"Conquering the Colle"

Playing over Conquering the Colle, I can't help but chuckle:

Copying the Colle is more like it. The suggested setup is completely symmetric, and it's White to move. At best, Black may have equality. Does he?

"If White plays e4, Black captures at e4, exchanges a pair of minor pieces there and brings the other knight to f6, where it defends h7."

That is White's plan exactly. So 7.e4 dxe4 8.Nxe4 Nxe4 9.Bxe4 Nf6 10.Bd3:

White has more central space and Black's light-squared bishop is bad. According to my database, White scores a very healthy 59% in this line. So not only does this approach not conquer the Colle, equality is not quite yet achieved.

The last note:

"Otherwise Black can play ...e5, with further support available with Re8 or Qe7 or both."

A good finish to this lesson would be an explanation of White's advantages and some tips on how Black can play against them--for example, a fianchetto on the queenside followed by a c5-break to eliminate d4. Here's an instructive game where Black correctly evaluated the imbalances, but then tried to solve his troubles in a misguided way:

In this set-up the black bishop presumly would be better placed at e7 as he does in the Rubinstein - variation of French Defense :

( I have given in also some - not all - variations in move-list)

I find to really mess with Colle players, playing ...c5 early on, with a pawn already on d5, makes them scramble, especially if they're Zukertort players.

But now, I prefer this setup:
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bd3 c5, and play from there ^_^

mauerblume, thanks for the insight! I missed that transpositions... less space, and a "problem" light-squared bishop... I should've seen that coming. :)

itstheemu18> I find to really mess with Colle players, playing ...c5 early on, with a pawn already on d5, makes them scramble, especially if they're Zukertort players.

This is actually the mainline, so it shouldn't make Colle players scramble or even take them out-of-book. The attack proceeds as normal.

itstheemu18> 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bd3 c5, and play from there ^_^

Transposing to a Queen's Indian Defense. This is more interesting!

aabbccdd> 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Bf5; 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Bg4

Transposing to a Slav! My favorite response.

aabbccdd> 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 c5 5.Nbd2 c4

If this line is challenging, it's only because your move order is inaccurate.

4...c5 5.c3! is the mainline and gives White's bishop a nice retreat square on the b1-h7 diagonal. Now 5...c4 is a mistake, accomplishing nothing.

For example:

Colle-Delvaux, 1929:

Another example of a silly c-pawn push in the Colle (reversed), or as some people like to call it, the Semi-Slav / Meran variation (two-minute blitz):

aabbccdd> and lets say i want to play the Zukertort variation w/o c3, with b3?

In that case, you answer 4...c5 with 5.b3! You've made one of your natural developing moves and now a c5-c4 advance just loses a pawn.

nice

I don't see why the colle is so popular. Sure, it is sound, but insanely boring! I feel that white cannot play for an advantage after locking in his Queen's Bishop since Black's position often lacks the pawn weaknesses that make seemingly similar defences like the French interesting. As for "Conquering the Colle" the setup shown is what I would expect to develop from beginner's games where the players copy each other ideologically without expanding their set of ideas and openings. Chess Mentor is too eager to recomend passive blocking in of powerful pieces and this can only being expected seeing as it was written by leading grandmasters who cannot be blamed for wanting to lower the standard of potential competition.

My fav line against the Bd3 Colle:

And Against the Zukertort:

Like any system, in the Colle knowing when to transpose into other openings is crucial. In both of your 1st 2 lines transposing into a QG IMO should be considered as Black has both times abandoned his crucial defense of the b7 square. This is why you won't see many Masters playing such moves..

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Bf5?! 3. c4 followed by Qb3.

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Bg4?! 3. Ne5!? Bf5 4. c4 again followed by Qb3.

As for your last line likeforests is right.

Yes, although White could have played those positions better in places that is a good way to meet both systems.

not boring at all

The Colle isn't necessarily boring, it's just not as good for white as the mainline 2.c4 variations.

Also it's USUALLY quite boring

Are you calling my Ne5 and f4 attack boring?

Ah yes the stonewall...

I wouldn't necessarily call the stonewall boring...but it's not very good for white.

My favorite line against the stonewall!