Dutch Defense: Stonewall Variation 7. Nc3 c6
Also known as Stonewall Dutch
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Statistics from Lichess
150,082 games: White 50.1% / Draw 7.2% / Black 42.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 33,13833K | ||
| 21,88122K | ||
| 21,49121K | ||
| 19,85920K | ||
| 13,02013K | ||
| 8,7658,765 | ||
| 5,8435,843 | ||
| 5,4745,474 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.45 White is slightly better
Best play: 8. Qc2 Nbd7 9. Bf4 dxc4 10. e4 fxe4 11. Nxe4 Nxe4 12. Qxe4 Nb6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Dutch Defense: Stonewall Variation (ECO A95, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Dutch Defense: Stonewall Variation, reached after 1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O d5 7. Nc3 c6 (7 moves).
In 150,082 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.1%, Black 42.7% and 7.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. b3, in 22% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Dutch Defense: Stonewall Variation, Chekhover Variation.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 7…c6
8. Qc2 scores best for White: 57.0%, with White winning 53.6% and Black 39.6% of 13K games. The most played, 8. b3, scores 54.9% in 33K games, and 8. cxd5 scores lowest: 49.8%. Stockfish's first choice is also 8. Qc2.
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 (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Dutch Defense: Stonewall Variation (A95)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/dutch-defense-stonewall-variation-3