Dutch Defense: Classical Variation 4…d5 5. Nf3
Also known as Classical Dutch
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Statistics from Lichess
179,329 games: White 48.9% / Draw 7.4% / Black 43.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 138,368138K | ||
| 14,83615K | ||
| 14,51315K | ||
| 3,6113,611 | ||
| 1,7191,719 | ||
| 1,6991,699 | ||
| 1,3781,378 | ||
| 1,0001,000 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.43 White is slightly better
Best play: 5... Bd6 6. Qb3 Nbd7 7. Bf4 Bxf4 8. gxf4 O-O 9. e3 c6 10. Nc3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the worse this line does for White: White scores 57% under 1400, 53% at 2200 and up and 55% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 2,467 | |
| 1400–1799 | 16K | |
| 1800–2199 | 104K | |
| 2200 and up | 63K | |
| Masters, over the board | 1,884 |
Master games
- Ding Liren – Carlsen, M.
- So, W. – Carlsen, M.
- Eljanov, P. – Carlsen, M.
- Ding Liren – Firouzja, A.
- Giri, A. – Radjabov, T.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Dutch Defense: Classical Variation (ECO A90, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Dutch Defense: Classical Variation, reached after 1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 d5 5. Nf3 (5 moves).
In 179,329 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.9%, Black 43.7% and 7.4% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…c6, in 77% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 5. Nf3
5…Be7 scores best for Black: 48.0%, with Black winning 44.3% and White 48.3% of 15K games. The most played, 5…c6, scores 47.9% in 138K games, and 5…Bd6 scores lowest: 46.8%. Stockfish's first choice is 5…Bd6.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
This line has gained ground since 2016: 0.0076% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.0056%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0056% | 2,002 |
| 2017 | 0.007% | 3,838 |
| 2018 | 0.0078% | 6,160 |
| 2019 | 0.0071% | 8,824 |
| 2020 | 0.0073% | 21,286 |
| 2021 | 0.0063% | 24,520 |
| 2022 | 0.0065% | 24,308 |
| 2023 | 0.0067% | 25,264 |
| 2024 | 0.0069% | 24,884 |
| 2025 | 0.0076% | 26,255 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.008% | 8,796 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Dutch Defense: Classical Variation (A90)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/dutch-defense-classical-variation-4