The Killer Dutch

As a former Chess Life Editor, I know a little bit about chess books. This is a good one. Along with GM Simon Williams' companion piece Attacking Chess: The French Defense, this can become a weight-bearing pillar in a complete 1...e6 opening repertoire. I've played the Leningrad Dutch and the French for years. 1...e6 can serve as a pivot between anti-1 e4..., 1. d4..., 1.c4..., and even 1. Nf3... systems. In The Killer Dutch, Williams has convinced me to shift my own repertoire toward a unified 1...e6/1...f5/e6 approach. Fat book, instructive games, convincing argument. Well worth the investment.

I bought the kindle edition of this book in conjunction with Simon William’s (The Ginger GM) DVD on the Killer Dutch. The DVD follows virtually the same order as the book so I watch the DVD and have my eBook next to my board as a reference. However, the DVD isn’t a requirement because the book has all of the information necessary to learn the material and certainly stands on its own.The reason I purchased the book is that I wanted to expand my opening repertoire as black vs D4. I primarily play the Nimzo-Indian/Queens-Indian and English defense vs D4 and the classical Dutch seemed like a good edition. Keep in mind that this book is for the classical Dutch only, there isn’t anything on the Leningrad and the Stonewall variations (if you are looking for a very good overview on the Dutch defense, try the Diamond Dutch by Moskalenko).As a lifelong player of the Classical Dutch, Mr. Williams has done an excellent job with this book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn the Classical Dutch. As a point of reference for my review, I am currently rated just over 1600 USCF and coach chess at a local high school.

Simon Williams made a CD also entitled The Killer Dutch, which is very good. This a thorough book on the Classical Dutch. There are some helpful lines that were not in the CD, but there also is repetition. I prefer a book to a CD and I often play the Dutch Defense so it was an easy decision to buy this book. And the writing and physical quality of the book is quite good. If you own the CD and only have a modest interest in the Dutch Defense, then you might think twice about buying the book. Finally, besides the Classical Dutch, there are a few Chapters on anti-Dutch strategies such as non-fianchetto variations for White. Looking back over the review, I think that I should again emphasize that Simon Williams has done an excellent job writing this book. He proposes a series of rules so if you do not remember the opening line, you can use the rules. There also are some exercises to check your understanding of each chapter.

This book is awesome. Simon does not present endless variations. Instead he focuses on the principles of the opening. He also reviews important ideas by including theory sections and quizzes. The book is not a chore like many chess books. The games are all so interesting.

Simon Williams writes for those of us who want to avoid rote memorization of opening lines.

Format isn’t great compared to others, but solid book.

I haven't finished reading this book, but from all my Dutch books, this is by far the clearest in explaining the possible plans available for Black in the Classical Dutch. I have to admit that it has captivated my interest and put the Stonewall Dutch as second fiddle. I have even revived my Bird's Opening since NOW I understand it better!

Frankly, this text is well written and engaging. I wish I could award 25 stars!

The dutch is the perfect opening for the average club player. Simon Williams loves attacking chess and this is reflected in his book. My only doubt is that, to be honest, it is a risky opening in some cases. But, heck, chess is meant to be fun too!

Has given me a new approach and some useful ideas.

Ottimo libro di scacchi in lingua inglese. In italiano io ho trovato solo il vecchio "La difesa olandese" di Bellin, buono ma superato e scritto fitto con note e rinvii ad altre partite quasi in ogni pagina, il che rende faticosa la lettura e l'esame delle partite stesse. Il GM Simon Williams è uno specialista della difesa olandese, il libro è recente e quindi aggiornato come varianti e partite, ben commentato e bel leggibile. Simon Williams ha anche introdotto delle novità. Secon o me da leggere e studiare con interesse

This book will make you love Freddy the f pawn. Simon covers pretty much everything you need to know in order to play the Dutch. There is also a "test" section at the end of each chapter to test your knowledge. The book contains games up to 2014 so the theory is still relevant.Downside: Sometimes Simon goes too deep in the sidelines and it's easy to get lost. (ex: a), a1) and he might end up with something like aa4)).That's pretty much it! I would recommend this book for anyone who would like to learn the Dutch.

Es un libro muy interesante y divertido aunque he detectado un error en un análisis...Análisis erróneo en la página 135. 10...Cd8 11. d5, e5 ? 12. Ce5+- ventaja decisiva blanca.Las partidas están muy bien seleccionadas. Me parece un gran trabajo.