Dutch Defense: Stonewall Variation
1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.O-O d5 7.Nc3
Stonewall Variation
1.2.3.4.5.6.7.
What Is The Stonewall Variation?
"The Stonewall is a bargain struck on move one and paid off on move forty. Black plants pawns on f5, e6, d5 and c6 and takes permanent ownership of e4: a knight lands there, the dark-squared bishop comes to d6, and the queen swings via e8 to h5 for a direct assault on your king. The price is a light-squared bishop buried alive on c8 and a hole on e5 that never heals.
Every Stonewall game is a race between Black's kingside attack and White's exploitation of e5 and the entombed bishop. As White, trade the dark-squared bishops with b3 and Ba3, occupy e5, and steer for an endgame where the c8 bishop is a spectator. As Black, keep queens on and attack before that endgame arrives.
"The Named Lines Of The Stonewall Variation
| Line | Moves |
|---|---|
| Modern Variation | 1.d4 f5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 c6 5.Bg2 d5 6.O-O Bd6 |
| Botvinnik Variation | 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.O-O d5 7.b3 |
| Chekhover Variation | 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.O-O d5 7.Nc3 c6 8.Qc2 Qe8 9.Bg5 |