Theoria
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Dutch Defense

Krause Variation

A84offbeat

  1. 1.d4f5
  2. 2.c4Nf6
  3. 3.Nc3d6
  4. 4.Nf3Nc6
193 games56%41%

A rare Dutch Defense line in which Black develops the queen's knight to c6 after ...d6, a setup engines regard as giving White a clear advantage.

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About the Krause Variation

The Krause Variation arises after 1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 d6 4. Nf3 Nc6. Black first covers f5 with ...d6 and then develops the queen's knight to c6, rather than playing ...e6 or ...g6. The knight blocks the c-pawn and can be hit by 5. d5, one of the engine's top choices, and the engine rates White as clearly better. 5. Bg5 is the most common reply, and Black has scored well against it. 5. e3 and 5. Bf4 have favored White.

Popular continuations