Leningrad Dutch – An Uncompromising, Attacking Opening By IM Michiel Abeln

The Most Fun You Can Have After 1…f5
(Course updated in March 2024)

Anyone who’s tried out the Dutch Opening knows it’s a great way to kick off a game full of positional imbalances and rich, interesting structures – the stuff wins are made of.

Now, imagine if you had a complete Dutch repertoire you could use against 1.d4, 1.c4 and 1.Nf3 where long, theoretical book variations go out the window and inventive, tactical chess rules the board every game.

Well, stop imagining, because you’ve found it!

FIDE Master Michiel Abeln makes his Chessable debut with the most spirited opening repertoire ever to grace the 64 squares after 1…f5. This certified trainer and author of the famous book The Anand Files knows the benefits of this opening very well. In fact, he holds the Dutch responsible for a 150 point rating jump, taking him from 2225 to just shy of 2400 – not bad for just an opening.

Learn Active, Positional Chess Through the Leningrad Dutch

“Wait, 150 points just by playing the Dutch?” you might question. Well as FM Abeln will tell you, the Dutch – specifically, the Leningrad Dutch – doesn’t just teach you how to achieve equality after some sequence of moves. It teaches you how to play the active, positional chess required to be a master player.

And with this course, that’s exactly what he aims to do: teach you how to create gorgeous attacking masterpieces and learn the finer points of positional chess while doing it – having a lot of fun all along the way!

With the Leningrad structure, your pieces will find well-coordinated attacking harmony. The g7 bishop in the kingside fianchetto owns the center via the a1-h8 diagonal, and together with a solid pawn center, denies White activity anywhere but the queenside. Which is just perfect, because with this course, you’ll learn how to generate merciless kingside assaults before White has any reasonable chance of counterplay.

In this course, you’ll get everything you need to play strong, dynamic chess after 1…f5, including:

♚Walkthroughs of all main lines and sidelines, including Anti-Dutch systems and tricky responses such as the Staunton Gambit, Korchnoi Attack and more. You’ll even get complete defenses to 1.Nf3, 1.c4 and even 1.b3
♚Well-annotated model games by both grandmasters and lower-rated players showing the Leningrad Dutch in practice. FM Abeln was particular to include non-GM games to show what practical issues you’ll commonly face in tournament play
♚A dedicated puzzle chapter to practice common tactics and traps in this opening
♚Bountiful explanations of strategic concepts to improve your chess generally and make sure you put the Leningrad Dutch to good use. You’ll definitely want the video upgrade for this course – FM Abeln goes into depth on the finer points of strategy and tactics in every variation. Don’t miss out on these quality lessons from a certified chess coach!
♚A well-rounded Quickstarter chapter so you can learn the Leningrad Dutch fast and get to having fun with it after just 30 lines