Stonewall Attack
1.d4 d5 2.e3 e6 3.Bd3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.f4!?
Emanuel Lasker in an 1892 game played 5.Nf3, switching into a Colle, not that he would have realised it at the time - Edgard Colle was born five years later.
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| This position occurs 227 times in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database |
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5...Bd6!?
More popular are 5...f5!? and 5...Nf6, but the text has been played by Wilhelm Steinitz,
Fedor Duz-Khotimirsky and Daniel King.
Fedor Duz-Khotimirsky and Daniel King.
6.Nf3 Bd7
Stockfish17 and Dragon1 like Steinitz's 6...Nh6!?
7.Qe2
Frank Marshall preferred 7.Nbd2 in a 1908 game against Duz-Khotimirsky.
7...Nf6 8.g3!?
This has been played by a 2221, but is not liked by the engines, which suggest 8.Ne5 or 8.0-0.
8...Ne4!?
The engines agree this is an improvement over the known 8...Qe7.
9.Nbd2
The engines suggest giving up White's better bishop with 9.Bxe4 dxe4 10.Nfd2, but agree 10...f5 gives Black a slight edge.
9...f5 10.Ne5 Nxe5
The engines like this, but reckon giving up Black's better bishop with 10...Bxe5!? may be slightly better, whichever way White recaptures.
11.fxe5 Be7 12.Nf3
The engines dislike this, preferring 12.0-0 or 12.a4.
12...g5!?
Gaining space, albeit in a way that leaves the black king looking less safe.
13.Ng1!? 0-0
13...g4!? prevents White's next move, but leaves an outpost square at f4.
14.Nh3 Be8 15.0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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Black has more space on the kingside, and has the only piece in the opponent's half, and Black's bad bishop (e8) is better than White's bad bishop (c1). White's only plus of any significance is the spearhead pawn on e5. The engines give Black the upper hand.
15...Bg6 16.Bd2 a6 17.a4 Rc8 18.Bc1?
If this were White's best move, White would be in a bad way indeed, but the chances of it being best are negligible. The engines suggest 18.Nf2 or 18.b4!?
18...Qe8 19.Qg2 Bh5 20.Be2!? Bxe2 21.Qxe2 g4!?
Giving up the f4 square, but gaining more space and highlighting the weakness of Black's kingside light squares.
22.Nf4 Ng5
The engines much prefer 22...Bg5.
23.Kg2 Qf7 24.Bd2
The bishop has spent three tempi getting here from its starting square.
24...Qg7 25.Rh1 Rc6!?
A multi-purpose move - defending e6, allowing quick doubling on the c file, and possibly preparing pressure down the b file.
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| How should White respond? |
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26.h3
The engines fluctuate between several moves, including 26.Rac1, 26.Rad1 and 26.c4!?, the idea after 26.c4!? dxc4 being to continue 27.Bc3!?, but Black remains better.
26...gxh3+ 27.Nxh3?!
Probably better is the engines' 27.Kf1!?, leaving capture of the h3 pawn to later.
27...Ne4 28.Be1?!
Another probable improvement is 28.Rag1!?, when the g3 pawn is poisoned, eg 28...Nxg3? 29.Qf3 Ne4+ 30.Kh2! Ng5 31.Nxg5 Bxg5 32.Rxg5! Qxg5 33.Rg1.
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| After the text, how should Black proceed? |
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28...cxd4!
Other moves also keep an advantage, but this is strongest.
29.cxd4
If 29.exd4, then 29...f4!
29...Bh4
Going after the g pawn, but the engines reckon 29...Rfc8 is much stronger.
30.Nf4
Even so there seems to be no defence.
30...Nxg3
The engines point out 30...Bxg3! is possible, meeting 31.Nh5 with 31...Qg6, when 32.Bxg3 (32.Nxg3 is even worse) runs into 32...f4! 33.exf4 Nxg3 34.Nxg3 Rc2 etc.
31.Bxg3 Qxg3+ 32.Kf1
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| How should Black continue? |
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32...Rfc8
Not 32...Rc2?, which wins after 33.Qxc2? Qf3+ 34.Kg1 Qxe3+, eg 35.Kg2 Qg3+ 36.Kf1 Qxf4+ 37.Kg2 Qg4+ 38.Kf1 Kh8 etc. But White has 33.Rh3!, which the engines reckon gives complete equality, eg 33...Rxe2 34.Rxg3+ Bxg3 35.Nxe2 Bh4 36.Nf4 Kf7 37.Rc1 with good play for a pawn.
33.Rd1
Possibly slightly better is 33.Rg1!? Rc1+ 34.Qd1! Rxd1+ 35.Rxd1 Qxg1+ 36.Kxg1, but after 36...Bg5!? Black has at least the upper hand, according to the engines, thanks to being a pawn up and, in contrast to the last note, having the more-active rook.
33...Rc2 34.Qxc2??
This allows Black a quick mate, but after 34.Rh3! Qg5! 35.Nxe6 Qg6 36.Nf4 Rxe2 37.Nxg6 Rf2+ 38.Kg1 hxg6 39.Rxh4 Rxb2 Black has a good double-rook-and-pawn ending. Alternatively 34.Rg1 Qxg1+ 35.Kxg1 Rxe2 36.Nxe2 Rc2 is very good for Black.
34...Qf3+ 0-1
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