CHAPTER 65: THE DUTCH DEFENSE

The Dutch Defense.

This was a strategic chess opening characterized by the move 1.d4 f5, aiming to control the e4 square and launch a vigorous kingside attack. Its origins trace back to the 19th century, with early contributions from Dutch players seeking to challenge the more classical e4 and d4 openings. The opening gained prominence in the early 20th century, especially through the games of Dutch grandmasters like Max Euwe, who became World Chess Champion. Well, at least that was what Wikipedia said. As for the truth, Sheva himself decided not to think about this matter too much, knowing that it wouldn’t matter that much anyway.

Throughout history, the Dutch Defense had been favored by players who enjoy dynamic, asymmetrical positions and complex strategic battles, with notable practitioners including Bent Larsen and Hikaru Nakamura, who have employed it at top levels to surprise opponents.

One of the key advantages of the Dutch Defense was its flexibility and fighting spirit. It allowed blacks to fight for control of the dark squares early on and could lead to rich, unbalanced positions where both sides had chances for attacking play. The opening also provided Black with a proactive stance, often leading to aggressive kingside pawn pushes like ...f5-f4, which could create attacking opportunities against white’s king. For players who thrived in complex, tactical scenarios, the Dutch offered a rich battleground filled with strategic maneuvering and counterattack possibilities, making it an attractive choice for those looking to steer the game into uncharted waters.

However, the Dutch Defense also had significant drawbacks, which have led many top-tier players to avoid it at the highest levels. One major disadvantage was that it could weaken black’s kingside structure, making it vulnerable to white’s well-prepared attacks, especially if black does not follow up accurately. Additionally, the opening required a precise understanding of its intricate plans and pawn structures, which could be challenging to master. Because of these complexities and the risk of falling into inferior positions if misplayed, many high-rated players preferred more solid and classical defenses such as the Slav or the Nimzo-Indian, which offer safer and more reliable options against 1.d4.

As a result, while the Dutch remained a popular surprise weapon at club levels, it had become less common among elite grandmasters seeking more conservative and proven strategies.

However, this opening was definitely the perfect match in heaven for Sheva. His adventurous side would enjoy and savor every moment when he tortured his opponents and lured them into a dark and unknown territory. As for the main weakness itself, well... He had already been used to a weak kingside in the King’s Gambit with the white piece, so this was just basically the same, but with the black piece. It shouldn’t be that hard, especially considering that this was a platinum-level knowledge.

’Still, it is a pity that a platinum-level item ends up as the Dutch Defense...’ Sheva sighed, slightly disappointed with his reward. ’If only it were the Ruy-Lopez or one of the Sicilian variations, it would at least make me look like a decent player...’

Yeah, the fact that Sheva liked to play with the old-fashioned and forgotten opening like the King’s Gambit or Evans Gambit was already no secret at all, and even though no one made a fuss about it, he at least wanted to have some solid knowledge for the mainstream opening like the Spanish or Italian gambit to make him look like a big deal.

’Ah, whatever!’ He shook his head quickly. ’Let’s just accept the prize and see first whether it is worth the platinum level or not. System, accept the reward!’

The moment he received the reward, though, Sheva felt his world was spinning around. It was as if his brain was fried alive, and the boy could also feel a severe headache coming. He also felt like his legs had turned into jelly, and if only the boy hadn’t held his chair, he would’ve collapsed on the spot already.

"Oi, Shev?" Bagas’s voice suddenly came, snapping him from this torturous experience. It seemed that his best friend noticed his situation and was worried about him. "What’s wrong? You okay, or are you sick?"

"No, I am okay. Don’t worry, just give me a little bit of time." He raised his hand before Bagas could start a commotion. Even though Bagas wasn’t assured at all, at least his best friend still gave him a room to breathe. After his brain calmed down a little bit, Sheva couldn’t help but hiss venomously at his system. ’Damn, System bastard! Come out now! Are you trying to kill me or what?!’

Of course, those rants disappeared inside his head immediately as the answer he expected had never come. However, once his mind had processed everything, Sheva widened his eyes in shock, seeing—or at least recalling—all the memories that he got from the system.

Right after everything calmed down, Sheva suddenly felt clarity, as if the gear that he had never known existed inside his head suddenly shifted, starting to work like a steam engine. Everything about the Dutch Defense suddenly rushed inside his head with the speed of light, giving him the necessary information that all those super grandmasters in the chess world had known about.

Hell, there were even memories about some famous games with this opening; from the classical one like Alexander Alekhine’s game in 1922 to even Hikaru Nakamura’s game against Jeffery Xiong during the US Championship 2019. Even though it would take a long time for Sheva to study all of them, at least it’s worth every rupiah here. Now, he would have the perfect counterattack whenever his opponent played the 1.d4 opening, something that he didn’t have during his time in Vietnam.

’Oi, System, are you sure that I only get one prize here?’ Sheva suddenly asked. ’What about my reward for winning the tournament? It should be worth something, right?’ He kept pestering the system, knowing that it still held a lot of secrets from him. Unfortunately, just like usual, the system didn’t bulge, giving the boy a silent treatment until Sheva finally gave up by himself.

’Oh, fine! Just do whatever you want, System!’ He huffed annoyedly. ’Just wait there! I will force you to give the rest of your precious things to me! Just sit tight and watch, Bastard!’