Dutch Defense

ECO A80-A99intermediate

The Dutch Defense, 1.d4 f5, stakes a claim to e4 and announces kingside intentions on move one. Its three systems suit three temperaments: the Leningrad (...g6, ...Bg7, ...d6) plays a King's Indian with an extra attacking pawn already advanced; the Stonewall (...d5, ...e6, ...c6, ...f5) plants an unbreakable pawn wall and attacks behind it; the Classical (...e6, ...Be7, ...d6) keeps flexibility. The cost — a slightly airy king and the weakened e6 square — is exactly what White's anti-Dutch systems (2.Bg5!, early g4 gambits) try to exploit.

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Main line

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Diagram shows the position after 6 half-moves of the main line. On SpeakChess you can drill this line move by move — the trainer plays the other side and corrects you instantly, then spaced repetition schedules each variation so you review it right before you would forget it.

Move by move

The first 12 moves of the main line, explained one at a time. Every move of every variation is annotated like this inside the trainer — this page shows the opening moves so you can judge the explanations before signing up.

White advances the pawn to d4, staking a claim right in the center of the board and opening lines for the queen and bishop to join the game.
Black pushes the pawn to f5, striking back in the center and fighting for space. This is the Dutch Defense — black plans to control the e4 square.
White advances the pawn to c4, adding a second pawn to the center. Together, d4 and c4 form a powerful pair that controls a lot of important squares.
The knight jumps to f6, a great central square. It puts pressure on d5 and e4 while helping black develop pieces quickly.
White pushes the pawn to g3, getting ready to place the bishop on g2. That bishop will point powerfully down the long diagonal toward the center.
Black moves the pawn to e6, giving the dark-squared bishop room to come out and supporting the pawn chain in the center.
The bishop slides to g2, sitting on a very strong diagonal. From here it eyes the center and can put pressure on black's position for many moves to come.
Black pushes the pawn to d5, challenging white's center head-on. Now black has pawns on d5 and f5, fighting hard for control of the middle of the board.
The knight hops to f3, a strong central post. It guards the d4 pawn, watches over key central squares, and helps white prepare to castle.
Black advances the pawn to c6, making the pawn chain on d5 even more solid and giving the position extra stability in the center.
White castles kingside, tucking the king safely behind the pawns and bringing the rook to f1 where it can become active later.
The bishop develops to d6, a solid and active square. From d6 it supports the center and eyes the kingside, helping black coordinate the pieces.

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Win rates by rating

Results from real online games, measured after the line shown in each row. Most opening sites show one aggregate number — how an opening scores depends heavily on who is playing it.

Rating	Games	White wins	Draws	Black wins	Position after
400-600	408	54.9%	8.3%	36.8%	1.d4 f5
600-800	34	52.9%	2.9%	44.1%	1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3
800-1000	32	43.8%	0%	56.2%	1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 d5 5.Nf3 c6 6.O-O Bd6
1000-1200	25	48%	8%	44%	1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 d5 5.Nf3 c6
1200-1400	550	45.5%	2.4%	52.2%	1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 d5 5.Nf3 c6 6.O-O Bd6
1400-1600	1,836	46.5%	3.1%	50.4%	1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 d5 5.Nf3 c6 6.O-O Bd6
1600-1800	481	48.4%	3.5%	48%	1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 d5 5.Nf3 c6 6.O-O Bd6
1800-2000	1,403	49.4%	4.3%	46.3%	1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 d5 5.Nf3 c6 6.O-O Bd6
2000-2200	2,604	50.4%	5%	44.5%	1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 d5 5.Nf3 c6 6.O-O Bd6
2200-2400	2,237	50.9%	6%	43.1%	1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 d5 5.Nf3 c6 6.O-O Bd6

Most played continuations (2000-2200 rating)

After 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 d5 5.Nf3 c6 6.O-O Bd6:

Nc3 — played 34.8% of the time (White wins 51%, draws 4.6%, Black wins 44.3%)
b3 — played 23.2% of the time (White wins 50.2%, draws 6.3%, Black wins 43.5%)
Nbd2 — played 9.6% of the time (White wins 47.6%, draws 5.2%, Black wins 47.2%)

Related openings

Frequently asked questions

Is the Dutch Defense risky?

More than most defenses, by design — 1...f5 weakens the king's diagonal before developing a single piece, so Black must know the anti-Dutch tries (2.Bg5, 2.e4!?, 2.Qd3) cold. In return, against the main 2.g3 lines Black gets attacking chances few defenses to 1.d4 can match.

Which Dutch system should I choose?

Leningrad if you like King's Indian-style dynamism and don't mind theory; Stonewall if you want one fixed structure with clear plans (the classic ...Qe8-h5 attack) and minimal memorization. The Stonewall is the easier teacher; the Leningrad the stronger fighter.