Dutch Defense: Blackburne Variation
1. d4 f5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. Nh3
The Dutch Defense: Blackburne Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO A81, reached after 1. d4 f5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. Nh3. It is a line of the Dutch Defense. Black is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 66 times by this move order. White won 52%, 7% were drawn and Black won 41%. The most popular continuation is 4… Be7 (41% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.41 (Stockfish, depth 48; best line 4… Be7 5. O-O O-O 6. b3 a5 7. c4)
- ECO
- A81
- Moves
- 7 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/pppp2pp/4pn2/5p2/3P4/6PN/PPP1PPBP/RNBQK2R b KQkq - 1 4- PGN
1. d4 f5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. Nh3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 1 | |
| 1500-1999 | 17 | |
| 2000+ | 48 | |
| All | 66 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4… Be7 | 27 (41%) | |
| 4… d5 | 21 (32%) | |
| 4… d6 | 5 (8%) | |
| 4… Nc6 | 4 (6%) | |
| 4… Bb4+ | 3 (5%) | |
| 4… c5 | 2 (3%) | |
| 4… c6 | 2 (3%) | |
| 4… g6 | 1 (2%) |
Master games
104 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 35%, draw 21%, Black 44%). The strongest:
- GM Mikhail Demidov (2523) – GM Aleksei Pridorozhni (2590) 0-1 · TOP 16 Rapid GP Final · 2020-12-16
- IM Denis Makhnev (2480) – GM Sergei Azarov (2604) 1-0 · Ville d'Orsay On/L Blitz · 2021-02-07
- GM Peter Michalik (2578) – IM Jiri Kociscak (2499) 1-0 · TCh-CZE Extraliga 2019-20 · 2020-01-26
- GM Conrad Holt (2553) – GM Titas Stremavicius (2508) 1-0 · Titled Tue 10th May Late · 2022-05-10
- GM Konstantin Landa (2625) – IM Anton Kuzin (2409) 0-1 · European Blitz 2015 · 2015-12-18
Search all games of the Dutch Defense: Blackburne Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- ZARIMA1 (2704) – Johnizard (2735) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- ZARIMA1 (2697) – Johnizard (2740) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- whopper211 (2695) – CM JoeAssaad (2647) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Dutch Defense: Fianchetto Attack 1. d4 f5 2. g3
More Dutch Defense lines (all)
- Dutch Defense (1. d4 f5) A80
- Dutch Defense: Alapin Variation A80
- Dutch Defense: Barcza Variation A80
- Dutch Defense: Hevendehl Gambit A80
- Dutch Defense: Hopton Attack A80
- Dutch Defense: Janzen-Korchnoi Gambit A80
- Dutch Defense: Kingfisher Gambit A80
- Dutch Defense: Korchnoi Attack A80
- Dutch Defense: Krejcik Gambit A80
- Dutch Defense: Krejcik Gambit, Tate Gambit A80
- Dutch Defense: Manhattan Gambit, Anti-Classical Line A80
- Dutch Defense: Manhattan Gambit, Anti-Leningrad A80
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.