Chess opening · ECO A80
Dutch Defense
1...f5 meets 1.d4 in the Dutch Defense, a flank pawn that stakes a claim to e4 and prepares play on the kingside. It gives the game an unbalanced shape from move one. The trade-off is a looser king: with the f-pawn gone, the diagonal from h5 to e8 is open, and Black has to watch for checks and early tricks there.
- Rank by weighted share
- #80 of 159
Key moves
1. d4 f5
- 1... f5The f-pawn controls e4 and keeps White from playing e2-e4 cheaply. Because f7 is empty, the e8-h5 diagonal opens, so Black usually castles short quickly.
Three setups behind the f5 pawn
In the Stonewall, Black places pawns on c6, d5, e6 and f5, a wall that clamps e4. In the Leningrad, Black plays ...Nf6, ...g6, ...Bg7 and ...d6, a fianchetto that aims at the center. The Classical uses ...Nf6, ...e6, ...Be7 and ...d6, holding the d-pawn back on d6 instead of d5.
The e5 hole in the Stonewall
With Black's pawns on d5 and f5, neither can step back to cover e5. White often plants a knight there. Black accepts this in return for a firm grip on e4, a square where a black knight can settle in turn.
The c8 bishop is shut in behind the pawns on d5 and e6. A common plan reroutes it through d7 and e8 to h5, outside the pawn chain.
The Staunton Gambit
White can strike at once with 2.e4, offering a pawn. After 2...fxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 White attacks the f6 knight, which guards the e4 pawn, and plans quick development, with lines opening toward a black king that is still in the center.
Building the Stonewall
2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 d5 5. Nf3 c6 6. O-O Bd6
The black pawns now sit on c6, d5, e6 and f5. The d6 bishop points toward g3 and h2, while White's knight on f3 waits for a chance to land on e5. Once that knight moves, the g2 bishop sees d5 down the long diagonal.
Top replies by rating
From 1200 up, c4 leads each band. At 1800 and above, e4 climbs into the top three, and that move is the Staunton Gambit.
| Rating | Top | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1200 | e3 28% | Nf3 23% | c4 23% |
| 1200–1399 | c4 27% | e3 17% | Nf3 12% |
| 1400–1599 | c4 34% | e3 13% | Bf4 12% |
| 1600–1799 | c4 44% | Nf3 13% | e3 9% |
| 1800–1999 | c4 44% | Nf3 16% | e4 8% |
| 2000 and up | c4 30% | e4 18% | Nf3 17% |
Questions
Why does White often fianchetto against the Dutch?
A bishop on g2 points straight at e4 and d5, the squares Black's f-pawn and center pawns are trying to control. It also gives White's king a sturdy shelter.
Related openings
Try it on the board. The first coached game and three analyses are free.