The Dutch Defense

The Dutch Defense is a closed chess opening. It starts with the moves:

1.d4 f5

Most popular in the beginning was the Stonewall variation, but the Leningrad Dutch variation has become more popular nowadays where Black plays his bishop to g7. (called: Fianchetto)

Some top chess players have played it in earlier times like Alexander Alekhine, Bent Larsen and Paul Morphy. It was played in the 1951 championship match between Mikhail Botvinnik and David Bronstein.

However the Dutch is seldom played in top level chess nowadays as it is suspected to be not quite sound.

With the move f5 Black wants to control e4 to place a knight there later on in the game. This idea will be combined with an attack on the white king at the kingside. But this opening move weakens the black kingside and does not develop a piece. And it often leads to blocked and unflexible positions.

White tries to open up the center with e2-e4 or d4-d5 and combines this with an attack at the queenside.

Dutch - games

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