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Dutch Defense

Classical Variation, Ilyin-Zhenevsky Variation, Alatortsev-Lisitsyn Line

A98positionaloffbeat

  1. 1.d4f5
  2. 2.c4Nf6
  3. 3.g3e6
  4. 4.Bg2Be7
  5. 5.Nf3O-O
  6. 6.O-Od6
  7. 7.Nc3Qe8
  8. 8.Qc2
111 games44%50%

A rare White try against the Ilyin-Zhenevsky Dutch: 8. Qc2 backs the e4 advance, while Black continues with kingside queen play or ...Nc6.

Train it in Theoria

About the Alatortsev-Lisitsyn Line

The Alatortsev-Lisitsyn Line is 8. Qc2 against the Ilyin-Zhenevsky Variation of the Classical Dutch. From c2 the queen supports the e4 advance, unlike the Winter Variation, which prepares it with Re1. Black usually carries out the planned queen transfer with 8...Qh5 or 8...Qg6, or develops with 8...Nc6 to back up ...e5. The line is uncommon. Engines give White a slight edge, but Black has scored well in the small sample of online games.

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