When an author opens a book with a straightforward comment I get a good feeling about what will follow.  Sometimes that first remark is the sum total of heavy effort put forth by the author, but usually any writer will put forward a good effort to support their opening statement.  Neil McDonald makes a clear point in the first few words of “Play the Dutch”,

It is an appealing feature of the Dutch that 1…f5 can be played against virtually any opening move apart from 1.e4.

However, this is slightly misleading if it suggests that you only have to learn one basic sequence of moves after 1…f5 and then you are ready for anything.”

I read that and smiled.

In the first place, just getting to the Leningrad can be a struggle.  Playing 1.d4 f5 Black has had to be aware of the Staunton Gambit, but added to that has been a heavy movement to lines such as 2.Nc3 and 2.Bg5.  The positions that arise from any of these are not really similar to playing the Leningrad and usually a White player is more familiar with the points of play.  Quieter lines with Nf3/Bf4 or Bg5 will occur frequently enough that Black should be ready.  Added to that are lines where White starts out with 1.Nf3 or 1.c4, yet doesn’t play d4 along the way.  All of this puts the myth that 1…f5 is a simple panacea to rest.

Recognizing this situation McDonald does a lot to cater to the problem, devoting 70 pages (16-86) to lines following 1.d4 that don’t get to the Leningrad and 17 pages (155-172) to lines from 1.Nf3/c4 that don’t have d4 following.  It isn’t enough for me to suggest that the number of pages equates to solving the problems.  Going to lengths to explain how he perceives the factors in the positions, McDonald gives the reader enough insight to feel comfortable when confronted by these lines.

I especially want to point out the coverage to 1.d4 f5 2.Nc3 and 2.Bg5.  Carrying the strategic threat of doubling Black’s f-pawns and with more than a drop of tactical poison, these lines have put a number of players in my acquaintance off of playing the Dutch with 1…f5.   Material here is very refreshing in how it clearly illustrates Black’s ideas.  It might require the reader to work a bit, the gambit popular in the 90’s 1.d4 f5 2.Nc3 d5 3.e4 dxe4 4.Bf4 is arranged in the move order 1.d4 f5 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bf4 a6 4.e4 dxe4, but it will be beneficial.

Material on the Leningrad itself is top-notch, of course because McDonald has written on it extensively in the past.  Offbeat lines with a quick double fianchetto, or early c3, or possibly the Nh3 lines are all presented with insight for the Black player.   In the main lines McDonald takes the case for 7…c6 which had been a staple of Leningrad players, but fell behind 7…Qe8 in popularity.  Following the analysis of 7…c6 I found it clear why McDonald chose it.  If White doesn’t prevent e7-e5 then Black gets easy play and when White pushes d4-d5 to inhibit the Black e-pawn then pressuring d5 is the plan.

As a bonus McDonald has offered an alternative for Black in the main line, namely 7…Nc6 8.d5 Na5.  This line had become the ugly stepchild in the Leningrad in the early 70’s, yet seems to be a more than reasonable alternative.

McDonald is both an experienced author and an expert on the Leningrad.  Both of these points come through clearly in this volume.  I do need to explain that this book is best suited to players thinking about finding a new defense on the queenside, though some of the material might be new to experienced players.

From the Publisher's website:

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