The Stonewall Attack is a

chess opening A chess opening or simply an opening is the initial stage of a chess game. It usually consists of established theory; the other phases are the middlegame and the endgame. Many opening sequences have standard names such as the "Sicilian Defens ...

characterized by White (generally) playing their pawns to d4 and e3, playing Bd3, Nd2, and then playing pawns to c3 and then f4; although the moves are not always played in that order (see transposition). The Stonewall is a ''system''; White heads for a very specific pawn formation, rather than trying to memorize long lines of different variations. If White puts up the

Stonewall formation The Stonewall Formation is a Stratigraphy, stratigraphical unit of Late Ordovician to Early Silurian Geochronology, age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. It takes the name from Stonewall, Manitoba, and was first described in the Stonewa ...

it is called the ''Stonewall Attack'', regardless of how Black chooses to defend against it. When Black sets up a Stonewall formation, with pawns on c6, d5, e6 and f5, then it is a variation of the

Dutch Defense The Dutch Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. d4 f5 Black's 1...f5 stakes a claim to the e4-square and envisions an attack in the middlegame on White's ; however, it also weakens Black's kingside to an extent (especia ...

. ''MCO-15''See page 511 and column no. 9. gives the following as a main line: 1.d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Bd3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.f4.

''ECO''

Since the Stonewall system is used against a variety of Black defenses, the '' Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'' (''ECO'') has trouble classifying it. Among the codes used are D00 (when Black has played ...d5), A45, and A03 (the code for

Bird's Opening Bird's Opening (or the Dutch Attack) is a chess opening characterised by the move: :1. f4 Bird's is a standard flank opening. White's strategic ideas involve control of the e5-square, offering good attacking chances at the expense of slightly ...

Example game

This sample game illustrates what can happen if Black defends weakly. :1.d4 d5 2.f4 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Nf3 c5 5.c3 Nc6 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.0-0 0-0 8.Nbd2 b6 9.Ne5 Bb7 10.g4 Qc7 11.g5 Nd7 12.Bxh7+ Kxh7 13.Qh5+ Kg8 14.Rf3 f6 15.Rh3 fxe5 16.g6

References

Bibliography * * * {{Chess Chess openings