I just bought a copy of Play The Classical Dutch By Williams and am not very impressed.
To give it a quick glimpse, I compared it to my other Dutch book, by Christiansen and Silman. (That book and The Classical Dutch by Bellin are both excellent but dated 1989 and 197? )
Here is one thing I came across right away.
I haven't really looked at this with a board yet.
1.d4 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.c4 d6 7.Nc3 a5 8.b3 Ne4 (?! by S & C/Only move by W)
9.Nxe4 fxe4 10.Ne1 d5 11.f3 dxc4 12.bxc4 e5 13.d5 exf3 14.Nxf3 Qe8 15.Bb2
"and white was clearly better - S & C"
Hort - Levy Praia de Rocha 1969
15. ... Nd7 16.Kh1 Qh5 -+ better for black - Williams
Hartston - Levy Praia da Rocha Z 1969
Someone is wrong. 🙂
Originally posted by c guy1I have played the Leningrad too.
the problem is that he is advocating the e6 variation...leningrad is the ONLY way to go
Needs a little repair work. Maybe 12. ... Nh5 is best.
I don't really like the other 7th moves.
7. ... c6 8.d5 (You play e5 and after dxe6 have an annoying backward pawn on d6.)
7. ... Qe8 was all the rage for a while. I remember looking at the Pedersen book. I thought it was interesting but generally distrusted lines where black plays c5. It ends up looking like a benoni with weak squares on d6 and e6. I tested the variation out in some blitz games and don't think I won a single game. It may be sound (and great) but it's not my style.
Also, there are some variations of the Leningrad that just get so dull.
When white plays dxe5 the pawn position becomes symmetrical. Also I remember a line with b3 and Ba3 that is a pain.
I like 1. d4 e6 and that's part of the reason I am looking at the classical. I prefer the Stonewall by far. It can get dull too.
Here's a few nice stonewalls.
Game 5495425
Game 5480274
This one I rushed the attack to fast.
Game 5271243
This one is funny.
I asked him not too laugh too hard after 6. ... Nh5. I wanted a stonewall. The problem was 6. ... d5 7.cxd5 exd5 8.Nb5.
9. ... Bd7 ?? Played too fast
10. g4 looked like a killer. It hit me later in the bathroom. 🙂 I analyzed it in my head (with no board) and could only come up with dxc4. Either way the position looks really bad for black. Luckily, he castled.