The Dutch Defence is one of Black’s most combative responses to 1.d4, and the Stonewall is the boldest version of this opening. Black immediately seizes space in the centre and clamps down on the e4-square, laying the foundations for a complicated strategic battle.

Many players believe the Stonewall to be a substandard opening, naively assuming that the e5-outpost and bad light-squared bishop must give White the advantage. GM Nikola Sedlak disagrees, and in Playing the Stonewall Dutch he shares the insights that have helped him to rack up a healthy plus score from Black’s side. In addition to providing a complete repertoire in the main lines of the Stonewall, this book also offers useful guidance on dealing with Anti-Dutch variations and various move-order subtleties.

GM Nikola Sedlak is a former Serbian Champion who has won both the EU Individual Open Championship and an Olympiad gold medal. He has played the Stonewall for many years against strong opponents, achieving excellent results.

When Jovan recommended a switch to the Stonewall Dutch against 1.d4, it came as an unpleasant surprise! How could he seriously suggest that I make a gaping hole on the e5-square while blocking the c8-bishop with my own pawns? At first I rejected the proposal but, on Jovan’s insistence, I agreed to check a few ideas from strong players such as Predrag Nikolic, Artur Yusupov, Evgeny Gleizerov and Mikhail Ulybin. As I looked through their games, my opinion on the Stonewall began to change. In addition to seizing plenty of space at an early stage, the opening often leads to rich positions offering good chances to play for a win. Black has a variety of options in different areas of the board, and the game often becomes unbalanced. The “bad” light-squared bishop often finds its way into the game by means of ...Bd7-e8-h5, or ...b6 followed by ...Bb7 or ...Ba6.