Dutch Defense: Classical Variation (4… d5 5. Nf3)
1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 d5 5. Nf3
The Dutch Defense: Classical Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO A90, reached after 1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 d5 5. Nf3. 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 19 times by this move order. White won 42%, 0% were drawn and Black won 58%. The most popular continuation is 5… c6 (79% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.40 (Stockfish, depth 42; best line 5… c6 6. O-O Bd6 7. Ne5 Nbd7 8. Bf4)
- ECO
- A90
- Moves
- 9 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/ppp3pp/4pn2/3p1p2/2PP4/5NP1/PP2PPBP/RNBQK2R b KQkq - 1 5- PGN
1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 d5 5. Nf3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 6 | |
| 2000+ | 13 | |
| All | 19 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5… c6 | 15 (79%) | |
| 5… Be7 | 3 (16%) | |
| 5… Bd6 | 1 (5%) |
Master games
61 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 36%, draw 28%, Black 36%). The strongest:
- IM Alexey Reshetnikov (2492) – GM Pavel Eljanov (2672) 1-0 · Titled Tue 12th Nov Early · 2024-11-12
- IM Thomas Koch (2426) – GM Jorden Van Foreest (2707) 1/2-1/2 · 2nd Bundesliga West 23-24 · 2024-02-02
- GM Jure Skoberne (2547) – IM Titas Stremavicius (2457) 1-0 · Riga Tech Open A 2015 · 2015-08-16
- FM Max Gedajlovic (2398) – GM Titas Stremavicius (2543) 0-1 · 1000GM Bay Area GM 2022 · 2022-12-08
- IM Viktor Matviishen (2497) – FM Armen Ar. Barseghyan (2408) 0-1 · Andranik Margaryan Mem · 2020-01-11
Search all games of the Dutch Defense: Classical Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- liucyyyds (2475) – yeti806 (2538) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 2s
- AXO2026 (2389) – NM Giraffe_Chess (2494) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- Quadbest (2310) – mightysonce (2486) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Dutch Defense: Classical Variation (3… e6 4. Bg2) 1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2
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.