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Why you should play the Colle!

Standard memberrobbie carrobie
Only Chess 14 Feb '11 01:30
  1. Subscribergreenpawn34
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    14 Feb '11 14:293 edits
    Erekose has it about right.

    "The Colle is fine for a while. It allows people to learn about strategy and tactics
    without having to memorize a lot of opening theory, which they probably don't
    understand anyway. But eventually you have to start playing "real" openings. "

    A 1500 player playing fellow 1500's will do well with this.
    When he gets better and meets better players he will realise that he needs
    something 'deeper' with a better capability of setting problems for Black.

    But the grounding he had should hold him in good stead.

    However playing such a 'safe' opening has it's draw backs.
    The word 'safe.'
    There is no such opening, especially when played by a 1500 player. 😉

    1. d4 d5 2. e3 Nf6 3. Bd3 Nc6


    Here white often plays 4.c3 to stop Nb4 getting his Colle Bishop.
    (The correct move is f4 to stop e5 and the best move order is 3.Nf3 then 4.Bd3)

    After 4.c3 e5!



    This postition has been reached 235 times on the 1400 DB
    with Black winning 133 times White 93 and 9 draws.

    Rather than try to sell this opening by showing games of Masters
    I think it is more instrucitive to show typical games played by the players
    who these threads and posts are aimed at.

    We see single tracked minds, snap judgements and one move blunders.

    Witness White playing the safe opening and resigning in 8 moves.

    2advent - Shelrock57 RHP 2010

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  2. n
    Standard membernimzo5
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    14 Feb '11 16:26
    Good post GP.
  3. m
    Standard membermorgski
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    14 Feb '11 17:45
    I've always gone for the opening d4, Bf4, e3

    which looks a lot like the Colle mentioned here. I arrived at this through trial and error, and aside from being a bit prone to attacks on b4 it has served me well (e.g. the game below). I'm no genius though so I suspect someone like GreenPawn could pull this apart easily, hence me winning regularly against players with lower ranking but losing regularly against higher ranked...
    Game 7904084
  4. n
    Standard membernimzo5
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    14 Feb '11 17:49
    That is the London system.
  5. E
    Standard memberEladar
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    14 Feb '11 18:05
    GP,

    That last game you posted illustrates the importance of developing one's knight to f3 early on when playing the Colle.

    Although the opening looks Colle it really isn't since the move order is incorrect.
  6. rc
    Standard memberrobbie carrobie
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    14 Feb '11 19:241 edit
    Originally posted by Eladar
    GP,

    That last game you posted illustrates the importance of developing one's knight to f3 early on when playing the Colle.

    Although the opening looks Colle it really isn't since the move order is incorrect.
    yes, exactly! white plays an early Nf3 to stop any nonsense on the e5 square, including the Albin counter gambit and the Budapest gambit! The drawback of an early Nf3 is that black can play a queens gambit with reversed colours easily getting in ...c5.

    It appears to me that the only advantage of Queens gambit over the Colle is that white gets to exchange his c pawn for blacks d pawn, other than that there is no difference, i demand to be corrected!
  7. MR
    Standard memberMad Rook
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    14 Feb '11 19:58
    Originally posted by Eladar
    GP,

    That last game you posted illustrates the importance of developing one's knight to f3 early on when playing the Colle.

    Although the opening looks Colle it really isn't since the move order is incorrect.
    And secondarily, the importance of always checking all checks, captures, and threats. (Something I don't always do.) If White had done this before his 8th move, he would only have an inferior game with doubled pawns instead of a resignation.
  8. Im
    Standard memberIere man
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    14 Feb '11 20:01
    it would be interesting to see this settled on the board; i think there's enough players for and against the opening being debated including the slight variations mentioned throughout? 4 - 6 of you should try to get together and sort it out, make them unrated games or whatever for the fun of it, but may the better opening win...
  9. rc
    Standard memberrobbie carrobie
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    14 Feb '11 20:02
    Originally posted by toeternitoe
    11.national pride(if you're Belgian)

    toet.
    12. Cecil Purdy the first World correspondence chess champion recommends it for patzer noobs.
  10. s
    Standard memberst40
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    14 Feb '11 20:52
    When I was younger and played a lot of OTB chess I knew a few guys who would trot the Colle out when playing stronger opponents in the hope of not getting caught out badly in the opening As the OP said, its quite easy to learn and as long as you get the move order correct you shouldn't come a cropper early doors. That said the problem is you don't really cause black many problems and a stronger player will just grind you down.

    I would suggest its a reasonable opening to play OTB if you are making a "comeback" from a few years off and want to rely on ability rather than risking getting caught out by an opening trap.
  11. n
    Standard membernimzo5
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    14 Feb '11 22:261 edit
    Originally posted by robbie carrobie
    yes, exactly! white plays an early Nf3 to stop any nonsense on the e5 square, including the Albin counter gambit and the Budapest gambit! The drawback of an early Nf3 is that black can play a queens gambit with reversed colours easily getting in ...c5.

    It appears to me that the only advantage of Queens gambit over the Colle is that white gets ...[text shortened]... his c pawn for blacks d pawn, other than that there is no difference, i demand to be corrected!
    The advantage of the QGD over the Colle is that White gets his pieces to ideal squares (ask your B1 knight and your dark square bishop how much they love the Colle.) and puts immediate pressure on Black via the siege of the d5 square. In the QGD White has the iniative or gets compensation of some form if Black attempts to wrestle it away with premature pawn break etc.

    The Colle gives up the initiative and hunkers down to a long defensive struggle. If you want to play the Colle, just give your opponent the White pieces instead and play a Semi Slav.
  12. e
    Standard membererikido
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    14 Feb '11 22:49
    Originally posted by erikido
    ENDgames. You really need to read more carefully
    If you want to play the colle because its easy does that mean you ignore complicated endings because they are hard?
  13. rc
    Standard memberrobbie carrobie
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    14 Feb '11 23:075 edits
    Originally posted by nimzo5
    The advantage of the QGD over the Colle is that White gets his pieces to ideal squares (ask your B1 knight and your dark square bishop how much they love the Colle.) and puts immediate pressure on Black via the siege of the d5 square. In the QGD White has the iniative or gets compensation of some form if Black attempts to wrestle it away with premature pawn b ...[text shortened]... u want to play the Colle, just give your opponent the White pieces instead and play a Semi Slav.
    Queens knight is doing a fine job preparing e4 or c4, Queens Bishop can go
    Zukertort if it wishes, here is a Capa game, in which the twelve year old Capa asks
    his bishop the very same question, and he Zukes it! I include Capas own
    comments as to why he chose that particular opening system. His comments
    regarding his ability and confidence even at the tender age of twelve are quite
    entertaining.


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  14. rc
    Standard memberrobbie carrobie
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    14 Feb '11 23:39
    Originally posted by erikido
    If you want to play the colle because its easy does that mean you ignore complicated endings because they are hard?
    are you replying to your own posts now? perhaps great learning is driving you insane?
  15. Subscribergreenpawn34
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    15 Feb '11 00:12
    Hi Robbie and Elador.

    I do say:

    "The correct move is f4 to stop e5 and the best move order is 3.Nf3 then 4.Bd3."

    So we all agree what was wrong with White's play.

    In most cases at the lower levels at little kowledge is very dangerous.
    They know the first two moves 1.d4 2.e3 and the Bishop goes to d3.
    Look how many times this has appeared on here and the Black score against it.

    Just a game to show how a smattering of opening knowledge can turn against you
    and the ability to spot (and create) threats is far more important than memorising moves.

    Anyway all this opening talk is balls aching, the better player on the day
    wins the game no matter what opening is played.
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