JonathanB wrote on 01/23/12 at 21:40:21:
I thought the OP was asking about 1 d4, 2 others with this question.
Ah, that makes sense.
Sylvester wrote on 01/23/12 at 15:00:27:
2. Since MacDonald seems to indicate that the Stonewall should be learned first, why is this variation given less attention than the Leningrad Dutch?
3. What order of variations would you use to build a repertoire in the Dutch Defense? Why?
4. If you intended to play the Dutch as White and as Black would this change your answer to question 3? Why?
5. What are the lines that Black has to be concerned about outside the Stonewall, Leningrad, and Classical Dutch these days?
7. Which variation in the Dutch do you think gets less attention than it deserves? Why?
8. Do you think a book on Tactics in the Dutch Defense has validity these days?
2. Is it? There have been written a few books on the Stonewall lately.
Moreover I'm not so sure if McDonald is right about this. It's possible to build a repertoire around the Leningrad or the Classical while avoiding transpositions to the Stonewall.
3. I never have determined a specific order. I used to play the Iljin-Zjenevsky but have switched to the Classical with ...Bb4 a few years ago. That makes sense as the latter can be considered as attempt to improve on the former.
I chose based on taste.
4. No. I do play the Dutch with both colours.
5. All of them. There isn't something like an easy ride in the Dutch, now matter which system you chose. If you neglect one chances increase dramatically that you end up in a disaster.
7. In the first place the Christmas Tree Variation (Black plays ...f5; ...b6; ...e6; ...g6;) Literally nobody has written on this. There are move order issues.
Then there is the ...Bb4 stuff. That's one reason I switched to it, so count me happy. Besides Williams nobody has written on it systematically and Williams' coverage is quite superficial.
It's not possible to build a complete defence on it. I have complemented it with the French (1.d4 e6 2.e4) and the Tartakower (1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 d5).
It's possible to combine the ...Bb4 variations with the Christmas Tree.
8. Books on tactics in any opening always have value. Why should the Dutch be an exception?