Dutch Defense: Stonewall Variation 7…c6 8. Ba3
Also known as Stonewall Dutch
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Statistics from Lichess
23,562 games: White 54.4% / Draw 8.8% / Black 36.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 6,8526,852 | ||
| 5,6145,614 | ||
| 5,5695,569 | ||
| 3,6373,637 | ||
| 449449 | ||
| 444444 | ||
| 261261 | ||
| 235235 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.37 White is slightly better
Best play: 8... Ne4 9. Qc2 Nd7 10. e3 Bxa3 11. Nxa3 Qe7 12. Qb2 g5 13. Nb1
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Dutch Defense: Stonewall Variation (ECO A94, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Dutch Defense: Stonewall Variation, Botvinnik Variation, reached after 1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O d5 7. b3 c6 8. Ba3 (8 moves).
In 23,562 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 54.4%, Black 36.8% and 8.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 8…Bxa3, in 29% 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 8. Ba3
8…Bd7 scores best for Black: 44.2%, with Black winning 38.8% and White 50.4% of 3,637 games. The most played answer, 8…Bxa3, scores lowest: 38.9% in 6,852 games. Stockfish's first choice is 8…Ne4.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Dutch Defense: Stonewall Variation (A94)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/dutch-defense-stonewall-variation-4