The Stonewall Attack (2024)

The Stonewall Attack is a Queen's pawn (1.d4) opening for White, which, in the hands of one who understands its relatively straightforward attacking plans and strategies, can be a lethal weapon.

While the opening is not currently in fashion, and isn't typically seen at the very highest levels, the Stonewall Attack is nevertheless very playable at the amateur and club level as most opponents at these levels will be less familiar with how to best defend against it.

The first five chapters of the book, "How to Think Ahead In Chess" by I.A. Horowitz and Fred Reinfeldare devoted to an introductory tutorial on the Stonewall Attack. The book is an "oldie but goodie" (1951), written in the older descriptive notation. It focuses primarily on the themes, plans and strategies of the opening and is targeted to the beginner through intermediate amateur player.

The more recent"The Stonewall Attack" by Andrew Soltis (revised 2nd edition -1993, in algebraic notation) is an excellent introduction to the opening. It was, and still is, the best introductory book on the Stonewall Attack, for every player. I highly recommend it. Unfortunately the book is out of print, but is available on Scribd.com as a download (under the 'Documents' menu only - search 'The Stonewall Attack Soltis')...

https://www.scribd.com/document/362669250/Andrew-Soltis-The-Stonewall-Attack-Chess-Digest-1993-pdf-pdf

https://www.scribd.com/document/444266303/Horowitz-Israel-Albert-Reinfeld-Fred-How-to-think-ahead-in-chess-the-methods-and-techniques-of-planning-your-entire-game-1979-Simon-and-Schus

Soltis' book can also be downloaded for free from pdfdrive.com (here in .djvu format, which can be opened with WinDjView app).....

https://www.pdfdrive.com/the-stonewall-attack-d196344366.html

Scribd and PDFdrive For Online Chess Book Reading, Downloading...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/scribd-com-for-online-chess-book-reading

Book Review: The Stonewall Attack (Revised 2nd Edition) by Andrew Soltis...

https://www.pathtochessmastery.com/2020/05/book-completed-stonewall-attack.html

Introductory Overview of The Stonewall Attack...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_Attack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7rpFWnBHpE

Here, the game of the YouTube video (above)....an ideal prosecution of the Stonewall Attack...

(note: for more on the article cited in the wiki and video above, see below - Defending Against the Stonewall Attack).

Stonewall Attack: A Sure and Steady Opening - Chessable Blog...

https://www.chessable.com/blog/stonewall-attack/

Opening Basics #35: Stonewall attack - Jim's Chess Channel...

here some games (pgn) from Soltis' "The Stonewall Attack"...

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1011585

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1094726

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1570722

Miscellaneous Stonewall Attack content...

https://gameknot.com/annotation.pl/running-into-a-stonewall.pl?gm=6755

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1001886

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1159287

https://www.365chess.com/view_game.php?g=180053

http://www.kenilworthchessclub.org/games/java/2006/yaacov-lecture.htm

http://www.kenilworthchessclub.org/games/java/2006/yaacov-supplement.htm

http://www.kenilworthchessclub.org/games/java/2006/yaacovn.htm

Defending Against The Stonewall Attack...

The following article* is a tutorial on how one might go about defending against the Stonewall Attack...

https://web.archive.org/web/20120425071320/http://chesscamp.net/files/page7-1034-full.jpg

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/how-to-defend-against-the-stonewall-attack

* "Stonewalling - How to turn this frustrating opening into your opponent's Watergate", by IM Larry D. Evans (not the former 5-time US Open Champion GM Larry M. Evans, who was a friend of Bobby Fischer); pp. 34-36 of the December 1981 issue of Chess Life magazine (the pdf may be slow to download - so have patience)...

http://uscf1-nyc1.aodhosting.com/CL-AND-CR-ALL/CL-ALL/1981/1981_12.pdf

Back issues of Chess Life magazine can be downloaded as .pdf files from the United States Chess Federation (USCF) Chess Life and Chess Review Archives here (your download might be slow, so be patient)...

https://new.uschess.org/chess-life-digital-archives

Stonewall Attack vs The London System

The Stonewall Attack may be viewed as a precursor to The London System in the sense that the basic Kingside attacking motif of the main line Stonewall Attack can be discerned as having similarities to the main line London System (albeit in a modified form, due to the Stonewall's pawn on f4 and undeveloped dark-square Bishop). In fact, the straight-forward attacking scheme of the Stonewall is easier to learn as there is far less opening "theory' (i.e., documented lines and variations) to deal with. Together these two factors suggest that learning and playing the Stonewall first could be an effective avenue, or stepping stone (pun intended), for learning the London System. In fact, particularly at the amateur level and in speed chess games (rapid, blitz, etc.), the Stonewall Attack can be played to good effect on its own, and typically much sooner compared to other, more heavily theory-laden Queen's Pawn openings.

Notable is lesson/chapter 4 of "The London System In 12 Practical Lessons" by Oscar de Prado (in my view currently the best and the most up-to-date book on the London System) which treats an alternative variation of the London System that I like to call the "London Stonewall Variation". This setup seeks to improve upon the standard Stonewall setup through White's early development and exchange of his the light-square f4-bishop prior to completing the Stonewall pawn structure (c3-d4-e3-f4). As the author states: "The idea is that after Black's usual ...Bd6, White is going to play Bf4xd6, followed by f2-f4, setting up a version of the Stonewall, which in theory should be good for White since we've exchanged our theoretically bad bishop [Bf4] for the opponent's good one [Bd6]. [....] This is a good alternative to have in your repertoire, varying it with the normal London System, so as to be able to surprise our opponents."

For examples of the "London Stonewall", see the following games....

Alekseev, Vadim-Sarichev, Sergey 1-0, D00 RUS-Cup Minsk 2000

Moiseenko, Vadim-Truskavetsky,Alexandr 1-0, Yalos Rapid 2022

Kramnik, Vladimir-Grandelius, Nils 1-0, 4th Norway Chess 2016

The Stonewall can also be played as Black...

Playing the Stonewall Dutch Defense as Black

Here GM Nikola Sedlak makes a convincing case for playing the Stonewall Dutch Defense in the preface to his book (below)...

https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/PlayingtheStonewallDutch-excerpt.pdf

As a first introduction to the Stonewall Dutch Defense, I recommend My First Chess Opening Repertoire for Black by Vincent Moret (Chapter 9, pp. 141-177) which extensively treats this opening. Moret provides excellent, detailed, step-by-step instruction in how to play the variation, appropriate for the novice thru intermediate player who has little-to-no prior experience with the Stonewall Dutch.

For those interested in playing the Stonewall as Black, I also recommend the following books (in the order presented, for those with no prior experience with this opening)...

Starting Out: The Dutch Defence by Neil McDonald

Win with the Stonewall Dutchby Sverre Johnsen & Ivar Bern

Dutch Stonewall by Jacob Aagaard

Playing The Stonewall Dutch by Nikola Sedlak

The Diamond Dutchby Viktor Moskalenko

All of these books are good for their intended purpose and audience. Neil McDonald's book is an excellent introductory overview of all of the Dutch Defense variations - Stonewall, Classical and Leningrad. Johnsen & Bern is a comprehensive introduction to the Stonewall Dutch for all players. Jacob Aagaard's book is a comprehensive introduction to the Stonewall Dutch, targeted primarily to experienced players. Sedlak's book is an opening repertoire in the Stonewall Dutch Defense, targeted primarily to experienced players. Moskalenko's book is a relatively advanced treatment of all three Dutch Defense variations, also intended for more experienced players - it includes a separate chapter on anti-Dutch systems.

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The Stonewall Attack (2024)

References