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ANNOTATED GAME
The Stonewall Attack
E. Horowitz (1950) vs. Amateur (1950)
Annotated by: oodle (1200)
Chess opening: Queen's pawn (D00), stonewall attack
E. Horowitz (1950) vs. Amateur (1950)
Annotated by: oodle (1200)
Chess opening: Queen's pawn (D00), stonewall attack
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21. Qh6 |
With Black's kingside position perforated, White has no trouble thinking up new ways of keeping Black's King entirely miserable. This threatens 22. Rh8+ Kf7 23. Qf6+ Ke8 (23. g6+ Ke8 (23. ... Kf6 24. Qg5#) 24. Rxg7 is not enough) 24. Rxf8+ Kd7 (this is now harmful for Black but it hasn't yet finished) 25. Qxg7+ Be7 26. Rxa8 Bxa8 but this is not enough. How can White mate instead of a sufficient material advantage? | |||||
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21... Bxf4 |
! Pinning White's g5 pawn and thus preventing 22. g6 (allows 22. ... Bxh6!), at least for a moment. This is a nice plan, but it involves a major sacrifice of material, which returns pieces back to White. Still, his game will extend by a couple of moves, which is still an advantage. | |||||
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22. exf4 |
Now the threat of g6 has to be met again, with no Black bishop pinning the g5 pawn. | |||||
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22... Rxf4 |
Black has disrupted white's pawn structure, but White has more attacking plans to go! | |||||
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23. g6 |
Now white is threatening mate on the move! (25. Rh8#) White is also threatening the rook too! How is Black going to cope? (23. ... Kf8 is a disaster following 24. Rh8+ Ke7 25. Qxg7+ Kd6 resulting in a midmist of distruption). | |||||
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23... Rg4+ |
Now, that is the one and only way to stop mate. 24. Kh1 Rxg6 25. Qxg6 loses a whole range of material for Black, but that sure stops White's mating threat! | |||||
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24. Kh1 |
White's king hides in the corner. 24. Kf1 is a mistake because black would play 24 ... Qf4+! threatening an exchange of White's powerful queen against Black's weak queen. 24. Kf2 would fail to the exchange as well. | |||||
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24... Rxg6 |
And as I said, this is the only way to stop mate, though it allows a sacrifice of a Rook, only gaining a vital pawn. Still, what is more important, the game, or just a poor and shaggy old good-for-nothing chariot? | |||||
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25. Qxg6 |
White is now the exchange ahead and his pressure remains unabated (he's two points up now). In one sense, it is even stronger than before, now that White's DSB is ready to take a hand in the proceedings. | |||||
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25... Rf8 |
Black brings the other Rook in to defence, which mightily spoils White's attacking plans, for the least of time in the history of the universe. | |||||
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26. Nf3 |
There are other winning methods, but this is certainly the most pleasing. Sacrificing a poor knight in return for a particular winning game is common, in other openings, but certainly in 'The Stonewall Attack'. | |||||
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26... Rxf3 |
This is mostly usual, but White's DSB will soon be out. Black has now faced with mating threats after 27. Bg6! | |||||
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27. Bh6 |
! Setting up a murderous pin. He threatens mate by beginning with RxN+ setting up a tactic called 'The See-Saw' and 'The Guillotine' combined. More like 'The Guillotine See-Saw'! | |||||
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27... Rf7 |
Black spots the only defence. But now white strengthens the pin. | |||||
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28. Rg1 |
!! Most impressing, as black cannot do anything about this mate. Everything is struggles for Black here and White is actually down by one point! The moral is that the latter is more important, as Black has a terrible position, while White still has a 'Knock before entering' sign on his door with his only guard, the h2-pawn, snoozing by the gate (the g1-rook). An activity for you to do is to analyse this position. See what saving and winning moves are in your hands. | |||||
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28... Nxd4 |
?? This doesn't help. Better was 28. Ne5 sacrificing itself, but still attacking the queen. | |||||
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29. Bxg7 |
This is now typical for Black! The bishop attacks the knight and threatens mate on the move (30. Rh8#). Black must capture with his Rook, or else the game is immediately lost on move 30. This lost game for Black is disastrous now, and there are no saving moves. It is either mate, or a severe material disruption. | |||||
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29... Rxg7 |
?! This is a best try, but it loses the queen and more or less the game. A rook goes, and more or less, the queen and the game. First follows with 30. Rxg7+ | |||||
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30. Rxg7+ |
This wins the queen, and the game. Black resigned here, seeing that there was no opportunity for Black to win or even draw. After the queen loss for nothing (30. ... Qxg7?? 31. Qxg7#), his game will be sacrificed. I hope you have enjoyed my annotation. Please add any comments if you wish and rate this annotation. @oodle | |||||
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