The Stonewall Guru…

You might say that there are a few of those around; Moskalenko, Ulibin, Agdestein, Karlsson, to mention a few of the Dutch Stonewall’s active practitioners. However, today I will present you with a game by one of it’s most stubborn fans, Evgeny Gleizerov. I have happened to sit along him many a time at different tournaments and it seems to me that he always plays the Stonewall and… that he always wins. I like to learn chess through intense study of one player or one theme at a time. When I was striving to become a Grand Master I realized that my weakness was endgames and strategical play so I spent many months studying players like Rubinstein, Valery Salov and Epishin. I learned a lot. In the coming week I will give an example of how this kind of study might look, through the games of Gleizerov. Later this summer I will give a more thorough course on the Stonewall under “coaching”.

   [Event "Paskturneringen Open"]  [Site "Norrköping"]  [Date "2013"]  [Round "8"]  [White "Pohjala, H."]  [Black "Gleizerov, E."]  [Result "0-1"]  [ECO "A93"]  [WhiteElo "2315"]  [BlackElo "2545"]  [Annotator "Tiger"]  [PlyCount "144"]  [EventDate "2013"]   1. d4 e6 2. Nf3 f5 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 d5 {And with this move Black enters the  Stonewall; one of the most reliable openings on Planet Chess.} 5. O-O Be7 $5 (  5... Bd6 6. c4 b6) 6. c4 (6. b3 $5 b6 7. Ba3 {...being orthodox, feels like the  right move here. Normally - with the bishop on d6 - Black avoids Ba3 by playing  Qe7, and then White has to reply with Bb2, Qc1, followed by Ba3 in order to  implement this plan. I guess Gleizerov's point is that - although White wins a  tempo in the fight for Ba3 - Black gets to play c5 in one move...} c5 $5 {Can  Black get away with this? I dunno for sure:} (7... O-O 8. c4 Bb7 9. Qc2 Bxa3  10. Nxa3 Qe7 11. Nb1 {White has managed to exchange the dark squared bishops,  but Black has gained a few tempos in the process and has nothing to complain  about.} Ne4 (11... c5 12. Nbd2 Na6 {and Black is doing fine.}) 12. Nbd2 c5 13.  dxc5 bxc5 14. Ne5 Qd6 15. Nxe4 fxe4 16. f4 {lead to complications in Kovacevic,  B (2447)-Gleizerov,E (2565)/Zagreb 2010.}) 8. c4 O-O 9. Nc3 Bb7 10. dxc5 bxc5  11. cxd5 exd5 12. Rc1 Na6 13. Ne5 Ne4 {Black seems a bit over extended, but I  have not been able to find a clear refutation of Black's setup.}) 6... O-O 7.  b3 b6 8. Ne5 (8. Ba3 {leads to similar play as in the 5.b3-line.}) ({Earlier  in the same tournament Gleizerov won another game in the same line:} 8. cxd5 $6  exd5 9. Ne5 Bb7 10. Nd2 c5 {By now Black has already saved a tempo compared to  the lines where Black plays c6.} 11. Ndf3 Ne4 12. Ba3 a5 $1 {The knight is  going to b4 (or at least a6)} 13. Nd3 Na6 {It is interesting to how Gleizerov  refuses to fight for the e5-square. It is obviously in the hands of his  opponent, so he prefers to play around it.} 14. Nfe5 Bd6 15. Bb2 Qe7 16. f3 Nf6  17. Re1 Rac8 {Black was doing fine and went on to win in Kockum,A -Gleizerov,E  /Paskturneringen Open 2013.}) 8... Bb7 9. Nd2 c5 10. Bb2 a5 $6 {This is an  integral part of Black's dream setup, but here it just seems to be too slow.} (  {A better option is} 10... Na6 {but}) (10... Ne4 {seems premature due to} 11.  dxc5 bxc5 12. Nxe4 $1 fxe4 13. f3 {with some initiative for White.}) 11. e3 $6  {This is too slow and allows Black to achieve an optimal setup.} (11. cxd5 $1  exd5 12. Nd3 Na6 13. Nf4 Nc7 14. dxc5 bxc5 15. Qc2 Ne4 16. Nxe4 fxe4 17. Rad1 {  and Black is in trouble.}) 11... Na6 12. a4 $6 {This move makes no sense and I  guess White ( who earlier in the tournament had scored 21/2/3 against three GM:  s) was very uncomfortable with the development of the game and decided to take  a defensive stance.} (12. a3) 12... Nb4 13. Rc1 Rc8 14. Qe2 Bd6 $36 {The  position is now balanced, but White needs to do something constructive in  order not to be smothered by the (almost perfect) Black setup...} 15. dxc5 $1 {  This helps Black to improve his pawn structure and it is a kind of move that  should only be played if you have a CLEAR follow up! However, it seems like  the young Pohjala indeed had a plan in mind...} ({Another good move seems to be  } 15. Nd3 $1 {intending to take on b4 followed by cxd5 and sometimes Qb5. This  would make it hard for Black to further develop his initiative. However, the  downside to this move is} cxd4 $1 16. Nxb4 (16. exd4 Nxd3 17. Qxd3 Ba6 18. Qe2  Qd7 {and White has to find a way to deal with the threats to the c4-pawn.})  16... Bxb4 17. Bxd4 Ba6 18. Rfd1 {and although Black might have some  initiative I believe White can defend. It is by  calculating this variation  that you find the reason why it is better to take on c5 first; it avoids this  line.}) 15... bxc5 16. Rfd1 ({Another decent line is} 16. Nd3 $5 Ba6 17. Rfd1  Qe7 18. Nxb4 cxb4 19. Bf1 {with approximate equality.}) 16... Qe7 {Now, let's  have a little talk with our pieces: Bg2:fine, Bb2:fine, Ne5: might go to d3,  Nd2: why not to...} 17. Nb1 $1 {I like this move a lot! The knight is much  better off on b5.} Rfd8 18. Na3 Nd7 $6 ({It would be better to play} 18... Bb8  19. Nb5 Ne4 {with a balanced but complicated game.}) 19. Nxd7 Rxd7 20. Nb5 (20.  cxd5 $5 {This might seem a bit surprising considering that it opens up the  position when the Black pieces are very active. However, after} exd5 (20...  Bxd5 21. Nc4 $14 {is very unpleasant for Black. The a5-pawn is weak and White  can play e3-e4 when the Black pawn structure will become truly horrible.[%csl  Ra5][%cal Ge3e4]}) 21. Nc2 {and Black's central pawns are weak. I must confess  that I would not have found this line unless I had "cheated" with an engine.  After} Bb8 22. Nxb4 axb4 23. Qd3 Rf8 24. Rd2 {it proves surprisingly hard for  Black to keep the pawns protected without making further concessions:} Ba7 25.  Qb5 Rfd8 26. Rdc2 Qe6 $6 27. Rxc5 Bxc5 28. Rxc5 f4 29. Bd4 fxe3 30. fxe3 Rf7  31. Qxb4 $16) 20... Bb8 21. Bc3 (21. Rd2 Qf7 22. Rcd1 Rcd8 23. Bc3 {and Black  is very passive. White can continue with something like h3 and g4, or h4-h5.  Black will have to defend with precision.}) 21... Qf7 22. Rd2 h6 23. Rcd1 Rcd8  24. Bh1 {This move signals either time trouble or " I'm not going to do  anything"; let's see how Gleizerov deals with that...} Kh7 25. Bg2 Kg8 {Two  can play that game ;)} 26. Bh1 Nc6 27. Bb2 ({White can stop Black's next move  with} 27. Rc1 $1 {, but then} Kh7 28. Bb2 $6 dxc4 $1 29. Rxd7 Qxd7 30. Qxc4 Be5  31. Ba3 Bf6 32. f4 Nb4 {and Black's activity makes it impossible for White to  take the c-pawn:}) 27... Be5 $1 {Black's dark squared bishop is far worse than  it's White counterpart.} 28. Ba3 (28. cxd5 exd5 29. Bxe5 Nxe5 30. Bg2 $13)  28... Nb4 {Now nothing really happens for ten moves...} 29. Bg2 Bf6 30. Bh1 Kh7  31. Bg2 Bc6 32. cxd5 exd5 33. Rc1 Be7 34. Rcd1 Bf8 35. Rc1 Re8 36. Qd1 Bb7 37.  Bf3 Red8 38. Bg2 Ba6 39. Bh1 $6 (39. Bb2 {and Black will have to jump around a  bit more.}) 39... d4 $1 {Ahh, finally!} 40. exd4 cxd4 {My engine evaluates  this position as approximately equal, but from a human point it is sure much  easier to be Black from now on.} 41. Bxb4 $6 {A move played with good  intentions; it seems like Black will not be able to hold on to the d-pawn  without playing Bxb5 and Bc3 later, but then White will get a strong passed  pawn on the b-file, so that should be fine for White, however...} Bxb4 42. Rd3  Re7 $1 (42... Re8 $1 {was stronger since it doesn't allow} 43. Rxd4 {due to}  Re1+ 44. Qxe1 Bxe1 {and the d7-rook is protected.}) 43. Bf3 $2 ({White's last  chance was} 43. Rxd4 Rxd4 44. Qxd4 Qxb3 45. Qb6 {keeping decent chances to  draw.}) 43... Re1+ 44. Qxe1 Bxe1 45. Rxe1 Rb8 46. Re5 Rc8 47. Rxd4 (47. Kg2 Rc3  48. Bd5 Bb7 $19 49. Rxd4 Rc2 50. Kg1 f4 $3 {and although it gets a bit  complicated after} 51. Nd6 Qf6 52. Nxb7 Rc1+ $1 (52... Qxe5 53. Be4+ Kg8 54.  Rd8+ Kf7 55. Bxc2) 53. Kg2 Qxe5 54. Be4+ Kg8 55. Rd8+ Kf7 56. Nd6+ Ke7 57. Re8+  Kxd6 58. Rxe5 Kxe5 {there is no doubt Black will win this.}) 47... Qxb3 48. Kg2  Rc1 ({Here} 48... Qb2 $1 {is a typical "Queen against rooks and minor  pieces-move" that you should try to find in your own games. The point is that  Black does not have an attack here, nor is the a4-pawn very weak, but the  activity of the Queen and rook makes it possible to constantly annoy and ruin  the coordination between the White forces!! Keep this in mind when you have an  active Queen like that.} 49. Re2 Qb1 {and with Rc1 coming up next Black is  clearly better.}) 49. Rxf5 {That is one very, very important pawn, ecpecially  if White tries to build a fortress later! Now White is almost fine again.} Qb1  50. Be4 Bb7 51. Re5+ $6 {This move drops the defense on f2.} (51. Nd6 $1 Bxe4+  52. Nxe4 Rg1+ 53. Kh3 {and it is far from over yet.}) 51... Bxe4+ 52. Rexe4  Rg1+ 53. Kf3 ({Not} 53. Kh3 Qf1+ 54. Kg4 Qxf2 $19) 53... Qb3+ 54. Re3 Qf7+ 55.  Rf4 Qh5+ 56. Rg4 Rf1 (56... Qxh2) 57. h4 Qd5+ 58. Rge4 Ra1 59. Nc3 Qc6 60. Ke2  Ra3 {The a-pawn is falling. Is there any hope yet?} 61. Nb5 $2 (61. Nd1 $1 Ra2+  62. Kf1 Rxa4 63. Rxa4 Qxa4 64. Nc3 Qc2 65. Kg2 {and White can still try to  construct a fortress if he is allowed to sacrifice the knight for the a-pawn.  Since the endgame R+K+Pf2 vs. K+Q is drawn I do not see how Black will break  through. Does anyone?} Kg6 $1 66. Kg1 Kf5 67. Kg2 a4 68. Nxa4 Qxa4 69. Kg1 g5  70. hxg5 Kxg5 {and I believe Black can win by playing the pawn to h4 at the  right moment.}) 61... Rxa4 {Now White is not able to exchange the rook. Game  over.} 62. Nc3 Ra3 63. Nd1 Qc2+ 64. Ke1 Ra1 65. Rd4 a4 66. Rd7 a3 67. Re2 Qc3+  68. Red2 a2 69. Ra7 Qc4 70. Ra3 Qe4+ 71. Kf1 Qb4 72. Raxa2 Qc4+ {An  interesting game where Gleizerov once again managed to draw the longest straw  in his (beloved?!) Stonewall.} 0-1

CHESS AT THE BAG OF CATS

Tiger Hillarp on Chess

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