---
product_id: 13480028
title: "Starting Out: Dutch Defence (Starting Out - Everyman Chess)"
brand: "neil mcdonald"
price: "€ 47.37"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 9
url: https://www.desertcart.sk/products/13480028-starting-out-dutch-defence-starting-out-everyman-chess
store_origin: SK
region: Slovakia
---

# Starting Out: Dutch Defence (Starting Out - Everyman Chess)

**Brand:** neil mcdonald
**Price:** € 47.37
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Starting Out: Dutch Defence (Starting Out - Everyman Chess) by neil mcdonald
- **How much does it cost?** € 47.37 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sk](https://www.desertcart.sk/products/13480028-starting-out-dutch-defence-starting-out-everyman-chess)

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## Description

Starting Out: Dutch Defence (Starting Out - Everyman Chess)

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![Starting Out: Dutch Defence (Starting Out - Everyman Chess) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/WEBP_402378-T2/images/I/415an4bzVUL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    A Fantastic Introduction with Practical Examples
  

*by D***N on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 21, 2015*

I am not sure why there are any neutral (non-good) ratings for this book.  It is excellent.  It is everything you want out of a “Starting Out” book: it provides the basic theory, ideas behind each variation, contains all the main variations (Stonewall, Classical, and Leningrad) of the Dutch, and it has practical examples from complete games that illustrate the ideas.  Plus, this book does a great job presenting the dangers(!) as well as the benefits of the opening.  By playing a line that’s less drawish, you will open up your chances to win as much as lose, and McDonald gives a hefty dose of reality to potential players when it comes to this subject.One thing that readers should be aware of is the fact that the organization of the book might confuse you at first, but hang in there; he has good reason for setting up the book in this way.  I started playing around with the Dutch in online blitz games, while I was going through the book.  There are some very annoying responses that white will play more often than you’d think, and these tricky lines are covered in the first few chapters.  If you don’t know what to do against these, to begin with, you will be smashed, especially in quick games, because the 1. … f5 push weakens the kings.  Even if you read the three abovementioned primary lines, these other tricky lines will be devastating, if you don’t have some clue about them, one being the Staunton gambit, which Botvinnik, as Dutch specialist, avoided!In sum, I can’t think of a thing that this book is missing.  My zealous and obsessive study habits allowed me to read and understand the content in 3 days, so I think this book is digestible to most readers in, probably, a two-week period, going at steady pace.  Before covering the tricky lines, I went 1-2 with Dutch in online blitz games, afterward, I think I am up to either 8-0 or 10-0, the primary reasons being that I understand the ideas of this opening (thanks to this book) and surprisingly few 1.d4 and 1.c4 players do.  (After hearing that a friend, USCF rated 2050, had his only win against a 2300-level player with this opening, I thought it worth looking into; this book has proven a good start.)Additionally, I think that Mc Donald does a fine job of keeping the writing of the book enjoyable, possessing some flair for expressions and turns of phrase, which is refreshing.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Very insightful chess book on a very dangerous opening.
  

*by P***O on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 24, 2015*

I started looking into the Dutch defense after learning various openings to my normal Nf6 response to d4. I am an 1850 rated player and felt that many of my opponents have their pet opening that comes with a Nf6 response. For example White may opt for a Colle System, a London System, the Trompowsky attack and others. By learning the Dutch you can direct the game towards familiar Dutch lines where the majority of players rated between 1400 – 2000 have absolutely no clue about an effective response.I agree with one of the reviewers that it is particularly useful to trick someone into the Dutch by starting with e6 followed by f5 or by starting with d5 pretending to move towards a Semi Slav structure and then unleashing f5.Please note that White can transpond to a French defense after e6 with e4. As I am a French player I am familiar with the structures of the French. I suggest you learn some basic variations in the case you are not familiar with the French.This book is ideal in the sense, that it shows typical passive play disasters for White. It also explains some key ideas and key moves to remember. This is where many chess books fall short as they only cover the best move orders and not the typical mistakes that are made by players rated between 1400 – 2000 and that’s where the bulk of rated chess players are.The Dutch Stonewall for example is useful to learn as a Stonewall structure may appear out of other openings as well. Once you understand the characteristics of a Stonewall, you will find yourself in familiar territory whenever you have the opportunity to create one.This is really a great chess book on a very dangerous opening.

### ⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Lacking
  

*by M***X on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 8, 2011*

I was reluctant to purchase another book by Neil McDonald after having seen a copy of his "Chess: the Art of Logical Thinking" where his first comments on 1.e4 e5 were the same as Chernov's Logical chess. Somewhat disappointed again by this one.First, I find the writing style somewhat annoying, with quotes like "Norwegian GM Simen Agdestein had the following terrifying ordeal as Black against an amateur player rated 430 points below him: ..." without a ? or ?? in the entire line. Nothing like burning two pages on an admittedly unsound line hoping your opponent falls for the trap.Second, the coverage is very incomplete. For example, one of the more popular "anti-Dutch" lines is 1.d4 f5 2. Nc3, where Black has the option of 2. ... Nf6 or d5. McDonald shows 2. ...d5 is a struggle against Bf5, but doesn't touch on the line covered in MCO.All in all, a decent overview of the Dutch, but there are a lot of holes in the game coverage and analysis. You might be better off playing through a number of games, or MCO, choosing a favorite (Stonewall, Classical or Leningrad), and then getting a specific book.

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*Product available on Desertcart Slovakia*
*Store origin: SK*
*Last updated: 2026-02-04*