An easy to understand book about the Dutch defense

Hi, I'm looking for a book about the stonewall Dutch (it doesn't matter if the book deals with all the variations of the Dutch). There are several books about the Dutch on Amazon, but I'm only a woodpusher so I don't know if I have the level to understand a book that would fit for 1600 ELO players.

If you bought a book about the Dutch, could you please tell me which one it was if it's understandable for everyone (i.e. like one of Jeremy Silman's books)? Thanks a lot. 

Define understandable!  Do you expect to be able to just brush through the moves and understand it?  Or if it says something, and you don't instantly understand it, do you take the time - could be 10 minutes - attempting to understand it?

A book that is out of print but does offer the eBook version is "Win with the Stonewall Dutch" written back in 2008.  The book is EXCELLENT, and it is not a database dump.  It has excellent annotations, but it is not a book you can breeze through.  It is 224 pages, and should take you more than half a year to read, if that gives you an idea.

A good book to begin with is "Starting Out: the Dutch Defence" by Neil McDonald.

ThrillerFan: I mean that the moves are explained, even if the reasons for which they were played seem obvious. I don't want something like "I.1.A.a)" without explanations at all.

Thanks for answering.

Thank you OldPatzerMike! 

Ideas are explained, but it won't be repeated each game.  For example, it will explain to you that allowing the White Setup of Pd4, Pc4, Pe3, Bf4, Bd3, Nc3, Nf3 against the Stonewall setup must be avoided at all cost.  It will also explain not to play ...c6 until c4 is played.  It will explain this.  However, 3 games later, after having already explained that, if a game goes 1.d4 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.Nf3 d5 5.O-O Bd6, and you ask "Why not 5...c6", it was already explained!  It will not reiterate and allow you to jump around the book.  If you start from the beginning, you should already know why.

Also, it will explain how against Nh3, a classical setup is better than a Stonewall setup as Black does not want to trade dark squared Bishops without inflicting damage, and so 1.d4 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.Nf3 d5 5.O-O Bd6 6.c4 c6 7.Bf4 Bxf4 is fine because 8.gxf4 inflicts damage to White's structure.  However, 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 should not be answered by 4...d5?  Why?  After those explanations, you should know!  Because of 5.Nh3 c6 6.Bf4 Bd6 and now the dreaded Bxd6 and even if it were Black's move, ...Bxf4 Nxf4 is BAD!

Therefore, it is also explained that c4 should be answered by ...c6.  Therefore, in that last line, 4...c6! Is correct.  If 5.Nf3, then 5...d5.  If 5.Nh3, then 5...d6!, playing for a classical dutch setup with ...e5.

So after explaining these "Rules", why is 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e6 4.Nf3 d5?? A bad move?  Correct is 4...Bb4 as it was already explained that the cardinal sin is to play a Stonewall setup where White gets the setup after 5.Bf4! Followed by 6.e3 and 7.Bd3.  He has not committed to g3 yet!

Are there some "variations"?  Like A3 or B1a?  Sure.  But you will not see D4b6a52 like in John Nunn's database dump books on the Kings Indian.

There is an intro with explanations and 3 highly annotated games.

Then there are 12 chapters with complete games highly explained (but again, something already explained will not be repeated, so if it already told you why 4...d5 is bad in game 17 (hypothetical, not looking at the book right now), it will not reiterate why 4.. d5 is bad in game 23 if the same moves are played.  You are expected to have read that already and retained it.

After the games is an exercise.  Some are problems, some are other tasks.

Then comes the theoretical section of the chapter where you might get some cases of "B1c", but not until you have already gone through the explanatory and complete games part of the chapter.

It is an excellent book to learn the Dutch and is not a database dump, but you cannot breeze through it either.

I can tell you that even this book with have annotations without explanations in it.  Also, only a small piece is on the Stonewall that you ask about.  1 chapter, maybe 2.  Rest is Classical, Leningrad, anti-Dutch (Stonewall book I mention also covers anti-Dutch, like 2.Bg5, 2.Nc3, 2.e4, 2.g4, etc).

But if you are getting all the ideas explained, and on move 28, you have annotations of A, B1, and B2, and that they all lead to +- by move 37, you do not need verbal explanations on that as you are well past the opening phase of the game.  It is not an endgame or late middle game book.  It is simply showing the variations for why your move is forced.  The fact that they are giving you complete games and notating move 28 is a bonus.

But, if you don't trust me, having seen both books myself (sold the McDonald book since), then so be it.

OK. Thanks a lot. 

I don't care if the book doesn't focus on the stonewall, I'm curious about the other variations too.

`Win with the Stonewall Dutch" seems amazing, but it's definitely not affordable for me (knowing that I am a woodpusher, 69€ is maybe too much for a chess book, no matter how cool it is!).

I'm not saying that every move should be explained. For instance, the banal 20.Tf6 should not be explained. I mean that it would be appropriate to explain the moves 20.Tf6! or 20.Tf6?. Knowing why a move is a good one or a bad one is important, especially when it is typical in the variation.

I'm going to try McDonald's book, in order to see if the "starting out" collection is a good one.

I won't forget that there is a great book on the stonewall, and maybe one day I'll find one with a normal price (29€ according to Gambit). 

Thanks again. 

I had mentioned that it is out of print and that you should get the eBook edition for the Kindle.  I believe it's only $9.99 if memory serves me right.

EDIT:  It's $9.95

https://www.amazon.com/Win-Stonewall-Dutch-Sverre-Johnsen-ebook/dp/B00J2LHD12/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Win+with+the+stonewall+dutch&qid=1588084383&sr=8-1

If you don't own a Kindle, you can read it with their Free App (see Right below the Kindle price on that page above.

Thanks but I simply don't like the e-books. 

what do you think about this? 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nxd4 5. Qxd4 c5