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Recommendations on learning the Colle System

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Avatar of Capabotvikhine
Capabotvikhine
Jul 6, 2020
0
#21
I used to play the colle extensively (decades ago). It is not a bad opening, but as a “system” opening you need to be careful about not allowing yourself to become victim to stereotype thinking. Also your opponent will be able to predict most of your moves. I think the colle is a useful opening, not too bad, not outstanding- but I would go for something else against a few black responses. I recall really never liking it against the King’s Indian too much. I never felt like I achieved anything out of the opening.

The London System is currently what the colle was a few decades ago.
Avatar of NotYourAveragePlayer
NotYourAveragePlayer
Jul 7, 2020
0
#22

@Motphys-Revenge I have started trying out the Colle. It is very solid and extremely difficult to get into a losing position out of the opening. From that point I can see the attraction but it must be said that Black seems to equalise without any effort whatsoever. Black has to make some serious mistakes to end up in a bad position e.g. a bad Stonewall or Pillsbury-attack type of position.

I still haven't faced the King's Indian. What are your impressions of the following way of playing for White.

 

Avatar of GDring
GDring
Nov 12, 2025
0
#23

Any views about the new revised book by Milos Pavlovic - The Modernised Colle-Zukertort Attack?

Avatar of pcalugaru
pcalugaru
Nov 12, 2025
0
#24
GDring wrote:

Any views about the new revised book by Milos Pavlovic - The Modernised Colle-Zukertort Attack?

As a long time Colle player ... I'd recommend it.

The lines are solid, interesting... and sometimes novel. It's geared to people who want to play the Colle in a tournament format. I mostly play the Koltanowski variation and the book has a plethora of lines that relate. The book is geared really for anyone who plays the Colle regardless of their favored variation.

He also has played a lot the lines in his own tournaments with success , & being a GM, that speaks volumes.

Outside of Valerij Bronznik's works (which mainly covers the Koltanowski var in great detail.... i.e. if you play the Zuckertort Var, Bronznik's Chapter 5 "Black Avoids the Colle-Koltanowski System" is worth purchasing the book just for that chapter. Pavlovic takes the ideas in Bronznik's Chapter 5 and runs with them.

The other author I'd recomend is David Rudel ... hands down probably the most prolific and impactful author on the Colle in general. (to come about in the last 20 years.) Rudel's "The Colle-Zuckertort Revolutionized" is a masterwork, debunking all the dime store chess authors who keep pushing bad regurgitated lines on the Colle.. His work on Anti Colle lines are awesome. His calling out bad analyses by various authors, citing names & the resulting stats of the lines and what to avoid... are invaluable to the Colle player! (regardless of what variation i.e. the Zuckertort or the Koltanowski, one prefers )

It was a further boost to Rudel's work to see GM Pavlovic recommend and explore many of the same lines Rudel advocates.

Avatar of GDring
GDring
Nov 13, 2025
0
#25

Thanks pcalugaru - that was interesting and informative