Dutch Defense: Leningrad Variation, Matulovic Variation
1. d4 f5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. O-O O-O 6. c4 d6 7. Nc3 Nc6
The Dutch Defense: Leningrad Variation, Matulovic Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO A89, reached after 1. d4 f5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. O-O O-O 6. c4 d6 7. Nc3 Nc6. It is a line of the Dutch Defense. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 9 times by this move order. White won 33%, 0% were drawn and Black won 67%. The most popular continuation is 8. d5 (67% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.67 (Stockfish, depth 44; best line 8. d5 Ne5 9. Nxe5 dxe5 10. Qb3 a5)
- ECO
- A89
- Moves
- 14 plies
- FEN
r1bq1rk1/ppp1p1bp/2np1np1/5p2/2PP4/2N2NP1/PP2PPBP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 2 8- PGN
1. d4 f5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. O-O O-O 6. c4 d6 7. Nc3 Nc6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 2 | |
| 2000+ | 7 | |
| All | 9 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 8. d5 | 6 (67%) | |
| 8. Rb1 | 1 (11%) | |
| 8. b3 | 1 (11%) | |
| 8. Re1 | 1 (11%) |
Master games
103 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 39%, draw 26%, Black 35%). The strongest:
- Stockfish dev16_202209170930 (3611) – Berserk dev10_20220912 (3509) 1-0 · TCEC 23 Premier 2022 · 2022-09-30
- Berserk dev10_20220912 (3509) – Stockfish dev16_202209170930 (3611) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 23 Premier 2022 · 2022-09-30
- GM Alexander Riazantsev (2700) – GM Igor Kovalenko (2644) 1-0 · 67th Moscow Blitz 2013 · 2013-09-01
- GM Baris Esen (2508) – GM Mikhail Kobalia (2646) 1/2-1/2 · 17th ch-EUR Indiv 2016 · 2016-05-23
- GM Benjamin Bok (2592) – GM Alexander Rustemov (2525) 1-0 · Titled Tue 4th Mar Late · 2025-03-04
Highest-rated Lichess games
- puulusikas (2585) – malaida-annamalai (2584) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- abmcdonald (2472) – ddevoe (2465) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- Mahdi-313 (2320) – FM Majasystem (2446) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Dutch Defense: Semi-Leningrad Variation 1. d4 f5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 g6
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.