The Colle System D05 - Opening Theory

 

The Ultimate Colle System Resource Hub:
 Master a Beginner-Friendly Opening for White

 This curated resource hub provides everything you need to master this

Learn core concepts through articles and video lessons.

Explore key variations with annotated games.

Develop your pieces quickly, control the center, and launch powerful attacks - perfect for building your chess skills!

Wikipedia Page 
A good tool for avoiding book variations, for blitz play , or for forcing opponents to think for themselves early on. These days it is considered totally innocuous, and is rarely seen at Master level or above.

Colle system
D05 Sub-variants:

Queen's pawn game
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6

Queen's pawn game, Zukertort variation
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 4. Nbd2 c5 5. b3

Queen's pawn game
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 4. Bd3

Queen's pawn game, Rubinstein (Colle-Zukertort) variation
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 4. Bd3 c5 5. b3

Colle system
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 4. Bd3 c5 5. c3 

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BOOKS (Free)

Colle, London And Blackmar Diemer Systems ( 1979) -  58 Page PDF - TD Harding

First Adventures w/ The Colle System  - Exeter Chess Club - 28 Page PDF - Learn key attacking ideas, combinations, and endgame strategies to outmaneuver your opponents with this comprehensive guide by David Regis.

Colle Zukertort - Modules from the Book "Moment of Zuke"
Intro and Module 1 (Early Move Order Quandrys) - 16 page PDF
Module 2 - Fighting an early Q-side Fianchetto - 21 page PDF

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Colle Chess Articles : Simple Yet Powerful

Learn the Colle System's deceptive simplicity and hidden attacking potential with these curated articles for all skill levels. 

• Quick-Start Guide to the Colle Zukertort, a Chess Opening System for Players of Any Strength - article on Chess.com (Opening Guide) : This guide provides a 15-minute crash course on the Colle Zukertort variation, a mainline Colle System approach. Learn the core moves and how to integrate it into your overall opening repertoire. 
  
  
• Colle System: A Simple, Strong Opening Choice - Chessable Blog Opening Guide: This article emphasizes understanding positional concepts and middlegame strategies over memorizing complex opening lines. It highlights the Colle System's ability to lead to aggressive attacks and queenside expansion, making it suitable for players of all levels. 
  
  
• Colle System (Underrated Opening) - Opening Guide w/ Embedded Video - Remote Chess Academy: This article explores the Colle System's deceptive simplicity and surprising effectiveness. It delves into an "underrated strategy" that can catch experienced opponents off guard while being easy to learn for players new to the system. 
  
  
• Colle System Chess Opening Part-2 - Remote Chess Academy: for further insights into this versatile opening system.
  
  
• Play The Solid Colle System! - Opening Guide - IM Alberto Chueca: offers a guide to the Colle System, emphasizing its ability to establish strong central control and create solid attacking opportunities for White. He highlights the system's approval by chess legends and its effectiveness in the hands of chess masters. 
  
  
• Colle System: Complete Guide for both Colors, with Plans, Moves, and Ideas - The ChessWorld: Learn clear plans and key moves for both White and Black in the Colle System. This beginner-friendly guide includes a 20-minute video lesson by GM Lemos, making it a valuable resource for all skill levels. (Bonus: Explores Black's responses!)
  
  
  

Chessville Articles

4 Keys to the Colle Zukertort System - Opening Instruction Article
Reviving the Colle-Zukertort Main Line - Opening Instruction article
Early Ne4 plans in the Colle System - Opening Instruction Article

Chess Cafe Articles by Gary Lane (dealing with the Colle)

Opening Lanes #30 - Murder on the Orient Express
Opening Lanes #64 - Playboy
Opening Lanes #58 - The Greek Gift
Opening Lanes #57 - The T-Factor
Opening Lanes #56 - Identity
Opening Lanes #55 - Step Back in Time
Opening Lanes #54 - Beauty and the Beast
Opening Lanes #53 - Fan Clubs

The Phoenix Attack Quickstart Guide - New idea in the Colle-Koltanowski (the “c3-Colle”)

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Colle Lichess Studies 

• Colle Study  - 8 chapters - Well Done Study with material from many books.
  
  
• Colle System  - 4 Chapter Study (50 hearts)
  
  
• Basics of The Colle system - 7 Chapter Study
  
  
• Colle Koltonowski System - Interactive Opening Lessons - 15 Chapter Interactive Study (153 Hearts)
  
  
• Colle and Colle–Zukertort System  - 6 Chapter Study (45 hearts) (Annotated Games)
  
  
• Colle system Zukertort variation (b3 variation) - 4 Chapter Study 

New to Lichess studies? These interactive tools allow you to explore chess concepts and variations move-by-move, perfect for testing your understanding and deepening your knowledge.

Listudy 

With Listudy you can improve your chess skills with the help of spaced repetition.

Colle-Zukertort System - Short and Sweet Intro  -  15 Chapters to Study and Practice w/Tests

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Puzzles & Games

Test your tactics

LiChess Openings Puzzles

Queen's Pawn game - Colle Puzzles - 3131 Puzzles
Queen's Pawn game Zukertort Variation - 4180 Puzzles

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Colle System Games Databases 

Dive into a vast collection of Colle System games.

365Chess.com

• D05: Queen's pawn game 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 - 6594 Games  
  
  
• D05: Colle system 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 4. Bd3 c5 5. c3 - 2243 Games
  
  
• D05: Queen's pawn game, Rubinstein (Colle-Zukertort) variation 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 4. Bd3 c5 5. b3 - 1642 Games
  
  
• D05: Queen's pawn game, Zukertort variation 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 4. Nbd2 c5 5. b3 - 101 Games

Chessgames.com

Queen's Pawn Game (D05) 1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 e3 e6 - 2194 games 

Collections

• rookington's Colle - 19 Games  (All White Wins)
  
  
• Colle System Classics (Koltanowski variation)  - 21 Games (All White wins or Draws)
  
  
• D05/A46_Colle Zukertort (the b3-Colle)  - 115 Games
  
  
• The Colle System: Koltanowski, Phoenix, Zukertor -  31 Games (Broken into motifs)
  
  
• Queen's Pawn Game (D05)   - 15 Annotated games

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Colle Chess Video Lessons

Colle - Zukertort System

• The Zukertort Variation of the Colle System - 10 Min Video -  Learn the basics of this attacking Colle System variation. (Beginner)
  
  
• Colle-Zukertort System: Attack & Enjoy! - 12 Min - Bad Bishop Channel - Discover typical attacking ideas with the Colle-Zukertort System. (Beginner/Intermediate)
  
  
• Best Chess Openings 😲 Colle-Zukertort System - 15 Min GM Polgar - Dive deep into strategic concepts of the Colle-Zukertort with GM Polgar. (Intermediate/Advanced)
  
  
• Chess Stream #65 A Lesson in the Colle-Zukertort System - 40 Min GM Williams provides a comprehensive lesson on key Colle-Zukertort System ideas. (Intermediate) 
• Under 1400: Yusupov in the Colle-Zukertort System, with NM Spencer Finegold - 57 Min - NM Spencer Finegold - Learn the Colle-Zukertort with NM Finegold, perfect for players under 1400. (Beginner)
  
  
• Colle Zukertort System | Great Opening to improve as a Chess player - 33 Min NM Ramirez - Sharpen your Colle-Zukertort skills with NM Ramirez. (Intermediate)
  
  
• How To Destroy Anti-Colle Systems - 11 Min - NM Ramirez teaches you how to handle tricky anti-Colle System defenses. (Intermediate)
  
  
• How to Play the Colle Zukertort || Basic Tips and Tricks - 11 Min NM Lei - Learn basic tactics and ideas for playing the Colle-Zukertort. (Beginner)
  
  
• How to Play the Colle Zukertort || Basic Variations and Structures  - 10 min - NM Lei - Understand key pawn structures that arise in the Colle-Zukertort. (Beginner/Intermediate) 

Simon Williams - The Colle-Koltanowski System - 10 Min GM Simon Williams

Win with the Colle Opening by IM Andrew Martin - 15 Min

Phoenix Attack Variation of the Colle System - 10 Min

Chess Audio Books

Colle system pt1: Whites plan against annoying Bf5 - 15 Min
Colle system pt2: Whites plan against annoying Bg4 - 10 Min
Colle system pt3: Whites plan against annoying 3..g6 - 11 Min

Jim's Chess Channel

• Opening Basics #36: Colle system - 40 Min - - Learn the Colle System for a strong center and a surprise kingside attack. (Beginner/Intermediate)
• Opening Basics #37: Colle-Zukertort system - 64 Min -Master the Colle-Zukertort with analysis from the Carlsen-Karjakin match (5 games included). (Intermediate/Advanced)

The Colle System - Plans, Structures, Patterns, Variations · Chess Openings - 51 Min - Hanging Pawns

Club Players Love the Colle and Sveshnikov | Two Wrongs Make a Knight - 46 Min - St.Louis Chess Club

Colle Chess Traps

Colle System: A simple opening trap -  4 Min

Opening Traps in Colle System | Rubinstein vs Blumenfeld | Sankt Petersburg 1906 - 15 Min

How To Play Against the Colle

• How to Play Against a Colle System | Journey to GM #18 - 8 Min - GM Moulthun Ly - GM Ly disrupts White's setup to hinder their light-squared bishop and force early decisions. (Beginner)
  
  
• How To Punish White in the Colle System with GM Eugene Perelshteyn - 10 Min -  reveals a simple method to exploit weaknesses in the Colle System. Learn key differences between Colle and London Systems. (Beginner/Intermediate)
  
  
• Fighting The Colle With The King's Indian Defense - Game Analysis - FM James Canty III - analyzes a game using the King's Indian Defense to counter the Colle System. Emphasizes active play and pawn thrusts. (Intermediate)
  
  
• Defeating A Colle System | The Sensei Speedrun | Grandmaster Naroditsky - 16 Min - GM Naroditsky provides a complete guide to defeating the Colle System. Covers development, pawn structure, tactics, and positional play. (Intermediate/Advanced)
  
  

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Colle Game Videos (W/Analysis)

Colle System  - 16 Video Playlist  - Chess School

Master Class | Colle System | Chess Speedrun | Grandmaster Naroditsky - 24 Min

Vladimir Kramnik`s Colle system against Anish Giri - 27 Min

Torre Attack vs Garry Kasparov (GM games only) - 79 Mins

Longer Chess Games #54 A tough Colle system. - 65 Min GM Simon Williams

Sparkling Colle System Beauty || Alexander Alekhine vs Friedrich Koehnlein || Dusseldorf 1908 - 5 Min

World Chess Ch. 2016 - Game 8 (Detailed analysis) : Magnus Carlsen vs Sergey Karjakin : Colle - 36 Min
Standard Chess #5 | A THUNDEROUS Colle System Attack - 43 Min NM Mohan

Standard Chess #5 | A THUNDEROUS Colle System Attack - 43 Min - NM Dave Mohan

PGN Game Downloads

Colle-pg.zip - 790 Games from the U of Pitt archive