Annotated chess game: The Stonewall Attack

« TAP TO LOG IN

ANNOTATED GAME

The Stonewall Attack
E. Horowitz (1950) vs. Amateur (1950)
Annotated by: oodle (1200)
Chess opening: Queen's pawn (D00), stonewall attack

Interactive

•

Show all comments

•

All annotated games

•

View chessboard as:

Pages:

« Previous

11. Qf3

!! Now black's plan if foiled, and why? If black plays 11. ... Nxe5?! 12 fxe5! Ne4? 13. Nxe4 dxe4 14. Bxe4 and Black has lost a valuable Pawn (and probably his 'subordinate Dragon Bishop' on b7) without compensation.

11... a6

?! A strange-looking move; how does it enhance Black's prospects? Is Black marking time? Is he waiting to see how White's plan carefully unfolds? Has he got a plan of defence or counterattack of his own? Perhaps he will play 12. ... b5?! or maybe he is just waiting for White to make a silly mistake? Maybe his Rooks will get developed next after 12. ... Rfe8 or 12. Rad8 then? Or maybe is it that after 12. ... b5?! he will play 13. ... c4!? Maybe 11. a6?! was just to give the b5 square and the f1-a6 diagonal extra additional protection that was not necessarily needed? Isn't it amazing how many extraordinary but weird thoughts come up in your head when you are battling through Chess. Whose fault? Yours? No, but you have just got to cope with it.

1 comment

12. g5

! The key move. A moment ago we said that 12. ... Ne4 was bad, so where can the knight move to? Is it a valuable square where Black can safely counterattack, threatening to move a key piece of white's, for example, d7? Or is it just a silly square like e8? A blundered square like e4? Or a vital destruction of White's property, a safe counterattack, like 12. ... Nxe5? Or is Black just willing to sacrifice his knight for a positional advantage like the dubious 12. ... b5?! 13. gxf6 Bxf6 14. Qh5 h6!? 15. Rd3 b4?!

12... Ne8

? Ne8 has several disadvantages, one of which it bocks Black's rook on f8 from coming into the game. Plus, White could be threatening mate at any time on h7! Personally, I find this move quite hilarious! Knights on the rim are dim! Well, this knight has only got one safe square to go to. Certainly dim! As I said, I find this move quite hilarious with no major positive opinions for this absurd novice-like move. I would personally play 12. ... Nd7! threatening to swap off White's precious knight on e5. However, this knight move has a special disadvantage, as you will find out on the next great move.

13. Bxh7+

!! There is no humour in this move! This sacrifice is the logical outcome of the Bishop's menacing position on the diagonal. Black's dominant casted position now becomes so vulnerable that his king may be exposed to a mating attack!

13... Kxh7

13. ... Kh8 would be even worse, as it fails to a carefully woven and prepared discovered check after 14. Qh3/Qh5 and his valuable h7 pawn would've been lost without any material or positional gain. Now, Black's structure is completely foiled, even though white is a very unfortunate two points down.

14. Qh5+

This vital check forces Black's king to move back to g8, where White can plan to arrange other attacks by feeding in more pieces.

14... Kg8

Now that the valuable h7 pawn has vanished, the Black King is very vulnerable to mating attacks when the Rooks join in after 15. Rf3!

15. Rf3

! Note how White's forces are taking up the moves carefully woven in his original attacking plan. Now his idea is 16. Rh3 threatening 17. Qh7# or 17. Qh8# which are both mate.

15... g6

This still offers some fight, whereas after something else (i.e. 15. ... Rd8) White can play 16. g6! and mate follows at once.

16. Qh6

This move keeps the detailed and knitted structure of the strong attack of Rh3 and the follow-up of checkmate. 16. Qh4?! is dubious as this disables the advance of the g5 pawn once the second-to-last vulnerable g6 pawn has vanished. Black would also be willing to equal the material by playing 16. ... Bxg5?! anytime.

16... Ng7

Valiantly trying to shield his King and get one piece into defence, whereas more White pieces can join into attack. This is why the g6 pawn advanced, to let a little hole fit for the knight on g7. As I said, if a Dragon Bishop was located on g7 instead of the knight, then White's queen would've been unable to settle on the fearsome h6 square.

17. Rh3

! This move bursts the smoothie. It causes an earthquake! Now, White has three pieces in attack: The Queen and Rook lined up on the h-file, and the knight greatly posted on the strong outpost of e5! Thus, Mate in 1 follows at once unless Black plays the almost-quite safe and almost-quite secure move which results in a confusion moment for White, but what is it? What is this particular saving move for Black, then?

17... Nh5

! Now black's plan becomes clear. His knight blocks the all-important h-file, preventing the execution of White's mating threat. White is a piece behind, so he cannot afford to give up now. Another sacrifice is called for! Another fighting period! Another winning move! Another hint of no-giving up for a wide crunch of clear purposes. And, what is this specific but brilliant move of heaven?

18. Nxg6

!! Breaking Black's position wide open. The availability of the knight for this sacrifice is a tribute to the power of this piece on the dominating square e5! The threat of19. Qh8# is to be met again and black is left with no choice but with the subtle and regretful 18. ... fxg6.

18... fxg6

Black can now relax (for the moment) but his kingside is in parts. How is he going to manage? But how is White going to manage? He can win a second pawn back after this knight sacrifice, but he will still be three points down, so in other words, how is he going to continue this menacing and vicious attack?

19. Qxg6+

This is the obvious move, even for Grandmasters. Unhinging the support of Black's Knight at h5 is an important factor of the Stonewall Attack, yet we can now see that Black's knight is lost due to a fork, and with it, the game. But all is not easy for Grandmasters! They have a back-up survival move in their minds. The answer is that Black must interpose with his knight (19. ... Ng7), whereas if you don't think twice about it with 19. ... Kh8? follows with 20. Rxh5# checkmate.

19... Ng7

Here we have a tense moment. A knight and bishop for three pawns in an non-understandable piece of information and exchanges. So, White has to earn back a piece in this game from now. But as White is 3 points down, it looks like his hopes are all gone! So how is he going to exert extra pressure on Black's king and push forward the strong attack?

20. Rh7

The Rook is made nearer to Black's king and threatens 21. Qxg7#. Black needs to clear the rank so he can defend the knight with his queen by moving the Bishop but still, things will be tough for him. If a Bishop gets himself to h6 (and it will), then Black's dreams are doomed. The lost piece won't matter, since all the others will be cheering for happiness. But, again, this can still be delayed. There is no need for this to be immediate. So, good plan, but how is this to be acted out? How is the heart of this game to be linked in with the danger and pressure near Black's vulnerable King and his poor defending knight, and not to forget, his naughty Rook on f8, taking up all his space?

20... Bd6

! This saves the day for the moment, as it enables the Queen to protect the all-important knight on g7 through the rank, for the minute only. It is possible that White can see the light to enable him to return material and possibly win the game. This would be ideal for him, but this is only for starters. What's the move for the main?

Pages:

« Previous