Dutch Defense: Stonewall Variation
ECO A92, A94, A95 · 1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O d5
The Stonewall Dutch sets Black's pawns on c6, d5, e6 and f5, building a wall around the e4 square. It is solid and strategically clear, and players like Kramnik and Carlsen have used it at top level.
Plans for White
White fights for the e5 square with Ne5, b3 and Ba3 to trade Black's good dark-squared bishop, or Nf3-e5 with f3 and e4 breaks. The weak e5 and e6 squares are White's targets.
Plans for Black
Black puts the bishop on d6, the knight on e4, and attacks on the kingside with ...Qe8-h5 or ...g5. The light-squared bishop can come out via ...b6 and ...Bb7 or ...Bd7-e8-h5.
Typical pawn structures
Black pawns on c6, d5, e6 and f5 give a strong e4 outpost but a hole on e5 and a passive c8 bishop.
Who it suits
Players who like fixed structures with clear plans and kingside attacks.
Common traps
If Black's dark-squared bishop is traded, the e5 hole becomes a permanent weakness; White's Ba3 plan is the main danger.
Variations
- Dutch Defense: Stonewall Variation, Modern Variation — 1. d4 f5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 c6 5. Bg2 d5 6. O-O Bd6
- Dutch Defense: Stonewall Variation, Botvinnik Variation — 1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O d5 7. b3
- Dutch Defense: Stonewall Variation, 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
Related variations
- Dutch Defense: Krejcik Gambit
- Dutch Defense: Staunton Gambit
- Dutch Defense: Classical Variation
- Dutch Defense: Leningrad Variation
- Dutch Defense: Nimzo-Dutch Variation
- Dutch Defense: Alapin Variation
- Dutch Defense: Fianchetto Attack
- Dutch Defense: Hopton Attack
- Dutch Defense: Korchnoi Attack
- Dutch Defense: Raphael Variation
- Dutch Defense: Hevendehl Gambit
- Dutch Defense: Normal Variation
- Dutch Defense: Omega-Isis Gambit
- Dutch Defense: Staunton Gambit Accepted
- Dutch Defense: Barcza Variation
- Dutch Defense: Bellon Gambit
- Dutch Defense: Fianchetto Variation
- Dutch Defense: Janzen-Korchnoi Gambit
- Dutch Defense: Kingfisher Gambit
- Dutch Defense: Manhattan Gambit, Anti-Classical Line
- Dutch Defense: Manhattan Gambit, Anti-Leningrad
- Dutch Defense: Manhattan Gambit, Anti-Modern
- Dutch Defense: Manhattan Gambit, Anti-Stonewall
- Dutch Defense: Queen's Knight Variation
- Dutch Defense: Rubinstein Variation
- Dutch Defense: Senechaud Gambit
- Dutch Defense: Spielmann Gambit
- Dutch Defense: Bladel Variation
- Dutch Defense: Semi-Leningrad Variation
- Dutch Defense: Blackburne Variation