stonewall? interesting? huh? wha? i can't wait to drop it as much as possible having already ditched stonewall attack years ago.

i don't like playing it at all myself even if it's easy to maintain a good score with it. i'm a pure tactician, and tactics in the stonewall are few and far between.

was just trying to see if there was an albin counter gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5!?) thread here as that's the 1st line i want to study in my break from the cold and confining stonewall.

the only time i'd use the stonewall and attack if possible would be as a plan B in a rematch against some annoying positional player gambits don't work on, especially if he trash talks.

open games are where the real exciting is to me. if any line in the stonewall is exciting, it's probably those fun early e4/e5 gambits where the queen and knight swoop in and rip the king a new one before castling. too bad the gambiteer's the one having all the fun there though.

hi all, I played an intresting league match last week and I made a few brief notes becase my mate posts them on youtube.  I thought I may as well post it on here.

our rating system has changed in the uk-last year I was about 1740-this year I'm almost the same grade but under the new system it calculates low-mid 1600's

we here you go:


I mitchell (111) v N Jerzynek (124)

d4 e6
c4 f5
Nc3 Nf6
e3 c6
           can white play d5 or is this move order ok?

Nf3 d5
cxd5 exd5
g3 Bd6
Bg2 0-0
0-0 Be6
a3
           preparing minority attack (or queenside attack) or does white not know what to do?

    Nbd7
Ng5 Qe7
Bh3

           first move I really had to think-only used about 3 mins upto now, played Ne4-sqaw if white takes I had to take back with d pawn which never happens (always take with the f pawn with a strong f8 rook) but after dx the white knight is trapped and can only take my bad bishop-so I’m happy

      Ne4
Ncxe4 dxe4
Nxe6 Qxe6
Rb1
           preparing b4 – Qa2 does nothing

    Kh8
           now I was thinking about Qh6 Bg2 Nf6 (threatening to go to g4 but always going to d5 where it can’t be touched [unless weird things happen])  Kh8 stops Qb3+ (even though it only does a bit of damage)

b4 Qh6
Bg2 Nf6
           Thinking about g4 but going to d5

h4
           I feel that this should positionally lose (b5 Nd5 bxc6 Nc3 cxb7 Nxd1 bxa8=Q Rxa8 Rxd1 is interesting band even though I did not visualise this (even thought it is simple) I always had backups like b5 Nd5 bxc6 bxc6 which is not brill but it was like a backup plan

        g5
hxg5 Qxg5
Bb2 Nd5 
           Now this also stops d5+ and can never be moved (but if a piece has a strong purpose you will forget about it in a time scramble)

Qb3 a6
           So I don’t have to worry about b5-don’t think white can get away with a4 but worth a quick look


Re1
           Not sure what this is (poss a ling escape route)

      Rf6
           On this move I was not sure whether to use the h pawn in the upcoming attack as white’s only way to my king is Ke2 and Rh1

Kf1
           Is Qg4 keeping the king trapped worth a look

       Rg8
Ke2 Qg4+
Kd2
           We play 35 moves in a hour and a quarter + 15 minute quickplay finish, it is move 25 and I have 8 minutes to my opponent’s 15ish, I thought f4 was best but after about a minute but then thought I have to play it now

       f4
exf4 Bxf4+
Kc2 Bxg3
Bxe4
           Note fxg3 Rf2+ (Qxg3 Qxg3 fxg3 Rf2+) but now the knight is under defended but down to the last few minutes with a missive attack (unfinished sympathy, lol) I didn’t even see it.  From now on I’m not sure if these are good moves but the attack must be killing

       Rxf2+
Kd3 Nf4+
           Looks obvious especially with no time but allows d5 later

Kc4 b5
           Played after about half a second’s thought

Kc5 Rg5+
           Just played move 31, I had 1-2 mins (poss not even that) my opponent had about 5 mins-not sure though (poss a bit more,) d5+ was probably the best move but not done any analysis-well complicated

Kb6 Qc8
           Played instantly-loses

d5+
           he actually said check-I would not have seen the check, I played Rg7 thinking I still had a won position thinking I could give him the exchange, did not have tine to look at Kg8-did not even see it, is it defendable?

        Rg7
Bxg7+ Kxg7
Qc3+
           Qxg3 is over

       Kg8
           Could Kh8 defend? But no time.  We’ve just played move 35, I had 30 seconds left, my opponent had 2 minutes, clocks went back 15 mins.  Now it took my opponent about a minute (poss just a little bit longer to play Qxg3 (I saw it straight away)
Qxg3+
           After not seeing anything after 30 seconds I resigned
           WHAT A GAME!!!