You have undoubtedly read the 50 threads already existing on this topic. What did you think?
http://www.chess.com/forum/search?keyword=dutch+defense
Anybody want to go through the Pros and Cons of the Dutch Defense?
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Pros: An excellent pairing with the French defense, as long as you're not determined to play the insipid Leningrad variation; all but avoids lame Bg5 variations when played thusly.
Cons: Mostly played by fruits and commies; the French isn't 100% sound.
Jan 10, 2014
0
#4
I had decent success with the Leningrad, but white does seem to get a pretty comfortable game if he knows what he's doing. A GM once told me that there's nothing really wrong with the Dutch, but that the plans for white to get a small, safe advantage are pretty well known.
That said, if your opponent doesn't know what to do against it, you get a pretty serious time advantage right out of the gate as they figure it out.
Grindwriter wrote:I
Cons: Mostly played by fruits and commies.
I'm must be one of the exceptions -- I'm a libertarian mammal.
Pro: Nice to have something to play when I don't feel like a Bogo or Nimzo Indian. In the Leningrad a king on g8 or f8 has faster access to the center so there's an endgame benefit. Many seemingly unprincipled moves will make a novice and some intermediates overestimate their chances (e.g.:
Creative, interesting positions arise in many variations. Fun to play from both sides.
CON: Can run into the Brooklyn (1.d4,f5 2.Bg5,g6 3.g4!!) or Manhattan (1.d4,f5 2.Qd3,d5 3.g4!!) Gambits, but since I study these as white I know good lines against them as black. The e6 spot is weak in the Leningrad, and the bishop should be kept at any costs as the dark squares are notoriously weak without that bishop.
Jan 10, 2014
0
#7
Thanks for the replies. I like how this pans out for tactics. I've been playing The English as white.
I am interested in learning this defense and would just like to see some intelligent opinions from those of you that use it