Dutch defense loss

I have just a little experience with the dutch defense.  A couple years ago I played in a thematic tournament at GK where everyone had to play the opening moves 1 d4 f5, and I learned that Black's plan is not to be underestimated.  I'm not much of a fan of the stonewall, but somehow fell into it here.  My play felt strong through the first half of the game, and then I got totally lost.   Your help at figuring out the right plan is appreciated...

I don't know. You were certainly stonewalled.

Just an impression I had was that black made too many time-consuming moves. The whole business of moving the King to allow the Bishop on c8 to go to g8 just didn't feel right to me. Maybe if it had been exercised with threats or something....  I thought, when I saw it, that 12...a5 was a mistake, as was letting your Queen face down that Rook on d1. An attack on the flank (white's attack on the Queenside) should be answered with an attack in the center.

Very interesting game! 16.Bxf3 is what I would have played on the spot, but it is quite obvious one or two moves after that variation you posted is much better indeed. 

But really, I don't really know I would have got beaten harder than you in this game... but it was a very instructive one to post! 

After 11...c5 12 bxc5 dxc5 White doesn't play 13 dxc5? but instead 13 d5! (with the help of a chess engine).

12...Qc7 might be best move, it aims at e5, gets the queen off the d file, and clears the back rank for the rooks.  There's not much more to ask for from a single move. 

Hello anaxagoras

I've been playing the Leningrad dutch for sometime and found it very annoying when white doesn't fianchetto the bishop on g2. Books and theory don't pay much attention to this case but I think it's a very valid white option, without a white pawn on g3 the usual black thrust f5-f4 loses all its sting.

As for your game, I'm not very conviced by your manoeuvre : Kh8,Be6-g8. I find it time consuming and it leaves a free hand to white. By move 12.a4, we can guess that white will have all the fun. After 6.b4 I'd probably try to strike back with 6...c5 or 6...a5 in order to not let white all the space on the queenside.

After 16...Bxf3 ? which brings you to the stonewall I can't help you... I hate the stonewall it deters me from playing the dutch...

Anyhow, Chode might give you his opinion. I know him and will asking for.