Stonewall Attack
Initial Moves: 1.d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Bd3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.f4
Strategic Summary & Main Idea
The Stonewall Attack is the system in which White sets pawns on c3, d4, e3 and f4, with the bishop on d3, and plays for a knight on e5 and an attack on Black's castled king. The typical order is 1.d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Bd3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.f4, and the measurement does not favour the plan: after 5.f4, the position measures −0.72, against −0.28 for 5.Nf3, which leads to the Colle. The reason is one Black move, 5...Bg4, which gets the c8 bishop out before ...e6 locks it behind the pawn chain. Against the passive reply, 5...e6, the system works and the position measures −0.11.
The pawn structure this opening produces
The Stonewall is a pawn chain on c3, d4, e3 and f4, and each pawn has a job. The d4 pawn holds the centre; the f4 pawn controls e5, the square White wants for the knight; the c3 and e3 pawns support d4. The price is in what the chain leaves behind. The e4 square has no White pawn to defend it, and only pieces control it; the c1 bishop is locked behind e3 and d4 and hardly ever takes part in the game. That is why the d3 bishop is White's most important piece: it covers e4 and aims at h7, the target of the attack. Black answers with ...d5 and ...c5, which pressure d4 and open the c-file. Black's structural decision is where to put the c8 bishop. With ...e6 before the bishop comes out, it is locked behind its own chain, and the game becomes the Stonewall White wants; with ...Bg4 before ...e6, the bishop stays outside the chain and hits the knight that supports e5.
Typical Plans for White
- Against 5...Bg4, play 6.Ne2 rather than 6.Nf3: the position measures −0.68 against −0.92
- Against 5...e6, develop with Nf3 and castling and plant the knight on e5
- Against 7...Ne4, trade with 8.Bxe4: the position goes from −0.25 to +0.04
- Do not play 6.Qb3 against 5...Bg4: 6...c4 hits the queen and the bishop and measures −4.58
- To avoid ...Bg4, play 5.Nf3 before f4: −0.28, the transition to the Colle
Typical Plans for Black
- Play 5...Bg4 before ...e6, with the bishop outside the pawn chain
- Pressure d4 with ...c5 and ...Nc6 before White completes the chain
- Against 8.Ne5, reroute the knight with 8...Ne7 rather than allow the exchange on c6
- Do not plant the knight on e4 early: 7...Ne4 allows 8.Bxe4 and measures +0.04, against −0.25 for castling
- Do not play 8...b6 with White's knight on e5: 9.Nxc6 wins the piece
Main Variations of the Stonewall Attack
| Variation | Move Sequence | Evaluation | Style / Characteristic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5...Bg4 6.Ne2 | 1.d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Bd3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.f4 Bg4 6.Ne2 e6 7.O-O Bd6 8.Nd2 O-O |
−0.66 | The knight goes to e2 to avoid the pin; Black remains better |
| 5...Bg4 6.Nf3 e6 7.Nbd2 | 1.d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Bd3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.f4 Bg4 6.Nf3 e6 7.Nbd2 |
−1.03 | The natural development, with the f3 knight pinned and no hold on e5 |
| 5...e6 6.Nf3 Bd6 7.O-O O-O | 1.d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Bd3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.f4 e6 6.Nf3 Bd6 7.O-O O-O |
−0.25 | The Stonewall the system wants: the c8 bishop is locked behind e6 |
| 5...e6 with 8.Ne5 Ne7 | 1.d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Bd3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.f4 e6 6.Nf3 Bd6 7.O-O O-O 8.Ne5 Ne7 |
−0.15 | The knight reaches e5 and Black regroups on the kingside |
| 5.Nf3 Bg4 (Colle order) | 1.d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Bd3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Nbd2 e6 7.O-O Bd6 |
−0.28 | Delaying f4 until after Nf3 takes most of the sting out of ...Bg4 |
| 5.Nd2 e5 | 1.d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Bd3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nd2 e5 |
−0.57 | With neither f4 nor Nf3, Black frees the game with ...e5 |
| 5.f4 Qb6 | 1.d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Bd3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.f4 Qb6 6.Nf3 Bg4 |
−0.14 | The queen hits b2 before the bishop comes out; it costs Black more than half a pawn |
| 3...g6 | 1.d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Bd3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.O-O c5 7.c3 |
−0.20 | The fianchetto against the Stonewall: the g7 bishop eyes d4 and e5 along the long diagonal |
Evaluations measured by us with Stockfish 19, depth 22, on 15/09/2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Stonewall Attack the same as the Stonewall Dutch?
It is the same pawn formation with the colours reversed. In the Stonewall Attack, White plays c3, d4, e3 and f4 and aims for e5; in the Dutch Defence, Black sets up ...c6, ...d5, ...e6 and ...f5 and aims for e4. Bird's Opening reaches the same White structure by another order, with f4 on move one. The plans look alike, but the evaluations do not carry over from one opening to the other.
Why is 5...Bg4 so strong against the Stonewall?
Because it gets the c8 bishop out before ...e6 locks it in. After 5.f4 Bg4, the position measures −0.68; if Black plays 5...e6, it measures −0.11. The bishop outside the chain pins or trades the f3 knight, the piece that supports e5, and White's plan loses its anchor.
Is the Stonewall Attack worth playing?
As a low-theory system, yes, as long as the move order avoids ...Bg4. With 5.Nf3 before f4, the position measures −0.28, practically the −0.25 of the previous position; with 5.f4, it drops to −0.72. The attacking plan — knight on e5, bishop against h7 and pawns on the kingside — works against players who answer with ...e6 and leave the c8 bishop locked in.
Common Mistakes & Where Most Amateurs Go Wrong
- 01 Playing 7.Ne5?? against 5...Bg4 6.Nf3 e6. The knight leaves f3 and opens the g4 bishop's diagonal to d1: 7...Bxd1 wins the queen, and the position measures −9.33. The line:
1.d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Bd3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.f4 Bg4 6.Nf3 e6 7.Ne5−9.33 - 02 Attacking b7 with 6.Qb3? against 5...Bg4. Black's pawn advances 6...c4! and hits the queen and the d3 bishop at once; White loses material, and the position measures −4.58. The line:
1.d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Bd3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.f4 Bg4 6.Qb3 c4−4.58 - 03 Playing 8...b6? with White's knight on e5. The pawn stops defending the c6 knight, and 9.Nxc6 wins a piece with an attack on the queen: +6.63, against −0.15 for 8...Ne7. The line:
1.d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Bd3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.f4 e6 6.Nf3 Bd6 7.O-O O-O 8.Ne5 b6+6.63
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