Dutch Defense: Classical Variation, Ilyin-Zhenevsky Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
58,936 games: White 51.1% / Draw 5.5% / Black 43.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Winter Variation | 16,82417K | |
| Alatortsev-Lisitsyn Line | 11,55912K | |
| Modern Main Line | 8,4028,402 | |
| 4,4724,472 | ||
| 2,7822,782 | ||
| 2,3652,365 | ||
| 1,7821,782 | ||
| 1,5411,541 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.82 White is better
Best play: 8. b4 Kh8 9. a4 Ne4 10. Qb3 Nxc3 11. Qxc3 Nd7 12. Bb2 a6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Dutch Defense: Classical Variation, Ilyin-Zhenevsky Variation (ECO A97, 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 Qe8 (7 moves).
In 58,936 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.1%, Black 43.4% and 5.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. Re1, in 29% of those games.
It branches into 3 named variations; the most played are Dutch Defense: Classical Variation, Ilyin-Zhenevsky Variation, Winter Variation and Dutch Defense: Classical Variation, Ilyin-Zhenevsky Variation, Alatortsev-Lisitsyn Line.
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How to play against the Dutch Defense: Classical Variation, Ilyin-Zhenevsky Variation
8. b3 (Modern Main Line) scores best for White: 56.4%, with White winning 53.6% and Black 40.9% of 8,402 games. The most played, 8. Re1, scores 54.3% in 17K games, and 8. Qc2 scores lowest: 51.5%. Stockfish's first choice is 8. b4.
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
Variations (3)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Dutch Defense: Classical Variation, Ilyin-Zhenevsky Variation (A97)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/dutch-defense-classical-variation-ilyin-zhenevsky-variation