Isolated Pawn in the Colle

After the following moves we get a typical isolated pawn game:

Your problems begin earlier on in the game.  8.Re1 is not the best way to prepare the e3-e4 pawn push. 8.Qe2 is the preferred move in this position.

Also 9...cxd4 is a mistake by black as it allows white to play 10.e5. 

Doesn't 10.e5 dc win material for Black?

It does when combined with your eighth move - Re1.

When black plays a Nbd7 & Bd6 setup, then Re1 is the way to prepare  the e3-e4 push.

But with Bishop on e7 (+Nbd7) you have to adopt a different plan. You can either Stonewall with 8.Ne5, or prepare the e-pawn push with 8.Qe2. 

Yeah I noticed that this can be tricky. I'm only finding it hard to find play when they play ...Nbd7 + ...b6. I'm OK with positions after 8.Re1 otherwise.

I thought the correct move was 9. dxc5 to avoid IQP?

9.dxc5 Nxc5 is one of the points of putting the knight on d7 instead of c6. It's some kind of reversed anti-meran idea where you make dxc5 (...dxc4) no longer a threat. 

I will have to remember this idea... thanks

One idea in the Colle is a clamp in the center with White opportunities at the King with the B's. Often the LSB. I guess in this line the isolated pawn can be a weakness but 12. Nc3 probably compensates by keeping alive the LSB and maybe with something after Ne5.

There was a guy Koltanowski in the 1930's I think, who used to beat up dozens of players in simuls, often blindfolded, with this theme. But he used to play dxc5 to deflect often Black's DSB before playing e4, if I remember right.

If you like the Colle, it's worth checking out his games.

In the orginal game not sure black does have a perfect setup, would prefer Nc6 to nb-d7. So not sure nb-d7 is good, at least with b6. As computer moves go Nc3, makes sense to avoid exchanges.