Andrew Martin:
The ABC of the Classical Dutch

Review by Steven B. Dowd

ABC of the Classical Dutch (DVD) by Andrew Martin, ChessBase, Playing time: 3 hours 45 min. $29.95 (Chesscafe Price: $24.95)

This is another well-produced trainer, but to be fully armed in the Ruy Lopez, Martin's two other DVDs will round out your repertoire: ABC of the Ruy Lopez and the Spanish Exchange Variation.

Andrew Martin is one of my favorite presenters. He always approaches a topic with enthusiasm. On this trainer, after a rather pragmatic introduction, his next two sections consist of "Black getting pounded" and a "cautionary tale" so you can see what not to do in this opening! You won't even see the main line of the repertoire until the fourteenth game of the thirty-three presented. The Classical Dutch is one of those openings that doesn't enjoy a great reputation at the highest levels. Yet, there is no refutation in sight, and it has been adopted by all kinds of uncompromising players. The Dutch player is a combinative one, willing to play for complications and the win from the get-go. The Dutch is an unbalancing opening, and the Classical Dutch demands accurate play on both sides.

Here is an example of how things can go wrong for White. He has already let the opening get away from him, and his careless approach to the middlegame will lose.

The reason I show this game fragment, and why Martin includes it as the first Black success, is that it represents just one of the many positions that can arise in the Classical Dutch once things "open up." You have to exercise a certain "flexibility of thought" in the Classical Dutch, Martin later notes, giving it a certain appeal to those who like to innovate over-the-board.

The main repertoire line features GM Simon Williams, who is a consistent proponent of the Classical Dutch. Although Martin calls 7...Ne4, a relatively new move, it was advocated by Williams as early as 2003. The idea behind 7...Ne4 is to exchange a set of minor pieces, then going for the ...e5 break with Bf6 and Nc6. The traditional Classical Dutch moves of ...a5 and ...Qe8 are held in reserve. White's choices are mainly to take the knight or play various queen moves, with 8.Qc2 the main line.

Here is a great fighting game by Williams, against a world class-GM, that illustrates his "cold-blooded approach":

When I tried to conduct my usual evaluation of the opening through online games, nearly everyone avoided the Classical Dutch! You can interpret that two ways: "people hate to face this opening, so I am going to take it up!"; or "if all my opponents avoid it, I will just end up in some crazy sideline, so I will stick with my standard openings!"

Upon viewing the DVD, I felt very comfortable in my knowledge of the repertoire: get a set of minor pieces off the board, strive for an ...e5-break, and watch out for an e4-break by White, or alternately, a break on the queenside. What really attracted me is that the play is active the whole time.

This DVD is an excellent introduction to the Classical Dutch and Martin is an excellent teacher. Nevertheless, he stresses that to really learn the repertoire (and all the ways White can avoid the Classical Dutch), you will need to get a book or two on the opening and immerse yourself in a database of games. It is a great DVD to consider if you are thinking about playing the opening, and if not, you will still learn something about counterattacking chess in general

My assessment of this product: Great (five out of six stars)

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Sample lecture: Andrew Martin – The ABC of the Classical Dutch

Andrew David Martin (born 18th May 1957 in West Ham, London) is an English chess player with the title of International Master. He has won various national and international tournaments and has been playing for years in the Four Nations Chess League, at present (July 2009) for Wood Green Hilsmark Kingfisher, previously for the Camberley Chess Club. Martin received his IM title in1984. He earned his first grandmaster norm in the British Championship of 1997 in Brighton. Martin was a commentator on the chess world championship between Kasparov and Kramnik in 2000.

On the 21st February 2004 Martin set a new world record for simultaneous chess. He faced 321 chess players at the same time. His result was: 294 wins, 26 draws and only one loss. Martin is known as a professional chess teacher and head trainer of the English youth team. He trains eight schools (Yateley Manor, Aldro, Millfield, Sunningdale, Waverley School, St Michael’s Sandhurst, Wellington College, Salesian College). Martin is a chess columnist, an author of chess books and the author of various instructional videos. He was the publisher of the series Trends Publications. Martin lives in Sandhurst, England, is married and the father of two daughters and two sons. His present Elo rating is 2423 (as of July 2009).

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