Chapter 1 Why?

The cover of this book may have invited certain questions into your brain:

1. Why should I play the Colle-Zukertort?

2. Why on Earth do we need another book on the Colle?

3. Why should I get this book; I already have a Colle- Zukertort book?

4. Why did Heather D. Carroll dump me for Stu Campbell in 8th grade?

1 Why should I play the C-Z?

The Colle-Zukertort is everything you could ever want in an opening! • You have real attacking possibilities early on. • You don’t have to sacrifice material or position to gain initiative. • You have excellent King safety. • It helps you to lose weight. • It increases your vertical leap. Why?

AND Hold on a sec. I need some • It makes young women clarification. Is the Colle- (or men) of all ages and Zukertort the same as the nationalities go crazy for Colle? you! Okay, some of the state- Good question. The Colle ments above might not be has two flavors. The “normal” completely accurate. How- branch is now known as the ever, it is true that the Colle- Colle-Koltanowski and refers Zukertort: to the setup below: • has a fair amount of poi- !@@@@@@@@# son in it $zxzxzxzx% • follows sound opening $xzxzxzxz% principles $zxzxzxzx% • requires no long-term $xzxzxzxz% concessions $zxzpzxzx% • gives Black little early $xzp∫pñxz% counterplay $πpznzpπp% Notice that I did not say $rzbœx®kz% anything about the Colle- ^&&&&&&&&* Zukertort being a “thematic” The Colle-Zukertort is opening where you just have considered the more ambi- to “understand” the position tious branch and has the instead of learning a bunch of b‑pawn advanced instead of “theory.” While it is true that the c-pawn. the C-Z requires memoriza- !@@@@@@@@# tion of fewer lines than the $zxzxzxzx% Semi-Slav, thinking of any $xzxzxzxz% opening as a purely thematic $zxzxzxzx% undertaking will get you $xzxzxzxz% roasted! You cannot be lazy $zxzpzxzx% in chess! $xπx∫pñxz% $πxπnzpπp% $rzbœx®kz% ^&&&&&&&&* 10 Chapter One

Since I am coming from a 2 Why another Colle book? Colle-Zukertort perspective, I will use “Colle” to refer to the There are two answers— Zukertort version. one concrete, the other vague. So if I play the Colle- Koltanowski, this book will 2.1 The concrete answer not be of any use to me? The concrete answer is The greatest challenge simple. The Colle-Zukertort faced by Colle System play- needs help! It suffers from ers has nothing to do with two major problems: which variation they employ. In particular, there are several • There are many Anti-Col- pet defenses that people use les out there that Black against both. The two open- can use to avoid the Zuker ings do not branch from each tort, and several of them other until move 5, so any de- appear to give Black a viation by Black prior to then good game. is equally problematic to play- • Even when Black does ers of both Colle variations. In not play a pet defense fact, the majority of this book against the C-Z, several is as useful to Koltanowski of the standard setups players as Zukertort players. White aims for have sim- Finally, you may decide to ply not done that well in change from the Koltanowski practice! variation to the more highly regarded C-Z, like I did. I know, I know, I just did For many years the Colle- the unthinkable… in Chapter Koltanowski was the only 1 I cast aspersions on the very opening I would play. Then I opening I am treating! I’m made the switch to the Zuker- afraid you’ll just have to get tort line, and I never looked used to this book’s not being back! the standard ilk.

11 Why?

I wrote this book to ad- • The delayed Grünfeld: 1. dress these two issues. I think d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 the Colle is a fantastic open- g6 ing—why else would I have • The QID played it exclusively for 15 • The Benoni years!! But, it has some problems that simply must be ad- I don’t list the KID or the dressed. Let’s take a look at Dutch defense in the above some of them. lines because they deviate before White has locked in his Anti-Colles c-Bishop. Nor do they transpose to a normal QP (Queen Many systems have anti- Pawn) game (as the QID and systems devoted to them. The Benoni can). normal reason for this is that In addition to the above, Black wants to avoid sharp there are even systems that lines, even if it means using books suggest as bad for Black an opening that scores less but actually are not! For ex- well. I wish I could say the ample, consider the early same thing about the C‑Z, but Bishop check variation shown the situation is the reverse. below: Black’s deviations tend to sharpen play and increase his 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 chances. 4. Bd3 c5 5. b3 cxd4 6. exd4 Some of these pet defenses Bb4+ are known thorns in the side !@@@@@@@@# of Zukertort players. Even $‰NıQxzR% authors of opening books $P∏xzx∏P∏% (which typically tend to laud $zxzx∏Nzx% an opening more than it de- $xzx∏xzxz% serves) have admitted the fol- $zBzpzxzx% lowing are particularly chal- $xπx∫xñxz% lenging responses: $πxπxzpπp% $rñbœkzx®% ^&&&&&&&&* 12 Chapter One

Smith & Hall give Black’s Gary Lane, in The Ulti- 5th move a ?!, claim it leaves mate Colle, groups this with a his position poor, and then couple other lines that he says say his 6th was ineffective. are not played often “for good Other authors do not re- reason.” The claim is “with spect this line enough to even prior book knowledge, they discuss it. However, in my can be shown to be bad.” 3 million+ game database, I He (and everyone else) find Black winning more of- then suggests the move 4. c4, ten than White. It gets worse with the idea of getting the if you only count games be- Queen out to attack the un- tween 2000+ players; I found defended b7-pawn. Black winning twice as often While that plan is certainly as White! This includes mul- a reasonable one, Lane’s re- tiple GM-level games from marks on this defense are just the past few years. rather unfounded. I found Let’s look at another ex- over 200 games played be- ample. Since Black’s problem tween strong players (2000+) piece in this opening tends to in this line, with Black scor- be his c-Bishop, developing ing nearly 50%. And it is not this Bishop early via …Bf5 or a mere consequence of those …Bg4 is a standard defense. A players lacking the basic book basic example of this is: knowledge to play this opening. In fact, the most common 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 Bg4 response to 4. c4 is 4… c6, !@@@@@@@@# which NO ONE (not Lane, $‰NzQBzR% not Summerscale, not Smith $P∏PzP∏P∏% & Hall) even mentions! Is $zxzxzNzx% there some conspiracy here? $xzx∏xzxz% If this opening is so bad, $zxzpzxıx% then there are some IM/GMs $xzxzpñxz% who haven’t gotten that memo $πpπxzpπp% yet, like Fridman (who used it $rñbœk∫x®% in 2006 against Yusupov). ^&&&&&&&&* 13 Why?

To reinforce my point, let’s White was looking for and 8. look at one more example. Na3 a6! is even worse. In the nearly 2000 games I 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 Bf5 found with 3… Bf5, Black won !@@@@@@@@# more games than White. So it $‰NzQBzR% appears this line is plagued by $P∏PzP∏P∏% both theoretical and practical $zxzxzNzx% concerns. The practical con- $xzx∏xıxz% cerns persist in all major lines: $zxzpzxzx% 4. c4 e6, 4. c4 c6, and 4. Bd3. $xzxzpñxz% They also persist when con- $πpπxzpπp% sidering only games between $rñbœk∫x®% strong players (2000+). ^&&&&&&&&* Yet Smith & Hall say that Oddly enough, this varia- in all …Bf5 lines Black “faces tion occurs more frequently an uphill defensive task” and in practice than the last, yet that “the middle game will it has received less attention. favor White.” With regard to Gary Lane does not mention it this particular line, they say at all. Summerscale mentions “as analysis and games have it in a note, saying it trans- shown, the development of the poses to another line, but he c-Bishop is premature.” assumes the continuation 4. To his credit, Summerscale c4 c6 5. cxd5 cxd5 when in indicates that White’s advan- reality Black does better with tage in the line he mentions 4… e6, after which White can- is minimal. Also, Palliser not really hope to transpose does not deal with either of to the 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Bf5 line these lines in his Zukertort because the B/c1 is blocked book, but he does treat them by the e3‑pawn, and after 5. very honestly in his Colle- cxd5 exd5 6. Qb3 Nc6 White Koltanowski book. does not appear to have anything since 7. Qxb7 Nb4 8. Bb5+ Nd7 is certainly not what

14 Chapter One

Mainline problems ter this deviation? I found 10 games with this variation In addition to the known, between players 2000+, and and unknown, Anti-Colle the results are 1:3:6! (1 win, 3 problems discussed above, draws, 6 losses)—not exactly there are standard lines sug- inspiring. When searching all gested to White that simply games, the only wins I can have generated little success find in this line are the ones in practice. everyone quotes (not counting Consider the position aris- a game from a Juniors event). ing after the following moves: Let’s look at another stan- 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 dard position: 4. Bd3 c5 5. b3 Nc6 6. 0-0 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 e6 Be7 7. Bb2 0-0 8. Nbd2 b6 4. Bd3 c5 5. b3 Nc6 6. 0-0 9. Ne5 Bb7 10. f4 Nb4 11. Bd6 7. Bb2 0-0 8. Nbd2 cxd4 Be2 9. exd4 b6 10. a3 Bb7 !@@@@@@@@# !@@@@@@@@# $‰xzQzRx% $‰xzQzRx% $PıxzB∏P∏% $Pıxzx∏P∏% $zPzx∏Nzx% $zP˜B∏Nzx% $xzP∏nzxz% $xzx∏xzxz% $zNzpzpzx% $zxzpzxzx% $xπxzpzxz% $pπx∫xñxz% $πbπn∫xπp% $zbπnzpπp% $rzxœx®kz% $rzxœx®kz% ^&&&&&&&&* ^&&&&&&&&* This is a standard line We have reached the end of where Black has played …Be7, established theory for this line. a move some writers (Smith & Palliser, Lane, and Summer- Hall) explicitly say is bad for scale all give multiple possi- Black while others implicitly bilities here. I found 20 games indicate as not critical because with this position in OTB play. it is not the “main” line. The aggregated results of those How has White done af- games are 4:5:11! To make

15 Why?

matters worse, this is not even avoid the mainline Colle setup Black’s most cunning response (which should give us some to the mainline, as we will see optimism!), using any of sev- in chapter four. eral pet defenses instead. An- In fairness to the other other reason is strong players, writers, the records in these as White, tend to use the C-Z lines have really tanked in the setup against only certain lines past years. Most of the losses or as a transpositional device, came after Summerscale’s switching to a QGD later. book, and about half of them For example, Yusupov has post-date Lane’s. My point is used the C-Z setup in over 50 that even these standard posi- games… yet I cannot find a tions need some work! single game of his that opened One leveling remark bears in either of the so-called “nor- mention. Black tends to be the mal” ways: 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 stronger player in these posi- 3. e3 e6 4. Bd3 c5 or 1. d4 Nf6 tions… possibly through hap- 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 e6 3. Bd3 c5. penstance, possibly through This is due to both the factors White choosing a safer system I mentioned above. He tends against a stronger opponent. to use the C-Z primarily after However, the results suggest a 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6, and those reexamination of theory, that few times where he has offered caveat notwithstanding. it in the more normal order, his grandmaster opponents 2.2 The vague answer have declined to follow suit! Another example is Vlatko In addition to the concrete Kovacevic, who has used the problems described in the last C‑Z against all setups, but real- section, there is also the more ly appears to like it against the general point that the Colle is Benoni. Just as in Yusupov’s still rather virgin territory and case, his opponents do not deserves its own book. tend to play the “mainline.” In One reason is that strong 16 games of his that began 1. players, as Black, will tend to d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 or 1. d4

16 Chapter One

Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3, his oppo- we see quoted by theory ar- nent played the “normal” 3… rived at positions through e6 in only 1. some odd transposition of Statistics validate my ob- moves, so a large percentage servations on a large scale. of the games that opening I found the position after 1. manuals quote are played by d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 in 244 high-level players who are games where both players were looking at critical positions for 2400 or above. Among these the first time or simply happen high-level games, less than 23 to have a personal repertoire percent continued with 3… e6, that shares lines with a C-Z the “mainline” move. Fewer repertoire via transpositions. than 10% continued 4. Bd3 c5. It’s no wonder that the plans Yes, this means that there exist chosen by titled players with only about 20 GM-level games a Frankensteinian repertoire with even the first 4 moves of might differ from class players the mainline! using a thematic one. Compare the same statistics For example, consider the for lower-level games. I found so-called mainline: over 2500 games after 1960 in 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 e6 which the 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 4. Bd3 c5 5. b3 Nc6 6. 0-0 3. e3 position arose. The like- Bd6 7. Bb2 0-0 8. Nbd2 Qe7 lihood of the Colle-Zukertort 9. Ne5 cxd4 10. exd4 Ba3 continuation (at both stages) !@@@@@@@@# in these games was 50% high- $‰xıxzRx% er than at the GM-level. How- $P∏xzQ∏P∏% ever, since these players tend $zx˜x∏Nzx% to follow blindly the sugges- $xzx∏nzxz% tions of the repertoire books $zxzpzxzx% they read, the level of experi- $Bπx∫xzxz% mentation has been small. $πbπnzpπp% Interestingly enough, the $rzxœx®kz% converse of the above is also ^&&&&&&&&* true. Many, many of the games I found 55 games with this

17 Why?

position. Fully 2/3 of them lems Colle players face make came from a non-standard this book required reading move order (normally a trans- for all practitioners, especially position from a QID). those who play the Zukertort Another problem is that au- version. thors of previous books on the If you have dabbled with Colle-Zukertort have generally the Zukertort and are inter- not been active practitioners ested in hearing a new view- of the opening. Other than point/philosophy on the Summerscale, none of the re- opening from someone who cent authors (Palliser, Lane, has played it exclusively for Schiller, Smith & Hall) used many years, this book is for the Zukertort even semi-fre- you. quently prior to the years im- If you face the Colle a lot mediately before writing their and want to see what surprises books. This has obvious disad- lie in wait for Black in certain vantages when writing a book lines, or want some analysis on such a thematic opening. on your pet defense to the For example, you’ll find opening, this book will serve moves like Re1 or Qe2 de- as a foil. scribed in almost every book As a class-level player, I as “supporting a Knight on e5.” bring a different perspective to Baloney! The N/e5 has plenty the table. In addition to analy- of support. (To find out the sis, I provide guidance in Eng- real reason for these moves, lish about ideas and pitfalls see later chapters.) to avoid. One of the most important things to understand 3 Why should I buy this is not just why a certain move book? makes sense in a certain situation, but why another “natu- The answer to that depends ral” move should be avoided. on who you are. My belief To put a sharper point on is that the solutions I have how this book differs from a found to many of the prob- typical opening manual:

18 Chapter One

• Typical books focus on 5 Final notes showing what has been done. This book focuses As I alluded earlier, this on what might be bet- book is a bit different than ter where new ideas are most opening manuals. The needed. method I’ve used to familiar- • Typical books use model ize readers with the opening in games and trees, I fo- the next two chapters is atypi- cus on ideas coupled to cal. Perhaps it will prove a suc- analysis. cessful method for introducing • Typical books expect you an opening system. to be familiar and fluent In an effort to make this with all types of advan- book as valuable as possible, tages and imbalances. I’ve consigned certain chunks I have tried, when pos- of the least important analysis sible, to focus on those to a separate chapter so readers advantages/imbalances do not lose the forest for the that tournament players trees. I’ve also added a quiz/ can best use: Bishops in training bonus chapter and a open or tactically quiet separate chapter giving a non- positions, an attack on comprehensive index of new t he opponent ’s K ing ideas of mine and not-quite- when the opponent has new ideas that I have fleshed no counterplay, and the out more than earlier books. endgame advantages of Thus, different people can ef- better pawn structure. ficiently use this book in different ways. 4 Why did Heather D. I often refer to previous Carroll dump me for Stu books, and one could easily Campbell in 8th grade? get the impression that I am denigrating the work of earlier Sorry, can’t help you with authors. I do not wish to sug- that one. gest that earlier books are not worthwhile.

19 Why?

Smith & Hall was the Colle me personally. For example, book for many years, and I a line he recommends against would never have become a the QID really saved my bacon devotee were it not for their when preparing this book. work. Finally, Palliser’s book on Summerscale’s book re- the Colle-Koltanowski is to mains to this day a book I be praised for obsoleting the would recommend to other Koltanowski half of Smith & players, managing to pack an Hall, much as Summerscale entire repertoire into 144 pag- did to the Zukertort half. es. I have written nothing at Palliser’s book is notable for all on the KID, Pirc, Modern, taking a stark departure from Dutch, or “normal” Grünfeld conventional style by having a defenses because I did not tone that, relative to the norm, think I had anything to add comes across as abject pessi- to Summerscale’s recommen- mism. His book is the chess dations. Sadly, GM Summer- equivalent of Ecclesiastes. scale’s original book is out of If you are under the impres- print, but Sverre Johnsen is sion that the Colle allows you doing an update of it due out to comfortably play the open- in February 2010. Palliser has ing without worrying about also recently written a book the nitty-gritty realities of treating the 150 and Barry at- move-orders and tactics, then tacks. I would highly recom- allow me to disabuse you of mend C-Z players get one or that illusion. The Colle is not the other (or both) to fill out the sharpest of openings, but their repertoire. trying to navigate the opening While I have not found using vague ideas, no matter Lane’s book to be an improve- what those ideas are, is a recipe ment on Summerscale’s in for disaster! terms of his coverage of the The structure of this book Zukertort, I have found his respects this admonition. The extensive discussion of the sectioning of the chapters Colle-Koltanowski helpful to is predominantly based on

20 Chapter One a combination of plan and you think are nugatory, or move-order options for Black. I anything else you think could have tried to highlight exactly be improved, I welcome your why different move-orders call suggestions and comments! for different responses. Finally, I must ask future I post updates at: readers to keep in mind that I am essentially trying to fix a www.zukertort.com/CustomerSupport.html raft of problems that previous writers have either ignored or and maintain a board dedicat- been oblivious to. It should ed to the Colle-Zukertort at: not be a surprise if some of the ideas and analysis I give prove www.zuke-dukes.com/forum faulty under the magnifying glass of time and practice. If any of you Zuke Dukes I’ve spent a good deal of play the lines I introduce here time over the last five years in tournaments, please feel writing this book on the free to send me your game Zukertort, my adopted child. scores. I may include them in If there is something you a later book. don’t like about it, or lines