As Black
Dutch Defence
The Dutch Defence is a chess opening for Black that starts with 1.d4 f5.
...f5 controls e4 from the start and prepares a kingside attack. Unbalanced and full of play.
Reviewed on November 6, 2026 · Prepared by Josep Serrano Ballestero
5 lines
Against 2.Nc3
1.d4 f5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bg5 d5 4.Bxf6 exf6 5.e3 c6
Against the Staunton Gambit
1.d4 f5 2.e4 fxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nc6
Stonewall Variation
1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 d5 5.Nf3 c6 6.O-O Bd6
Leningrad Variation
1.d4 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.O-O O-O 6.c4 d6 7.Nc3 Qe8
Against Bg5
1.d4 f5 2.Bg5 h6 3.Bh4 g5 4.Bg3 Nf6 5.e3 d6
Frequently asked questions
Is the Dutch Defence good for beginners?
It suits players who already have some experience. On OpeningCraft it is aimed at players with Elo 1400 – 1600. It suits players who like attacks, gambits and open positions.
How many lines of the Dutch Defence do you need to learn?
OpeningCraft teaches 5, in blocks of 5. They come from real Lichess games at each rating band, and the traps and opponent mistakes most common at your level come first.