Dutch Defence: free opening course

Key ideas

• The f5 pawn controls e4: in the Stonewall a knight lands on e4 and is supported by ...d5 and ...f5, in the Leningrad and Classical Black prepares ...e5 instead.
• Stonewall: pawns on c6, d5, e6 and f5 give a rock-solid centre; the bad light-squared bishop is activated with ...b6/...Bb7 or the ...Bd7-e8-h5 manoeuvre.
• Leningrad: ...g6, ...Bg7, ...d6 and ...O-O, then ...Qe8 and ...e5 (or ...Na6-c5) to open the long diagonal for the g7 bishop.
• Classical: ...e6, ...Be7, ...d6 and the queen swing ...Qe8-g6 or ...Qe8-h5 to attack White's king.
• Watch the e8-h5 diagonal: the early ...f5 weakens it, so moves like ...g5 must be checked against Qh5 mates.
• Against the Staunton Gambit (2.e4) take the pawn and develop fast with ...Nf6 and ...Nc6 or ...g6; White's compensation is real but not enough if Black plays actively.

The 6 variations in the course

• Stonewall vs the fianchetto (b6/Bb7 plan): 1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 d5 5. Nf3 c6 6. O-O Bd6 … — The modern Stonewall against White's main set-up with g3 and Bg2. Black builds the c6-d5-e6-f5 wall, puts the queen on e7 and solves the light-squared bishop problem with ...b6 and ...Bb7.
• Stonewall vs Nf3/e3/Bd3 (...Bd7-e8-h5): 1. d4 f5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 4. Bd3 d5 5. c4 c6 6. O-O Bd6 … — When White develops with e3 and Bd3 instead of the fianchetto, Black can use the classic manoeuvre ...Bd7-e8-h5 to swap off or activate the problem bishop, with the queen on e7 guarding e5.
• Leningrad: ...Qe8 and ...Na6-c5: 1. d4 f5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. O-O O-O 6. c4 d6 … — The Leningrad combines ...f5 with the King's Indian fianchetto. After 7...Qe8 and 8.d5 Black plays ...a5 and ...Na6, then the central break ...fxe4 and the knight lands on c5.
• Classical: the ...Qe8-g6 queen swing: 1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O d6 … — The Ilyin-Zhenevsky system: ...e6, ...Be7, ...d6 and ...Qe8. The queen swings to g6 or h5 to support ...e5 and the kingside play. Against Re1 and e4 Black trades on e4 and develops with ...Nc6.
• Anti-Dutch 2.Bg5: ...h6 and ...g5: 1. d4 f5 2. Bg5 h6 3. Bh4 g5 4. Bg3 Nf6 5. e3 d6 6. h4 g4 … — 2.Bg5 tries to provoke weaknesses. The most direct answer chases the bishop with ...h6 and ...g5, then ...Nf6, ...d6 and ...Nh5 to win the bishop pair. Black must watch the e8-h5 diagonal on every move.
• Staunton Gambit 2.e4: 1. d4 f5 2. e4 fxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Nc6 5. d5 Ne5 6. Qd4 Nf7 … — White sacrifices a pawn for quick development. Black takes, plays ...Nf6 and meets 4.Bg5 with ...Nc6: after 5.d5 Ne5 6.Qd4 Nf7 Black keeps the extra pawn or returns it for a safe, active position.

Traps you will learn (4)

• Staunton: the f7 knight guards g5 — After 6...Nf7 White wants to win back the gambit pawn, but 7.Nxe4? Nxe4 8.Qxe4 lets the f7 knight capture the undefended bishop on g5.
• 2.Bg5: ...gxh4?? and Qh5 mate — A watch-out trap. After 2.Bg5 h6 3.Bh4 g5 White can leave the bishop hanging with 4.e3: grabbing it with ...gxh4?? opens the e8-h5 diagonal and Qh5 is mate.
• 2.Bg5: the ...Rh6?? queen sacrifice — A watch-out trap. After ...f4 and ...h5 Black's king is exposed; defending the h5 pawn with ...Rh6?? allows Qxh5+ Rxh5 Bg6 mate.
• Korchnoi Gambit 2.h3 and 3.g4 — A watch-out trap. 2.h3 and 3.g4 open the h-file. After 3...fxg4 4.hxg4 Nxg4 5.Qd3 the natural retreat 5...Nf6?? loses to 6.Rxh7! and Qg6 mate.

How the opening courses work

Each course teaches an opening in a few main variations. For every move you read why it is played, which other moves are good, and which tempting moves are mistakes and why. Each course also shows the traps of the opening: the ones you can set and the ones to avoid.

After a lesson you play the moves yourself in a drill. The lines you learn go into your review, which brings them back when you are about to forget them (spaced repetition). 30 line courses add many short lines per opening, a few new ones a day, and every named opening, more than 3,800 lines, has a lesson of its own.