This Week's ChessVideos Show: A Light-Squared Approach vs. the Dutch Stonewall
White generally meets the Dutch Stonewall with a dark-squared strategy, and that makes sense. Black has pawns on c6, d5, e6 and f5, so the idea of trying to infiltrate by outposting on squares like e5 and f4 isn't exactly rocket science. But it's possible to go for another plan, one that goes into the teeth of Black's stronghold and tries to win it over; namely, a plan involving e4. In this week's show, I look at two games where White strives to put that plan into action.
The first is an old game of mine, where it worked like a dream come true. My success indicates that the plan has at least a small drop of danger, but alas, Stonewall-haters, it's not a refutation. My opponent could have played better, and in the second game I show, from the 1933 Flohr-Botvinnik match, Black's play was far more convincing. Of course, White too could have improved his play, so it would likewise be a mistake to think that Botvinnik's plan counts as a comprehensive refutation of the idea.
What was his refutation? Have a look here, and see for yourself. As always, the show is free (one-time only free registration is required), and will be available on-demand for the next month or so.