Dutch Defense: Fianchetto Variation

Dutch Defense: Fianchetto Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code A86, part of the Dutch Defense family. It goes 1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... f5. After 5 moves it is Black to move. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.

The moves

• 1. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
• 1... f5 – Black plays the pawn to f5
• 2. c4 – White plays the pawn to c4
• 2... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
• 3. g3 – White plays the pawn to g3

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 3... e6, 3... g6.

About the Dutch Defense

Black answers 1.d4 with 1...f5, grabbing the e4 square. It is ambitious and aims for a kingside attack, but it weakens Black's king a little.

• Black controls e4 with ...f5, ...Nf6 and sometimes ...d5 (Stonewall).
• A common attacking plan is ...Qe8 to h5 with pieces moving to the kingside.
• Beware the e8-h5 diagonal; early Qh5+ or Bg5 tricks can hurt.

chessGM has a full course for this line: open the Dutch Defense: Fianchetto Variation course lesson.

Related openings

• It extends: Dutch Defense: Normal Variation (1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6)
• Continues with: Dutch Defense: Hort-Antoshin System – adds 3... d6 4. Bg2 c6 5. Nc3
• Continues with: Dutch Defense: Leningrad Variation – adds 3... g6
• Continues with: Dutch Defense: Classical Variation – adds 3... e6 4. Bg2
• Related line: Dutch Defense: Queen's Knight Variation (1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3)
• Related line: Dutch Defense: Hort-Antoshin System (1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 d6 4. Bg2 c6 5. Nc3 Qc7)
• Related line: Dutch Defense: Rubinstein Variation (1. d4 f5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3)
• Related line: Dutch Defense: Leningrad Variation (1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 g6)
• Related line: Dutch Defense: Leningrad Variation (1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. Nf3)
• Related line: Dutch Defense: Krause Variation (1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 d6 4. Nf3 Nc6)

Browse every named opening · Opening courses