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Dutch Defence (Leningrad)

Black controls e4 with the f-pawn and fianchettoes the bishop like a King's Indian. Fighting chess with kingside chances.

Intermediate · Indian defences · 14 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

Dutch Defence (Leningrad) (A87). You play Black. Black controls e4 with the f-pawn and fianchettoes the bishop like a King's Indian. Fighting chess with kingside chances.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.d4

White plays pawn to d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It opens a line for the bishop on c1. It opens a line for the queen on d1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 35% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...f5

Black plays pawn to f5. It controls the centre (e4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 3% of 1.4 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.g3

White plays pawn to g3. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 32% of 38k games.

Step 5

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...Nf6

Black plays knight to f6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 90% of 12k games.

Step 6

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.Bg2

White plays bishop to g2. It develops the bishop into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Fianchetto: the bishop aims along the long diagonal. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 98% of 11k games.

Step 7

♜︎♞︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...g6

Black plays pawn to g6. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 70% of 10k games.

Step 8

♜︎♞︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.Nf3

White plays knight to f3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 45% of 7814 games.

Step 9

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...Bg7

Black plays bishop to g7. It develops the bishop into the game. Fianchetto: the bishop aims along the long diagonal. Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 99% of 7020 games.

Step 10

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.O-O

White castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 83% of 7740 games.

Step 11

♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...O-O

Black castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 95% of 6910 games.

Step 12

♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.c4

White plays pawn to c4. It controls the centre (d5). It opens a line for the queen on d1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 60% of 6656 games.

Step 13

♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6...d6

Black plays pawn to d6. It controls the centre (e5). It opens a line for the bishop on c8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 96% of 6480 games.

Step 14

♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

This is the main position of the Dutch Defence (Leningrad). Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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