A Classic Stonewall Attack

    As I wrote in a post a few years ago, I am tempted to say winning with the Stonewall Attack can’t be done, but that’s because I tried it a few times and it never worked out like a couple of my books on it said it was supposed to. Indeed, the opening does not enjoy a good reputation today, but it might still be worth a try; it’s just not for me. 

    What it is supposed to do is build a wall of Pawns on the dark squares and white will then use his Queen, King’s Bishop anf Knight to launch an attack. The following game is a classic example of the Stonewall in action. White’s attack is simply brilliant.

    The winner, Dr. Richard Kujoth (1931-2011, 80 years old), was Wisconsin Champion in 1947, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1953, and 1958. His opponent, Dt. Charles Crittenden (1933-2023, 90 years old) was a National Master who won the championship of North Carolina in 1948, 1952, 1953, 1956 and 1959. 

 

 

[Event "Milwaukee"] [Site ""] [Date "1949.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Richard Kujoth"] [Black "Charles C Crittenden"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D00"] [Annotator "Stockfish 19"] [PlyCount "41"] [EventDate "1949.??.??"] {D00: Stonewall Attack} 1. d4 d5 2. e3 Nf6 (2... Bf5 {The idea of this move is to trade off the light squared Bs. GM Andy Soltis explains that the move is weak because it weakens the b7 square and white often get favorable tactical opportunities on the a4-e7 diagonal} 3. Nf3 {White does well to abandon the Stonewall here.} Nf6 4. c4 c6 5. Nc3 {White is just slightly better.}) (2... Bf5 3. Bd3 {This attempt to use the ensuing gob of Ps in the center leads to no more than equality.} Bxd3 4. cxd3 Nf6 5. Qb3 b6 6. Nf3 e6 7. Nc3 c5 {with full equalit5y.}) 3. Bd3 e6 {Routine. 3...g6 and 4...Bg7 is probably his best plan. This, together with ...c5, effectively nullifies the pressure of white's B on d3.} 4. f4 (4. Nd2 {Preventing black from playing ...ne5 would have been more accurate.} c5 5. c3 Nc6 6. f4 {etc.}) 4... Nbd7 (4... Ne4 {The thematic move.} 5. Nf3 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Nbd2 f5 {is completely equal. It's pretty clear any hopes white had of generating a K-side attack have been stymied.}) 5. Nd2 c5 (5... b6 6. Ngf3 Bb7 7. O-O Ne4 8. Ne5 Nxe5 9. fxe5 Qd7 {White's position is the more active. Petricevic,P (2019)-Dobrovic,A (2091) Sibenik CRO 2012}) 6. c3 {So that in the event of ...c4 he can jeep the B on the diagonal with Bc2.} cxd4 $146 {Relieving the center tension is a poot choice. 6...Bd6 and castling was the correct way to go.} (6... c4 7. Bc2 b5 8. a3 a5 9. Qe2 Bb7 10. Ngf3 b4 11. axb4 axb4 12. Rxa8 Qxa8 {is equal. Ivanov,D (2071)-Slavov,V Sofia 2007}) 7. exd4 Be7 8. Ngf3 {Here white is only slightly better, but black's problem is that the smallest slip will allow white a winning attack.} b6 {Castling was better.} 9. Ne5 {Here again black should castle. Instead, he plays a move that allows white to begin a strong attack.} Nxe5 {This eliminates white's well placed N, but it has the disadvantage of opening thr f-file and allowing white's B on c1 into the game. his best option was to castle and then play ...a5 and ...Ba6 hoping white will allow the exchange of Bs.} 10. fxe5 Nd7 11. O-O a5 (11... O-O {is no better. White has no direct mating attack, but black's position would still be very poor.} 12. Qh5 g6 13. Qe2 Bg5 14. Nf3 Bxc1 15. Raxc1 Qe7 16. Rce1 Bb7 {Black's pieces are all very ineffective whereas white can now launch a promising attack beginning with 17.h4!}) (11... f5 {is met by} 12. g4 {Black has no good answer to this, If} O-O 13. gxf5 exf5 14. Bxf5 Nb8 {An attempt to easee the defense by trading pieces.} 15. Bd3 {White needs to preserve this B.} Na6 16. Rxf8+ Qxf8 17. Qf3 Qxf3 18. Nxf3 {and white has a distinct endgame advantage.}) 12. Qg4 g6 13. Bc2 {[%mdl 128] This avoids the exchange of this valuable B which otherwise would happen after ...Ba6.} Bg5 $2 {The idea is to trade some pieces, but it allows white a nice little tactical response.} (13... f5 {keeps fighting.} 14. exf6 Nxf6 15. Ba4+ {The weakness on the a4-e8 diagonal that Solti mentioned.} Kf7 16. Qh4 {After white adds his N to the attack with Nf3 black will face serious difficulties.}) 14. Nc4 $1 {[%mdl 512]} dxc4 {He can't allow the N to reach d6.} (14... Bxc1 {14...Be7 4.24 gets him mated.} 15. Nd6+ Kf8 16. Qxe6 {[%csl Gd6,Gf1][%cal Re6f7]} Be3+ 17. Kh1 {[%csl Gd6,Gf1][%cal Re6f7]} Nxe5 18. Rxf7+ Kg8 19. Rd7+ Kf8 20. Rf1+ Bf2 21. Rxf2+ Nf7 22. Qxf7#) 15. Bxg5 Qc7 {White now has a crushing finish, bit there was no way to save the game/} 16. Rxf7 $3 {[%mdl 512] Brilliant.} Kxf7 17. Rf1+ {White has a mating attack.} Kg7 18. Bh6+ $1 {[%mdl 512] Another brilliant move!} Kxh6 19. Rf7 Qd8 20. Rxh7+ $3 {[%mdl 512] Yet another brilliant move.} Kxh7 (20... Rxh7 21. Qxg6#) 21. Qxg6# {No wonder this is a classic example of the Stonewall Attack in action.} 1-0