Dutch Defense: Classical Variation, Ilyin-Zhenevsky Variation, Winter Variation

1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O d6 7. Nc3 Qe8 8. Re1

Dutch Defense: Classical Variation, Ilyin-Zhenevsky Variation, Winter Variation after 1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O d6 7. Nc3 Qe8 8. Re1 87654321abcdefgh

The Dutch Defense: Classical Variation, Ilyin-Zhenevsky Variation, Winter Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO A97, reached after 1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O d6 7. Nc3 Qe8 8. Re1. It is a line of the Dutch Defense. Black is to move.

This exact move order didn't appear in our sample of 12.6 million Lichess games: it's a rare line.

Engine evaluation: +0.71 (Stockfish, depth 34; best line 8… d5 9. Bf4 c6 10. Qb3 Kh8 11. Rac1)

ECO
A97
Moves
15 plies
FEN
rnb1qrk1/ppp1b1pp/3ppn2/5p2/2PP4/2N2NP1/PP2PPBP/R1BQR1K1 b - - 3 8
PGN
1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O d6 7. Nc3 Qe8 8. Re1

Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess

Master games

1 over-the-board game is classified under this line (White 0%, draw 0%, Black 100%). The strongest:

Search all games of the Dutch Defense: Classical Variation, Ilyin-Zhenevsky Variation, Winter Variation and its sub-variations

Comes from

Dutch Defense: Classical Variation, Ilyin-Zhenevsky Variation 1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O d6 7. Nc3 Qe8

More Dutch Defense lines (all)

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.