Dutch Defense: Stonewall Variation, Botvinnik Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code A93, part of the Dutch Defense family. It goes 1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O d5 7. b3. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... f5. After 13 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
3... e6 – Black plays the pawn to e6
4. Bg2 – White plays the bishop to g2
4... Be7 – Black plays the bishop to e7
5. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
5... O-O – Black castles kingside
6. O-O – White castles kingside
6... d5 – Black plays the pawn to d5
The line goes on for 1 more moves; the lesson shows them all.
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.
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