlands in WWII, see Netherlands in World War II.
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Dutch Defence
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Moves 1.d4 f5
ECO A80–A99
Named after Elias Stein, Nouvel essai sur le jeu des échecs, avec des réflexions militaires relatives à ce jeu, 1789
Parent Queen's Pawn Game

The Dutch Defence is a special way to start a chess game. It begins with these moves:

1. d4 f5

When Black plays 1...f5, they try to control the e4-square in the center of the board. This move also helps Black plan an attack on White's king side later in the game. However, it can also make Black's own king side a bit weaker.

The Dutch Defence is known for being an exciting and aggressive opening. It often leads to games that are not draws, meaning there's usually a clear winner! Many strong players have used it, like Alexander Alekhine, Bent Larsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Miguel Najdorf. In 1951, even the world champion Mikhail Botvinnik and his opponent David Bronstein used it in their big championship match.

History of the Dutch Defence

Who invented it?

The Dutch Defence was first suggested by a chess player named Elias Stein. He was from a place called Alsace but lived in The Hague, Netherlands. In 1789, he wrote a book about chess where he said this was the best way for Black to respond to 1.d4.

Early thoughts on the opening

Later, a famous chess master named Siegbert Tarrasch didn't think the Dutch Defence was a good opening. In his 1931 book, The Game of Chess, he said it wasn't strong enough.

How the Dutch Defence Works

Common plans

In the Dutch Defence, White often moves their king's bishop to g2. This is called a "fianchetto." Black sometimes does this too, moving their bishop to g7. This is known as the Leningrad Dutch style.

Another common way to play is called the Stonewall Variation. In this style, Black tries to build a strong pawn structure in the center.

Exciting games

The Dutch Defence can lead to very attacking games. For example, in a famous game called the Polish Immortal, Miguel Najdorf used the Stonewall Variation. He gave up many of his pieces but still managed to win by checkmate!

Famous Players Who Use It

Modern Stonewall

In the 1980s and 1990s, the Stonewall Dutch became popular again. Top players like Artur Yusupov and Nigel Short helped develop a newer way to play it, called the Modern Stonewall.

Even the world champion Magnus Carlsen has used the Stonewall to win games against other strong players like Viswanathan Anand and Fabiano Caruana.

Classical Dutch

Simon Williams is a well-known player who loves the classical Dutch Defence. He has even written books about it!

White's Responses to the Dutch Defence

White has different ways to play against the Dutch Defence.

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Position after 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.0-0 0-0 6.c4 d6

Common moves for White

Often, White will start with 2.g3. Then, they might play 3.Bg2 and 4.Nf3. A common sequence of moves is:

  • 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.0-0 0-0 6.c4 d6 (see diagram)

Other ways White can play

White can also try more aggressive moves:

  • Staunton Gambit: White plays 2.e4!?. This move is named after Howard Staunton. It used to be a very scary attacking line, but it's not as popular today. Some experts think it only gives White an equal game, not an advantage.
  • Korchnoi Attack: This starts with 2.h3 followed by 3.g4. It was brought back into use by the strong player Viktor Korchnoi.
  • Hopton Attack: This is 2.Bg5.
  • Alapin Variation: This is 2.Qd3.

Sometimes, Black plays 1...e6 first to avoid some of these tricky lines. But then Black has to be ready to play a different opening if White plays 2.e4. The Staunton Gambit can still be a good choice for White in fast games, like blitz, where Black has less time to think.

ECO Codes

The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings (ECO) uses special codes to classify chess openings. The Dutch Defence has many codes, from A80 to A99. Each code represents a slightly different way the game can start within the Dutch Defence.

  • A80: 1.d4 f5
  • A81: 1.d4 f5 2.g3 (Fianchetto Attack)
  • A82: 1.d4 f5 2.e4 (Staunton Gambit)
  • A83: 1.d4 f5 2.e4 fxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 (Staunton Gambit)
  • A84: 1.d4 f5 2.c4
  • A85: 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 (Rubinstein Variation)
  • A86: 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 (Fianchetto Variation)
  • A87: 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nf3 (Leningrad Dutch)
  • A88: 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.0-0 d6 7.Nc3 c6 (Leningrad Dutch, Warsaw Variation)
  • A89: 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.0-0 d6 7.Nc3 Nc6 (Leningrad Dutch, Matulovich)
  • A90: 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 (Classical Variation)
  • A91: 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 Be7
  • A92: 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 0-0
  • A93: 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.0-0 d5 7.b3 (Botvinnik Variation)
  • A94: 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.0-0 d5 7.b3 c6 8.Ba3 (Stonewall)
  • A95: 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.0-0 d5 7.Nc3 c6 (Stonewall)
  • A96: 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.0-0 d6
  • A97: 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.0-0 d6 7.Nc3 Qe8 (Ilyin–Genevsky Variation)
  • A98: 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.0-0 d6 7.Nc3 Qe8 8.Qc2 (Ilyin–Genevsky Variation)
  • A99: 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.0-0 d6 7.Nc3 Qe8 8.b3 (Ilyin–Genevsky Variation)

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Dutch Defence Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.