Dutch Defense: Classical Variation, Huisl Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
92,098 games: White 46.4% / Draw 7.3% / Black 46.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 47,05447K | ||
| 18,83719K | ||
| 8,0478,047 | ||
| 3,4363,436 | ||
| 2,9382,938 | ||
| 2,4932,493 | ||
| 1,9991,999 | ||
| 1,8821,882 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.52 White is slightly better
Best play: 8. Nxe4 fxe4 9. Nd2 d5 10. f3 Nc6 11. e3 exf3 12. Nxf3 b6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Dutch Defense: Classical Variation, Huisl Variation (ECO A96, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Dutch Defense: Classical Variation, reached after 1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O d6 7. Nc3 Ne4 (7 moves).
In 92,098 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.4%, Black 46.3% and 7.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. Qc2, in 51% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Dutch Defense: Classical Variation, Huisl Variation
8. Nxe4 scores best for White: 52.9%, with White winning 49.1% and Black 43.2% of 19K games. The most played, 8. Qc2, scores 49.4% in 47K games, and 8. Nd2 scores lowest: 48.8%. Stockfish's first choice is also 8. Nxe4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Dutch Defense: Classical Variation, Huisl Variation (A96)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/dutch-defense-classical-variation-huisl-variation