Colle System Complet
Colle System Complet
Colle System Complet
Terese Hatch
David W. Hatch
ftft ft it ft
Pawn Promotions
p.o. Box 354
Raritan, NJ 08869
Revised and Expanded 2nd Edition, November, 2005
Find us on the World Wide Web at
http://www.pawnpromotions.org
This book is dedicated to all the faithful Colle System players who
responded to our plea by sending us the games contained in this book.
Introduction 5
Cry, Havoc! 11
Stairway to Heaven 37
Symbols 177
Introduction
For this 2005 edition of The Dogs of War, as in the 1 995 edition, we
invited players who play the Colle System, have ever played the Colle
System or have played against the Colle System to contribute their
games to the making of this book. Their contribution has given The
Dogs of War its authentic flavor. The unique quality of this book is that
the maj ority of the games contained here cannot be found anywhere
else (i.e. books, periodicals, CD-ROM's, databases, the Internet).
This book is a vehicle for us to display the mainline Koltanowski and
Zukertort Variations of the Colle System, as well as other lines and
sub-variations that can arise out of the Colle System (the Stonewall,
London, Queen's Gambit, Trompowsky, Torre). Within these maj or
lines and sub-lines can be found original, diverse and unusual ideas
for attack and defense in the opening and both subtle and profound
concepts for positional strategy and endgame play. This book is not
intended to be a treatise on theory or a how-to-play-the-opening book,
but rather a practical study of Colle System games played at all levels.
The purpose of this book is to showcase the Colle System in practical
play, to pique your curiosity about this opening system and to motivate,
challenge and inspire you to give this resourceful system a try.
Practical Plqy in The Colle stem 7
Colle System, you will soon discover that even against the most capable
of opponents, the Colle System will not fail to excite and challenge
players on both sides of the chessboard.
Queen to h5
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 9
Queenside castling
An early . . . e5
gS 1 9.Nf3 Bxf3 20.gxf3 Bg7 2 1 .h4 gxh4 22.Ne4 Qc6 23.Kh 1 NhS
24.Rg1 KhS 2S.Rxg7 Kxg7 26.Bxh6+ Kxh6 27.Rg1 fS 2S.Qe3+ f4
29.Nxd6 Qxd6 30.Qd3 NfS 3 1 .Qh7+ 1-0
Colle - Schubert
Scarborough, 1 92 5
l .d4 d S 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e 6 4.Bd3 c S S.c3 Nbd7 6.Nbd2 cxd4 7.exd4
Bd6 S.O-O 0-0 9.Re 1 Qc7 1 0.Qe2 ReS 1 l .NeS NfS 1 2 .Ndf3 N6d7
1 3 .NgS f6 14.QhS g6 l S.Nxg6 fxgS 1 6.NxfS Nf6 1 7.QxgS+ Qg7
l S.Nxh7 1-O
Colle - Aguilera
Barcelona, 1 9 2 5
l .d4 dS 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 a6 S.Nbd2 B d 6 6.0-0 Nbd7 7.e4
dxe4 S.Nxe4 0-0 9.BgS Be7 1 0.Qe2 NdS 1 l .c4 Nb4 1 2 .Bb 1 BxgS
13 .NfxgS h6 1 4.f4 hxgS l S.fxgS fS 1 6.QhS fxe4 1 7.Bxe4 Nf6
l S.gxf6 Qxd4+ 1 9.Kh 1 Qxe4 20.ti+ Rxti 2 1 .Qxti+ KhS 22.Rf4
1-0
Cry, Havocl
"Cry, ' Havoc ! ' and let slip the dogs of war."
- SHAKESPEARE, Julius Caesar, 11/, 1
Black has gone to great lengths to put his pieces and pawns on light
colored squares. This does limit the scope of White's king bishop, but at
the cost of falling behind in development.
11.13
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 13
Better is 16 . . .dxe4 17.Rxe4 Qe8 18.Qxg5 Kc8 but Black cannot be happy
with this position either.
17.exd5 exd5 18.Re6 Qf8 19.Rxd6+! 1-0
If 1 9 . . . Qxd6 then 20.Qg7+ Kc6 21.Qxh8.
l .Nf3 Nf6 2.d4 g 6 3 .Nbd2 d 5 4.e3 N b d 7 5.Bd3 Bg7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Re l
c5 8.c3 b6 9.e4 dxe4 1 0.Nxe4 Bb7 1 l .Bg5 cxd4 1 2 .Nxd4
In the Colle System, White strives to control the center by first occupying
it with pawns and then occupying and controlling it with pieces. In this
14 THE D OGS O F WAR
19 .. g5? !
1 9 . . . Rfe8 20.Qxh6 Rxe7 2 1 .Bxe7 and although Black is down two
pawns, his king is still relatively well shielded by his kings ide pawns.
20.Bxg5 ! Qc5
20 . . . hxg5 2 1 .Qxg5+ Kh8 22.Re3 and White will soon mate.
2 1 .Bh4 Qh5 22.Qf4 Ne5
Right piece, wrong square. 22 . . . Nc5 threatens 23 . . . Rd l + 24.Re l
Rxe l + 25.Rxe l Nd3 26.Qg3+ Qg6 and Black is still in the game.
23 .Rxe5 Rd l + 24.Re l 1-0
l.d4 Nf6 2.NO e6 3.Nbd2 d5 4.e3 c6 5.Bd3 Bd6 6.0--0 Nbd7 7.e4
White is able to get in this pawn advance sooner than usual because Black
has not contested the center with ... c5 .
7...dxe4 8.Nxe4 Nxe4 9.Bxe4 Nf6 10.Bd3 0--0 1l. B g5 Qc7 12.Bxf6 gxf6
13.Qe2 Kh8 14.Rfel Rg8 15.g3
1 5 .g3 is risky but does serve a practical purpose in that it blunts the
potential attack on the b8-h2 diagonal and the g-file. White could also have
accomplished this by playing 1 5 .Qe4 f5 1 6.Qh4 without creating weak
squares in front of his king.
Practical PIt[Y in The Colle stem 15
15...c5 16.dxc5 Bxc5 17.Qe4 Rg7 18.Re2 Bd7 19.Qc4
White's last few moves are too passive and yield the advantage over to
Black. 19.Qh4 should be played in order to defend the weak squares on the
kingside and to quash the ensuing combination.
19...Rxg3+ 20.hxg3 Qxg3+ 21.Kf1 Qxf3
22.Qe4?
With this move White defends against mate on hI while threatening mate
himself on h7. However, 22.Qh4 f5 23.Qf6+ Kg8 24.Qg5+ Kf8 25.Qh6+
Ke8 26.Qxh7 or 22.Be4 Qh5 2 3 . Rd2 allows White to parry the mate
threat and gives White equal chances for counterplay.
22 .. Qh3+ 23 .Qg2 Qxg2+
The exchange of queens diminishes Black's attacking chances. With
23 . . . Qh5 ! ? 24.Qxb7 Rg8 2 5 . Ke l Black maintains his kingside attack
and wins back the exchange.
24.Kxg2 Rg8+ 25.Kf1 f5 2 6.Rd l Bc6
The Black bishops are ideally positioned to support the advance of the
passed h-pawn, but Black pushes the f-pawn instead.
27.Red2 f4 28.Re l Bg2+ 29.Ke2 f3+ 3 0.Kd l h5?
16 THE DOGS OF WAR
One of the strengths of the Colle System is the way in which it lends
itself to a wide range of transpositional opportunities that can spring
from its foundational moves. One such variation is the Stonewall Attack,
distinguished by its dark squared pawn complex. This very fine game
combines everything thematic in the Colle and the Stonewall.
l.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 dS 4.Nbd2 Be7 S.Bd3 b6 6.0-0 Bb7 7.NeS 0-0
S.f4 Nbd7 9.Qf3 cS 10.c3 Qc7 1l.g4 RadS 12.gS
Practical Plqy in The CoJle stem 17
l .d4 dS 2.e3 Nf6 3 .Bd3 eS 4.e3 Ne6 S.f4 Bg4 6.Nf3 e4 7.Be2 Ne4
8.0-0 fS 9.Qel e6 1 0.NeS NxeS 1 l .fxeS Be7 1 2 .Ba4+ Kf8 1 3 .Nd2
Bh4 1 4.g3 BgS I S .Kg2 Kg8 1 6.Nxe4 fxe4 1 7.Bdl BfS 1 8.h4 Be7
1 9.hS h6 20.g4 Bh4 2 1 .Qe2 QgS 22.Kh l Bh7 23.b3 exb3 24.axb3
The pawns have so congested the center of the board that White 's
bishops have little scope, and Black's bishops can do no better than to
huddle along the side of the board.
24 ... g6 2S.Ba3
2 5 . Qb5 ! ? would apply immediate pressure after 25 . . . Qe7 26.Ba3 .
2S .. Kg7 26.Rf6 Rae8 ?
Right square, wrong rook.
27.QbS Rhf8 28.Bxf8+ Rxf8 29.Qd7+ 1-0
It's mate after 29 . . . Kg8 30.Qxe6+ Kg7 31.Qe7+ Kh8 32.Rxf8+ Bg8
3 3 .Qe6 gxh5 34.Rxa7 Qg7 3 5 .Rxg8+ Qxg8 36.Qxh6+ Qh7 37.Ra8+
Bd8 3 8 .Rxd8#; however White missed a quicker mate with 29.Qxb7+
Rf7 30.Qxf7+ Kh8 31.Rxa7 Qxe3 32.Qxh7#.
l .Nf3 Nf6 2.d4 e6 3.e3 eS 4.e3 exd4 S.exd4 Be7 6.Bd3 b6 7.0-0 Bb7
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 19
S.Re1 9.BgS d6 1 0.Nbd2 Nbd7 1 l .Qa4 a6 1 2 .Rad 1 ReS 1 3.h3
h6 1 4.Bh4 bS l S.Qe2 Nb6 1 6.Bg3 NbdS 1 7.Qb 1 NhS l S.Bh2 Nhf4
1 9.Bfl Qd7 20.Rc1 fS 2 1 .a4 Rf6 22.axbS axbS 23.g3 Rg6 24.Kh 1
NhS 2S.Qd3 Be6 26.Bg2 BgS 27.Ra1 Qb7 2S.NxgS hxgS 29.BO
Rh6 30.Kg1 Nhf6 3 1 .Rxe6 g4 32.Bg2 gxh3 33.BO Qd7 34.Rae1 g6
3S.R6e2 gS 3 6.Re6 Qg7 3 7.QxfS RfS 3S.Rxd6 Ne4 39.Qxe4 Rxd6
40.Qd3 g4 4 1 .Bh1 Qf7 42.f4 gxO 43.Kf2 Nf6 0-1
13 .Nexe4 !
Black does not give the Colle System the respect it deserves as he
needlessly loses this pawn.
13 Be7 1 4.NeS 0-0 l S .e4 bxe3 1 6.bxe3 Bb6 1 7.Ba3 ReS 1 S.Kh 1 ReS
.
19.Nxd7 Qxd7 20.eS NhS 2 1 .Rfc1 Ng7 22 .Nb3 Qxa4? 23 .NeS Qe6
24.Ba4 Qe7 2S.BxeS RxeS 26.Rab 1 Be6 27.Rb2 RaS 2S.Reb 1 BxeS
29.BxeS a4 3 0.Ba3 hS 3 1 .Rb4 ReS 32.Qd3 BeS 33.Rc 1 RbS 34.RxbS
QxbS 3S.Rb 1 QdS 36.g3 h4 3 7.Bd6 hxg3 3S.hxg3 QaS 39.Bb4 QaS
40.Kg2 a3 4 1 .Ra1 a2 42.Qd2 Qb7 43.Rxa2 BbS 44.Qb2 NfS 4S.Qa1
Qe6 46.RaS+ Kh7 47.Qh 1 + Nh6
20 THE D OGS OF WAR
48.Bf'S
48.Rh8+ Kxh8 49.Qxh6+ Kg8 50.BfS Bfl + 51.Kf2 Qxc3 52.Qg7#.
48 ... Bf1 + 49.Kf2 1-0
49 . . . Bh3 50.Qxh3 Kg8 51.Qxh6 Qxa8 52.Qg7#.
1 .NO d5 2.d4 Nf6 3 .e3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Bd3 Bg4 6.Nbd2 e5 7.dxe5
Nxe5 8.Be2 Ng6 9.0-0 Bd6 1 0.c4 0-0 1 l .cxd5 Nxd5 1 2 .Ne4 Be7
1 3 .h3 Be6 1 4.b3 ? Qb6
Black misses 14 . . . f5 ! ? 15 .Ng3 Bf6 winning the exchange.
1 5.Bb2 Rfd8 1 6.Qc2 Rac8 1 7.Rfd l h6 1 8.Rd2 Qc6 1 9.Rc 1 Bf'S
Black misses his chance to play 19 . . . Nb4 20.Qb l Nxa2 21.Rcd l
wlnnmg a pawn.
2 0.Ba3
Focusing another piece on the already hotly contested pawn on c5.
2 0 ... Bf5 2 1 .Bd3
Practical Plt[Y in The Colle stem 21
21 .. b6
2 1 . . .c4 would give Black the counterplay he needs after 22.Bxf8 cxd3
23 .Qxc6 Rxc6 24.Rxc6 Bxe4 25 .Rxg6 fxg6 and the advanced pawn on
d3 will require White 's constant attention.
22.Nf6+
22 Qxf6?
Black does not sense the danger in this position, wrongly playing 22 . . .
Qxf6, not realizing the knight on d 5 will b e subj ect to a blistering
attack. Necessary is 22 . . . Nxf6 ! ? 23 .Bxf5 Rxd2 24.Qxd2 Re8.
22 THE DOGS OF WAR
l .d4 dS 2.NO Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 eS S.b3 Ne6 6.Bb2 Ne4 7.Nbd2 fS
Black plays a delayed Dutch Defense against White's Zukertort
Variation.
S.O-O Nf6 9.e4 Be7 1 0.Re t exd4 1 l .exd4 0-0 1 2 .Rel Ne4
Black has expended several valuable moves getting this knight from
f6 to e4.
1 3 .Re2 gS
Black gains space and threatens ... g4.
1 4.NeS NxeS I S.dxeS g4
This pawn advance is double-edged. On the one hand it controls the
f3 square, making it harder for White to dislodge the nicely posted
knight on e4. But it also places one more Black pawn on a light square,
limiting the scope of the bishop on cS.
1 6.Bb l b6 1 7.Nfl Ba6
Putting the bishop on an active diagonal.
I S.Ne3 NgS?
Black goes astray. l S ... dxc4 ! ? is a viable option after 19.Bxe4 Qxd l +
20.Rxd l RadS.
1 9.exdS
Offering to sacrifice the exchange and Black takes the bait.
1 9 ... Bxe2 20.Qxe2 BeS 2 1 .Rd l QeS 22.dxe6 Qxe6?
A careless recapture that will cause Black to lose a tempo to avoid the
queen being skewered to the king.
23.Bd3 Qg6 24.Be4+
White can win a pawn with 24.Nxg4 Ne6 and after 25.Nf6+ KhS the
White knight is powerfully posted.
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 23
24 .. Kg7
The Black king is exposed and starts to get kicked around.
25.Rd7+ Kh6 2 6.e6
26 Nxe6
.
The pawn should not be captured. Correct play for Black would be
to get the rook into the game with 26 . . . Rae8 27.Bg7+ Qxg7 28.Rxg7
Kxg7 29.Qb2+ Kg6.
27.Bxe6 Qxe6 28.Nxg4+ ! 1-0
It's mate after 28 .Nxg4+ Kg5 29.Qxe6 Bxf2+ 30.Nxf2 Rac8 31.Nh3+
Kh5 32.Rxh7+ Kg4 3 3 . Qg6#.
l .d4 d5 2.NfJ Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 c5 5.b3 Be7 6.Bb2 Nbd7 7.Nbd2N
b6 8.0-0 Bb7 9.Qe2 0-0 1 0.Ne5 Qc7 1 l .a3 a6 1 2 .f4 b5 1 3 .Nxd7
Nxd7 14.dxc5 Nxc5? 1 5.Bxh7+! Kxh7 1 6.Qh5+ Kg8 1 7.Bxg7 ! Kxg7
18.Qg4+ 1-0
l .d4 Nf6 2.NfJ d5 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 Bd6 5.0-0 b6 6.Ne5 Bxe5 7.dxe5
Nfd7 8.Qg4 g6 9.Qg3 Ba6 1 0.e4 Bxd3 1 l .cxd3 dxe4 1 2.Bg5 Qc8
13 .d4
24 THE DOGS OF WAR
31 . cxd6
Black cannot defend against all of White's threats. If 3 1 . . .Re8 (not
31 . . . Rd7 32. Qh8+ and mate follows. ) 32.dxc7+ Kc8 3 3 .Re6 Rxe6
34.Qh8+.
32 .Rc8+ Kd7 33 .Rc7+ Kd8 34.Rxb7 1-O
Practical Plqy in The CoJie System 25
l .d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e5 4.b3 exd4 5.exd4 N e 6 6.Bd3 Bg4 7.Bb2 e 6
8.0-0 B d 6 9.Nbd2 0-0 1 0.a3 Re8
Black has completed his development expeditiously. The queen bishop
on g4 serves to inhibit the knight from going to e5, a move White
wants to play in the Colle-Zukertort.
U.Be2 Qb6 1 2 .Rc1 Ne4 1 3 .Nxe4
This exchange of pieces gives White some breathing room from his
cramped position.
13 ... dxe4 1 4.Nd2 Bxe2 1 5.Qxe2 f5 1 6.Ne4 Qd8 1 7.Nxd6 Qxd6
18.Rfd l Ne7 1 9.e4
A further exchange of minor pieces has clarified the mission of White 's
queenside pawns and with the backing of the rooks, the pawns on c4
and d4 are ready to advance.
19 Rf6 20.Qe3 Rh6 2 1 .g3 b6 22.Rd2 Ng6 23.d5 e5 24.b4 Rh3 25.e5
..
3 1 .Qti! N13+
Of course the queen cannot be captured because of 3 1 . . . Rxf7 32.d8Q+
Qxd8 3 3 .Rxd8+ RfS 34.RxfS#.
32 .Kfl Nxh2+ 33 .Kg2 1-0
After 33 . . . Rg8 34.c6 the pawns cannot be stopped from promoting.
l .d4 Nf6 2.N13 cS 3.e3 e6 4.c3 b6 S.Bd3 Bb7 6.Nbd2 d6 7.0-0 Be7
8.b4
This early pawn move initiates an innovative plan that simultaneously
opens up the queenside and breaks open the center.
8 cxd4 9.cxd4 0-0 1 0.a4 a6 1 l .Bb2 Nbd7 12.e4 Re8 1 3 .Rel NfS
.
1 4.bS axbS I S .BxbS N8d7 1 6.eS NdS 1 7.Ne4 dxeS 1 8.NxeS NxeS
1 9.Bxe8 ? ! Nc4 20.BbS Nxb2 2 1 .Qb3 Nxa4 ? !
2 1 . . .Nf6 22.Nxf6+ Bxf6 23 .Qxb2 Bxd4 and the Black bishops control
the board.
22 .Rxa4 Rxa4 23 .Bxa4 Nf4 24.Q13 NdS 2S.Qg3 hS 26.QeS h4 27.h3
Nf6 28.Bc2 g6 29.Bd3 Nxe4 30.Bxe4 Bf6 3 1 .Qf4 Qxd4?
Black captures the wrong piece, leaving his back rank undefended and
his queen bishop hanging. Better is 3 1 . . . Bxe4 32.Rxe4 Qd5 .
32 .Qb8+ Kg7 33 .Qxb7 Qd2 34.Rfl Qf4 3S.B13 BeS 36.Rd l Bd4
37.Qe4 Qxe4 38.Bxe4 fS 39.Rxd4 1-0
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 27
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 b6 4.Nbd2 Bb7 S.Bd3 eS 6.0-0 Be7 7.e3 dS
8.NeS 0-0 9.Qe2 Nbd7 1 0.f4
White reacts to Black's Queen's Indian Defense with the Stonewall
Attack.
10 Ne4 1 1 .Rf3 fS 1 2.Rh3 NxeS 1 3 .dxeS Nxd2 1 4.Bxd2 e4 I S.Be2
..
17 .. g6
Black can attempt to open the a8-h i diagonal with I 7 . . . d4 but after
I 8 .cxd4 (not 1 8. exd4? Qc6 1 9.Rg3 Qhl + 20.Kj2 Bh4) l 8 . . . Qc6 I 9.e4
fxe4 20.Qe3 the center is plugged.
18.Bh4 Bxh4 1 9.Rxh4 Qe7
I9 . . . d4 doesn't work because of 20.exd4 Qd8 2 1 .gS .
20.Rh3 as 2 1 .Kf2 Kh8 22.Rgl Rfi? ! 23.gxfS gxfS 24.QhS Rg8
2S.Rxg8+ Kxg8 26.Qh6 Rg7 27.Rg3 Be8
The Black bishop, which has been asleep behind his pawn chain for
most of the game, begins to stir.
28.RgS RxgS 29.fxgS Qg7 30.Qf6 Qxf6? !
Black does White a favor by trading queens and allowing a passed
pawn.
3 1 .gxf6 Bd7 32.Kg3 Be8 33.Kf4 h6 34.BxfS
28 THE D O G S OF WAR
l .d4 dS 2.NfJ Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 Be7 S.Nbd2 Nbd7 6.0-0 b6 7.NeS
Bb7 S.f4 eS 9.e3 g6 1 0.QfJ Qe7 1 1 .g4 Rf8 1 2.gS NhS 1 3 .BbS BeS?
Black has waited too long to castle. Black should castle long and take
his chances after 1 4 .Bxd7+ Rxd7.
1 4.e4
A different avenue of attack from what we are used to seeing in the
Colle System. Instead of a raging kingside attack, White begins his
attack from the queenside and quickly breaks open the center.
14 . Bd6 I S .exdS BxeS 1 6.dxe6 Bb7 1 7.exd7+ KdS I S.dS Bd6
1 8 . . . Bg7 does not help as after 1 9.Nc4 a6 20.Bc6 Bxc6 2 1 .dxc6 White
Practical Plqy in The Colle stem 29
Black has no useful moves in this position and there is nothing he can
do to save his king from suffocation.
24 .. a5 25.d6 Qxd7 26.dxe7+ 1-0
26 . . . Kc8 27.exf8Q+ Qe8 2 8 .Qexe8+ Kc7 29.Qff7#.
l.d4 dS 2.NfJ Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 Be7 S.b3 0-0 6.Bb2 Nbd7
7.0-0 c6 8.Nbd2 b6 9.NeS Bb7 1 0.f4 cS 1 1.QfJ g6 1 2 .Rfl Qc7 1 3 .c3
Ne8 1 4.Qb3 fS I S.g4 Nef6 1 6.gxfS exfS 1 7.NdfJ Ne4 1 8.Rg2 NxeS
19.NxeS Rf6 20.c4 BfB 2 1 .Bxe4 dxe4 22 .dxcS Bg7 23 .Rd l Rd8
24.Rgd2
The White rooks control the d-file and in conjunction with the knight
on e5, eye the key d7 square.
24 .. Rxd2 2S.Rxd2 bxcS?
The bishop is useless on the closed a8-h i diagonal and must help to
control the d7 square with 25 . . . Bc8 26.cxb6 Rxb6.
30 THE D OGS OF WAR
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 dS 3.e3 cS 4.c3 e6 S.Nbd2 Nc6 6.NeS NxeS 7.dxeS
Nd7 8.f4 b6 9.Bd3 Bb7 1 0.0-0 Qc7 1 l .QhS g6 1 2 .Qe2 Bg7 1 3 .c4
0-0-0 14.e4 Rhe8 1 S.cxdS exdS l 6.exdS BxdS 1 7.Be4 Bxe4 1 8.Nxe4
Kb8 1 9.Qa6 f6 20.Nc3 Qb7 2 1 .Qxb7+
With queens still on the board White can hope to drum up counterplay
with 21.Qa4 fxe5 22.fxe5 Bxe5 23 .Bf4. Now the advantage turns to
Black's favor.
2 1 . Kxb7 22.Ne4 Kc6 23 .Nxf6
.
White 's pawns are overextended, however, this exchange only serves
to increase the scope of the bishop on g7 .
23 ... Nxf6 24.exf6 Bxf6 2S.Kf2
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 31
2S ... Bxb2 !
The loss of this pawn gives Black a powerful passed pawn and an
overwhelming advantage.
26.Bxb2 Rd2+ 2 7.Kf3 Rxb2 2S.Rf2 Rxf2+ 29.Kxf2 c4 3 0.g4 bS
3 1 .Kf3 KcS 32.h4 c3 33.fS gxfS 34.gxfS Kc4 3 S.Kf4 c2 36.f6 Kc3
37.KgS Kb2 3S.Rh l c 1 Q+ 39.Rxc1 Kxc 1 40.ti RbS 4 1 .Kf6 Kb2
42.Kg7 Kxa2 43.hS b4 0-1
43 . . . b4 44.Kxh7 b3 .
l .d4 dS 2.Nf3 cS 3.e3 Nc6 4.c3 e6 S.Bd3 Nf6 6.Nbd2 Bd6 7.0-0 0-0
S.dxcS BxcS 9.e4 eS l 0.Qe2 d4 1 1 .Nb3 Bb6 1 2.cxd4 Nxd4 13.Nbxd4
Bxd4 14.Nxd4 Qxd4 I S.Be3 Qd6 1 6.Rac l b6 1 7.Rfd l Bb7 I S.f3
RacS 1 9.Bc4 Qe7 2 0.a4 Qb4 2 1 .b3 RfdS 22.Bd2 Qe7 23.Qel NhS
24.Bb4 Qf6 2 S.RxdS+ RxdS 26.Rd l Nf4 27.RxdS+ QxdS 2S.Qd2
Qxd2 29.Bxd2 BcS 30.Bc3 Ng6 3 1 .Bb4 Be6 3 2.Bd6 Bxc4 33 .bxc4 f6
34.BbS NfS?
The knight must play to e7 and after 3 5 .Bxa7 Nc8 will be in a better
position to defend the b-pawn and chase the White bishop away without
fear of being harassed by the advancing c-pawn.
3S.Bxa7 Nd7 3 6.aS bxaS 3 7.cS NfS 3S.c6 Ne6 39.Bb6 a4 40.c7 Nxc7
4 1 .Bxc7 a3 42.BaS Kti 43.Kf2 1-0
The White bishop will be able to stop the a-pawn from queening and
allow the White king time to capture it. The timely trade of bishop for
32 THE DOGS OF WAR
pawn will then secure White a winning king and pawn ending.
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 b6 4.Nbd2 Bb7 5.Bd3 d5 6.0-0 Nbd7 7.c3
Bd6 8.Qa4
White whets our appetite with this provocative move. However, we
are left wondering, what is White provoking Black to play here?
8 . 0-0 9.Qc2
Black reacts to White's queen sortie by calmly castling, and White
loses a tempo to get his queen back into play.
9 c5 1 0.b3 Qc7 1 l .Bb2 h6 1 2 .Rac 1 e5 1 3 .dxe5 Nxe5 1 4.Nxe5 Bxe5
..
1 5.Nf3 Bd6 1 6.h3 Rfe8 1 7.Be2 Ne4 1 8.c4 dxc4 1 9.Bxc4 Qe7 20.Rcd l
Rad8 2 1 .Bb5
Black has more space but White 's formation is compact with no
weaknesses.
2 1 . . .R fB 22 .Bc4 Ng5 23.Nxg5 Qxg5 24.f4
All four bishops are raking the board, but the edge must go to White 's
bishops who have more scope.
24 .. Qg3 25.Rf2 Qxe3 ?
l.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3 .e3 d5 4.Nbd2 c5 5.c3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 Be7 7.0-0 0-0
8.Qe2 b6 9.e4 dxe4 1 0.Nxe4 Bb7 1 1 .Ne5 cxd4 1 2 .cxd4 Nxe4 1 3.Bxe4
Bxe4 1 4.Qxe4 Nf6 1 5.Qh4 Qd5 1 6.Rd l Rac8 1 7.Bg5 Rc2 1 8.Rd3
Rfc8
18 . . . Rxb2 ! ? wins a pawn for Black after 1 9.ReI Qb5 (but not 1 9.. . Rxa2
20.Bxf6 Bxf6 21. Qxf6 gxf6 22.Rg3 + Kh8 23.Nxj7+ Rxj7 24.Rc8+ and
Black is being checkmated.)
19.Rf1 Rxb2 20.Rg3 Kf8 2 1 .Be3 Qe4?
22.Nd7+! 1-0
The knight is overworked. If 22 . . . Nxd7 23 .Qxe4; 22 . . . Kg8 (or 22 ...
Ke8) 23 .Nxf6+ followed by 24.Qxe4. Either way, Black loses his
queen.
34 THE DOGS OF WAR
l .d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 e5 5.b3 Ne6 6.Bb2 Bd6 7.0-0
0-0 S.a3 b6 9.Ne5 Bb7 1 0.Nd2 a6 1 l .f4 b5 12.dxe5 Bxe5 1 3 .Qf3
ReS 14.b4 Bb6 1 5.Qg3 Nxe5 1 6.Bxe5 a5N 1 7.f5 Nh5 I S.Qh3 Qg5
1 9.Rae l axb4 20.Nf3 Qh6 2 1 .axb4 Bxe3+
In accepting the sacrifice with 21. . .Bxe3+ Black only succeeds in
putting added pressure on his queen which now has to serve double
duty to protect both the knight and bishop. The result is that Black's
pieces are left uncoordinated for attack and ill-prepared for defense.
22.Kh l f6
22 . . . d4 23 .Bxd4 Bxd4 24.Nxd4 does not afford Black sufficient
counterplay.
23.Bd6 RfdS
24.Rxe3
White initiates a combination so forcing that it leaves Black with no
means of retaliation.
24 Qxe3 25.Qxh5 Rxd6 26.fxe6 Rxe6 27.Bxh7+ Kf8 2S.Bf5 ReeS
..
l .d4 d S 2.NfJ Nf6 3 .e3 e 6 4.Bd3 c S S.c3 Bd6 6.Nbd2 Nbd7 7.0-0
0-0 8.Re 1 Qc7 9.e4 cxd4 1 0.cxd4 dxe4 1 1 .Nxe4 Nxe4 1 2 .Rxe4
Recapturing with the rook instead of the bishop gets this piece into
play immediately.
12 Nf6 1 3 .Rh4 Be7 1 4.BgS g6 l S .NeS NdS 1 6.Rc 1 Qd8 1 7.Bxe7
..
2 1 . fS
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 dS 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 eS S.b3 Nbd7 6.0-0 Be7 7.Bb2 0-0
S.Nbd2
White refrains from playing 8.c4, a common theme in the Zukertort,
to avoid the risk of getting hanging pawns after 8 . . . dxc4 9.bxc4 cxd4
1 0.exd4.
S .. b6 9.NeS Bb7 1 0.Qf3 ReS 1 l .Radl Qe7 1 2.Qh3 h6 13.f4
White has set up the ideal Colle attacking formation.
13 ... Ne4 1 4.Nxd7 Qxd7 I S.Bxe4 dxe4 1 6.dxeS
White powerfully opens up the center along with the a l-h8 diagonal
for the bishop on b2. It is interesting that in the Colle-Koltanowski
variation it's White 's king bishop that is the powerhose, and in this
Colle-Zukertort variation, it's the queen bishop that is wreaking
havoc.
16 .. QbS 1 7.Ne4 BxeS I S.Qg4 f6 19.Qxe6+ KhS 20.Rd7 Re6?
Black chooses the wrong piece with which to chase the queen. Better
is 20 . . . Qc6 2 1 .Qg4 Rg8 .
2 1 .Qg4 1-0
In order to defend against the mate, Black must lose the bishop on b7.
Of course White should not play 2 1 .Qxe4? because with 2 1 . . .Rc7 ! ? the
discovered attack on the queen will cost White material after 22.Rd5
Qc6.
Practical Plqy in The Coiie System 37
Stairway to Heaven
For us, the Colle System, in its purest most methodical sense, calls
to mind the Led Zeppelin song, Stairway to Heaven. Written by
Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Stairway to Heaven is a masterful and
imaginative slow developing, intense musical masterpiece. The song
builds harmoniously one musical instrument upon another (acoustic
guitar, string section, keyboards, flutes and drums) until it finally
explodes into a feverishly exciting electric guitar climax. Compare this
with the smooth and naturally developing moves of the Colle System.
A series of opening moves, seemingly innocuous though deceptively
deliberate, methodically flow one piece after another (pawn, knight,
bishop, rook and queen) until the game reaches a frenetic and compelling
middlegame and a determinedly crushing end.
38 THE DOGS O F WAR
l .d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 Bd6 5.Nbd2 O-{) 6.0-{) c6 7.Re l
b6
White need not worry about 7 . . . c5 because 8.c3 keeps the bishop on
the strategic b 1 -h7 diagonal should Black continue the advance of the
c-pawn.
8.e4 dxe4 9.Nxe4 Bc7? ! 1 0.Bg5 ? !
Better is 1 O.Nxf6+ which forces Black to ruin his position with 1 0 . . .
gxf6 because 1 0 . . . Qxf6 falls prey to 1 1 .Bg5.
1 0 Nbd7 1 l .Nxf6+ Nxf6 1 2.Ne5 Qe7 13.Bxf6 gxf6? 1 4.Bxh7+ !
..
Kxh7
Black is lost. All moves lead to mate. 1 4 . . . Kh8 1 5 .Qh5 Kg7 1 6.Qg4+
Kh8 1 7.Re3 fxe5 1 8 .Rh3 Bd8 1 9.Be4+ Qh4 20.Rxh4+ Bxh4 2 1 . Qxh4+
Kg7 22.Qg5+ Kh8 23.Qh6+ Kg8 24.Qh7#.
1 5.Qh5+ Kg7
1 5 . . . Kg8 1 6.Qg4+ Kh8 1 7.Re3 Qa3 1 8 .bxa3 fxe5 1 9.Rh3#.
1 6.Qg4+ 1 -{)
16 . . . Kh7 1 7.Re3 Qa3 1 8.bxa3 fxe5 1 9.Rh3#.
l .d4 d5 2.Nf3 b 6 3.e3 e 6 4.Bd3 Nf6 5.Nbd2 Bb7 6.0-{) Nbd7 7.c3
Be7 8.Qe2 Ne4 9.Bc2 !
The beginning of White 's effort to break the blockade at e4.
9 .. c5 1 0.Nxe4 dxe4
The wisdom of White 's bishop retreat to c2 now becomes apparent
because this pawn capture is not a fork.
1 l .Nd2 Nf6 1 2.f3 exf3 13.Nxf3 h6 1 4.e4 cxd4 1 5.Nxd4 O-{)? 1 6.e5
Ne8 1 7.Bxh6 ! Bg5 1 8.Qd3 f5 1 9.exf6 Bxh6 20.Qh7+ 1-{)
20 . . . Kf7 2 1 .Bg6#.
l .d4 d 5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 Be7 5.Nbd2 0-0 6.0-{) c5 7.dxc5
White wants to play the thematic e4 pawn break, but must first set it up
with this capture in order to avoid an isolated d-pawn.
7 ... Bxc5 8.c3 Nc6 9.e4 d4 1 0.Nb3 Bb6 1 l .e5 Ne8 ? !
Black removes an important defender and leaves no room for the
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 39
12 .. KhS
The dilemma Black faces after this bishop sacrifice is whether to accept
or decline it. If Black accepts, White will play NgS and Black must
come forward with . . . Kg6, otherwise mate quickly follows. Black's
exposed king position compensates for the small material disadvantage
that White has.
13.Bd3 dxe3 1 4.Ng5 g6 1 5.Qt3 Kg7
Black could not liberate the position with I S . . . Ng7 because of 1 6.Qh3+
NbS 1 7.Nxf7+ Rxf7 1 8.Bxg6 and White has an overwhelming attack.
16.Qh3 RhS 1 7.QxhS+ ! ! KxhS I S.Nxti+ Kg7 1 9.NxdS BxdS 20.f4
cxb2 2 1 .Bxb2 b6 22.Bb5 Bb7 23.Rac 1 ReS 24.Rfd l Be7 25.Rd7 Kf8
26.Rxb7 Be5+ 27.Nxe5 bxe5 2S.Rxe5 Ne7 29.RxeS NxeS 3 0.Ba3+
1-0
Leads to a very nice mate after 30 . . . Ncd6 3 1 .exd6 Nxd6 32.Bxd6+
Kg8 3 3 .Bc4 Kh8 34.Bxe6 a6 3 S .BeS#. (See diagram next page.)
40 THE DOGS OF WAR
l.d4 dS 2.e3 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Bd3 cS S.c3 c4 6.Bc2 bS 7.NeS Nbd7 S.f4
NxeS 9.fxeS Nd7 1 0.0-0 f6? 1 l .exf6
White can prevent Black from castling with I 1.Qh5+ ! ? Ke7.
1l ... Nxf6 1 2.Nd2 B d 6 13.e4
White pulls off the thematic e4 pawn break in the center and threatens
14.e5 .
13 ... dxe4?
Black goes astray. Better would have been 13 . . . Qb6 or 13 . . . e5 .
14.Nxe4 Nxe4 IS.Bxe4 RbS??
Black's lack of defensive resources sticks out like a sore thumb.
16.QhS+
White's pieces are magnificently placed for the final attack.
16 ... Kd7 1 7.Rfi+ Be7 I S.BgS ReS 1 9.Qh4 h6 20.Bxe7 Rxe7 2 1 .Rafl
Rxfi 22.Rxfi+ KeS 23.Rf8+ ! ! 1-0
Black is overwhelmed after 23 . . . Kxf8 24.Qxd8+ Kf7 25.Qc7+ Bd7
26.Qxb8.
l.d4 dS 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 c6 4.Bd3 Bg4 S.Nbd2 e6 6.0-0 Nbd7 7.c3
Bd6 S.e4 dxe4 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 1 0.Bxe4 Qc7 1 l .h3 BhS 1 2.Rel 0-0
13.Bxh7+ KhS I 4.Bd3 Bf4 1 S.Bxf4 Qxf4 1 6.Re4 Bxf3 1 7.Rxf4 Bxd l
IS.Rh4+ KgS 1 9.Bh7+ KhS Yl-Yl
42 THE DOGS OF WAR
l .d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 Be7 5.Nbd2 Nbd7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Rel
ReS S.e4 dxe4 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 1 0.Bxe4 Nf6 1 l .Bd3 Bd6 1 2.Bg5 Bd7
1 3.e3 Be7 14.Qe2 h6 1 5.Bh4 e6 1 6.Ne5 BeS 1 7.Rad l Rf8 I S.Re3
Nd5 1 9.Rf3 ! QeS ? ?
gxh6
1f 28 . . . Nxh6 then 29. Rxh6+ gxh6 30. Qxh6+ Kg8 31. Qh7#.
29.Rxh6+!
Practical PI'!Y in The Colle System 43
l.d4 Nf6 2.NfJ e6 3 .e3 dS 4.Bd3 Bb4+ S.c3 Be7 6.Nbd2 0-0 7.0-0 cS
8.Re 1 a6 9.e4 bS 1 0.eS Nfd7 1 1 .Nfl Nb6? 1 2.dxcS BxcS ? ?
With a small amount of coaxing from White, Black removes all of his
pieces from the scene of the attack.
13.Bxh7+ ! Kxh7 14.NgS+ Kg8 l S.QhS Re8 1 6.Qxf7+ Kh8 1 7.QhS+
Kg8 1 8.Qh7+ Kf8 1 9.Qh8+ 1-0
l.d4 dS 2.NfJ e6 3 .e3 Nf6 4.Nbd2 Be7 S.Bd3 0-0 6.c3 b6 7.0-0N
Bb7 8.Qe2 Nbd7 9.e4 dxe4 1 0.Nxe4 Nxe4 1 1 .Bxe4 Bxe4 1 2.Qxe4
Nf6 1 3.Qe2 cS 1 4.dxcS BxcS l S.Be3 Bd6 1 6.BgS h6 1 7.Bh4 gS
18.NxgS ! ?
Objectively not the best move, but i n typical Colle fighting spirit White
sacrifices a piece with the idea of exposing the Black king to attack. A
more sedate line would be 1 8 .Bg3 Nh5 1 9.Rad l Nxg3 20.hxg3 .
18 ... hxgS 1 9.BxgS Be7 20.Rad 1 Qc7 2 1 .Rd3 Rfd8 22.Rf3 NdS
23 .Bh6 Bd6? 1-0
44 THE DOGS OF WAR
Black lost on time. Analysis shows that White can finish the game off
with 24.Rg3+ Kh8 2S.Bg7+ Kg8 26.QhS f6 27.Bxf6+ Bxg3 28.Qg6+
Kf8 29.fxg3 (threatening Bxd8). 29 . . . Nxf6 30.Rxf6+ Ke7 3 1 .Qf7+
Kd6 32.Qxe6+ KcS 33.RfS+ QeS 34.RxeS+ RdS 3 S . QxdS#.
l .d4 dS 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 Nf6 4.Bd3 cS S.c3 Bd6 6.Nbd2 0-0 7.0-0
Nbd7 8.e4 cxd4 9.cxd4 dxe4 1 0.Nxe4 Nxe4 1 l .Bxe4 Nf6 1 2 .BgS Be7
1 3 .Bxf6 Bxf6 1 4.Rc1 Qb6 1 S.Qc2 g6 1 6.Rfdl Rd8
Increasing the pressure on the isolated pawn on d4.
1 7.Qc7 Qxb2 1 8.NeS Rf8 1 9.Rb l BxeS 2 0.dxeS Qxa2 2 1 .Rd8 as?
22.RxfS+ KxfS 23 .Qd8+ YZ-YZ
White does not have to settle for the perpetual check.
1.d4 Nf6 2.NfJ e6 3.e3 cS 4.Bd3 dS S.c3 Nc6 6.Nbd2 Be7 7.0-0 0-0
8.Re1 Qc7 9.e4 cxd4 1 0.cxd4 dxe4 1 1 .Nxe4 Nxe4 1 2.Bxe4 fS 1 3.Bxc6
Qxc6 1 4.NeS Qb6 l S.b3 Rd8
Attacking the isolated pawn on d4.
16.Bb2 Bd7 1 7.Rc 1 Rac8 1 8.Re3 BgS?
Black must play 1 8 . . . RxcI 1 9.Bxc 1 (Not 1 9. Qxcl Bg5) 1 9 . . . Bf6 20.Bb2
with even chances.
19.Rxc8 Bxc8 20.Rh3 Bf6 2 1 .QhS h6?
2 1 . . .Bxe5 is better after 22.dxe5 h6.
22.Qti+ Kh7
22 . . . Kh8 doesn't work either because of 23.Rxh6+ ! ! gxh6 24.Ng6#.
23 .Rxh6+! Kxh6 24.Qg6# 1-0
l.d4 Nf6 2.NfJ e 6 3.e3 dS 4.Bd3 cS S.c3 N c 6 6.Nbd2 Qc7 7.0-0 Bd7
8.Re1 Bd6 9.e4 dxe4 1 0.Nxe4 Nxe4 1 l .Bxe4 cxd4 1 2.cxd4 0-0
With no pieces to defend his King, Black castles right into the teeth of
White 's attack.
13 .Bxh7+ Kh8? 1 4.NgS Bxh2+? l S.Kh 1 g6 1 6.Qg4 f6 1 7.Qh4 fxgS
18.BxgS Kg7 1 9.Qh6+ 1-0
19 . . Kh8 20.Bxg6+ Kg8 2 1 .Qh7#.
.
1.d4 dS 2.NfJ Nf6 3.e3 a6 4.Bd3 e6 S.Nbd2 Bd6 6.0-0 0-0 7.Re1
Nc6 8.c3 bS 9.e4 dxe4 1 0.Nxe4 Nxe4 1 l .Bxe4 Bb7 1 2.Bxh7+ Kxh7
13.NgS+ Kg6 14.h4 Re8? IS.Qd3+ Kh5? 16.g4+! 1-0
It's mate after 16... K.xg4 17.Qf3+ Kxh4 18.Qh3#.
Cruz, R - Reid, P
Grumette Mem. Day Classic, 1 989
l.d4 Nf6 2.e3 e6 3 .Bd3 cS 4.c3 Be7 S.Nd2 dS 6.NgfJ 0-0 7.0-0 c4
46 THE DOGS OF WAR
8.Be2 Qe7 9.Ne5 Nbd7 1 0.f4 Nxe5? 1 l .fxe5 Ne8 1 2 .Rf3 f6 1 3 .Rh3
g6?
No better is 1 3 . . . h6 1 4.Qh5 fxe5 1 5 .dxe5 Be5 .
14.Nf3 ?
1 4.Rxh7 ! f5 (Not 14 . . . Kxh 7? because of 15. Qh5+ KgB 1 6. Qxg6+ Ng7
1 7. Qh 7+ Kj7 1 B.Bg6#) 1 5 .Rh6.
1 4 Rti 1 5.e4 BfB 1 6.Qe2 b5 1 7.exf6+- Nxf6 1 8.Ng5 Re7? 1 9.e5
.
l .d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 Be7 5.0--0 0--0 6.Re l e5 7.e3 e4
8.Be2 Ne6 9.Nbd2 b5 1 0.e4 dxe4 1 1 .Nxe4 Bb7 1 2.Nfg5 h6? 1 3.Nxf6+
Bxf6 1 4.Nh7 Re8 1 5.Qg4 g5? 1 6.h4 Bg7 1 7.hxg5 Kh8 1 8.gxh6 Bxh6
1 9.Bxh6 Rg8 20.Qh5
Practical Plqy in The Colle SYstem 47
l.d4 dS 2.Nf3 e6 3 .e3 Nf6 4.Bd3 Bd6 S.Nbd2 cS 6.c3 0-0 7.NeS
Nbd7 8.f4 cxd4 9.exd4 Qb6 1 0.0-0 NxeS ? 1 l .fxeS BxeS 1 2.Kh l Bd6
13 .Rxf6 gxf6 1 4.QhS fS
14 . . . Rd8 would have given Black the necessary maneuvering room
after 1 5 .Nb3 f5 .
IS.Nc4 dxc4
If 1 5 . . . Qd8 1 6.Nxd6.
16.QgS+ Kh8 1 7.Qf6+ Kg8 1 8.Bh6 1-0
1 8 . . . Qxd4 1 9.cxd4 Be5 20.dxe5 cxd3 2 1 .Qg7#.
l.d4 dS 2.Nf3 Nf6 3 .e3 e6 4.Bd3 cS S.c3 Nbd7 6.Nbd2 Bd6 7.0-0 0-0
8.Qe2 b6 9.e4 NhS 1 0.eS Nf4 1 l .Bxh7+
As we can see, this common bishop sacrifice on h7, when not properly
prepared, is not enough to force a winning advantage.
1l.. Kxh7 1 2 .Qe3 B a 6 1 3 .Re l
With B .Qxf4 ! ? White can win back the piece, however, after 1 3 . . .
Bxfl 1 4.Ng5+ Kg8 1 5 .Nxfl Black i s up the exchange, but the exposed
nature of the Black king gives both sides equal chances.
13 ... Nd3 14.NgS+ Kg6
14 . . . Kg8 ! ? looks like a viable alternative 1 5 .Nde4 Bxe5, but not:
a) 1 5 . . . dxe4? 1 6.Qxe4 f5 1 7.Qh4 Qxg5 1 8 .Bxg5 (18. Qxg5?! Nxel
19.Bf4 Bxe5 20.Bxe5 Nxe5 21.Rxel Nj7) 1 8 . . . Nxe l 1 9.Rxe l ;
b) 1 5 . . . Nxe l ?? 1 6.Qh3 Qxg5 1 7.Nxg5 (1 7.Bxg5 Nc2 1 8.Nf6+ gxf6) ;
c) 1 5 . . . Nxc l ?? leads to instant destruction 1 6.Qh3 Qxg5 1 7.Nxg5 .
IS.Ndf3 Nxel ?
Black can try 1 5 . . . Rh8 1 6.exd6 Nxe l 1 7.Nxe l Rh5 which defends
against the queen infiltrating on the h-file, but White is still better
because of Black's exposed king.
16.Nh4+ Kh6 1 7.Nxfi+ Kh7 1 8.Nxd8 Nc2 1 9.Qg3 Rf6 20.exd6 Nxal
21 .BgS ? !
48 THE DOGS OF WAR
White should play 2 1 .Nc6 Kg8 22.Ne7+ Kf8 23 .Nhg6+ Ke8 and, in
contrast to the move played, White keeps more pieces on the board for
the attack.
2 1 . .. Rxd8 22.Bxf6 Nxf6 23.Qg6+ Kh8 24.g4
White can win the knight trapped on a l but instead continues the attack
on the Black king.
24 .. cxd4 2S.cxd4 Rc8
25 . . . Bb5 is Black's last chance for counterplay but after 26.Qf7 Nxg4
27.Qxa7 Rg8 White 's passed pawn is still a thorn in Black's side.
26.gS Ne4 27.QhS+ Kg8 28.Ng6 Rc1 + 29.Kg2 Bf1+ 30.Kf3 Nd2+
3 1 .Kf4 eS+ 32.NxeS
l .d4 dS 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 Nf6 4.Bd3 Nc6 S.c3 Bd6 6.0-0 Bd7 7.Nbd2
0-0 8.e4 eS 9.exdS NxdS 1 0.Ret Re8 1 l .Nc4 exd4 1 2.Nxd6 cxd6
13.c4 Nf6 1 4.a3 NeS 1 S.Bf4 Nxf3+ 1 6.Qxf3 Bc6 1 7.Qh3 Bd7 1 8.Qh4
Rxel + 1 9.Rxel Qf8 20.f3 Re8 2 1 .BgS Rxe t + 22.Qxel Qd8 23.Qb4
Qc7 24.Bxf6 gxf6 2S.b3 as 26.Qel QcS 27.b4 axb4 28.axb4 QeS
29.Qg3+ Qxg3 30.hxg3 Kg7 3 1 .Kf2 fS 32.Ke2 Kf6 33.f4 h6 34.Kd2
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 49
Kg6 43.B h l h4 44.gxh4 KhS 4S.Ke3 Kxh4 46.Kf2 g3+ 47.Kf3 Kh3
48.Bg2+ Kh2 49.Bfl Kgl SO.Kxg3 Kxfl S 1 .Kh4 Ke2 S2.KgS Kd3
53.cS bxcS S4.bxcS
White misses a chance to draw with 54.b5 c4 5 5 .b6 c3 56.b7 c2 57.b8Q
c1Q.
54.. dxcS SS.KxfS c 4 S6.KeS c3 S7.fS c 2 S8.f6 c 1 Q 0-1
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 dS 4.Bd3 cS S.c3 Be7 6.Nbd2 0-0 7.0-0 b6
8.Qe2 h6 9.e4 Bb7 1 0.dxcS BxcS l l .eS Nfd7 1 2.Re 1 Nc6 13.Nfl d4?
14.Qe4 fS l S.exf6 Rxf6 1 6.Qh7+ Kf7 1 7.Ng3 1-0
Threatening 1 8 . Nh5 and no matter what Black tries, he still has to
go down the exchange i.e. 1 7 . . . Qh8 1 8 .Qxh8 Rxh8 19.Ne4 Rxf3
20.gxf3 .
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 dS 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 cS S.c3 Nc6 6.Nbd2 Be7 7.0-0 0-
o 8.Qe2 Bd7 9.dxcS BxcS 1 0.e4 dxe4 l l .Nxe4 Nxe4 1 2.Bxe4 Rb8
13.Bf4 Rc8 1 4.Rad1 Qe7 1 S.b4 Bb6? 1 6.Bd6 Qe8 1 7.Bxh7+! Kxh7
1 8.NgS+ 1-0
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 51
Mingos, John (2 1 90) - Rigo, Bernard
USA-Australia Correspondence, 1 992
I.d4 e6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3 .e3 c5 4.c3 b6 5.Bd3 Bb7 6.Nbd2 Be7 7.0-0
0-0 S.e4 d6 9.Qe2 Nc6 1 0.a3 cxd4 1 l .cxd4 e5 1 2 .d5 NbS 1 3.b4
Nbd7 1 4.Bb2 g6 1 5.Rac1 NeS I 6.Bb5 h6 1 7.Bc6 Bxc6 1 S .dxc6 Ndf6
19.Rfd l QcS 20.b5 Nc7 2 1 .a4 Ne6 22.h3 Nf4 23.Qe3 g5 24.Nc4 g4?
25.Nxd6 Bxd6 26.Rxd6 NeS 27.Nxe5
White misses the chance to finish off the game nicely with 27.Rxh6
f6 (2 7. . . gxj3 28. Qxf4 and the queen cannot be captured because of
29.Rh8#.) 28 .Nxe5 fxe5 29.Bxe5 and Black's material deficit and
exposed king is too much to overcome.
27... Nxh3+ 2S.gxh3 Nxd6 29.Qxh6 1-0
29 . . . Qe6 (The alternative 29. . /6 also loses to 30. Qg6+ Kh8 31.Nxg4
Nxe4 32. Qxe4 Qe8 33. Q{5 Qe 7) 30.Qg5+ Kh7 and Black is helpless
against the onslaught of White 's pieces.
I.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Nbd2 c5 5.c3 Nc6 6.Bd3 cxd4 7.exd4 Bd6
S.O-O 0-0 9.Re l Qc7 1 0.Qc2N b6 1 l .Nfl h6 1 2.Qe2 Nd7 1 3 .Bb5 ? !
Bb7 1 4.Bxc6 Bxc6
White impulsively deviated from the typical Colle kingside attack by
playing the bishop to b5 and immediately trading it off, giving Black
the bishop pair.
15.Ne5 Nxe5 1 6.dxe5 Bc5 1 7.b4 Be7 1 S.Qg4 Kh7 19.Ng3 RgS 20.Nh5
Bb5 2 1 .a4 Bd3 22 .Qd4 Qc4 23.Be3 RacS 24.Nf4 Qxd4 25.Bxd4 Bc4
26.a5 BdS 27.Rec 1 RaS 2S.g3 Bc7 29.Ng2 RgbS 30.Ne3 Bd3 3 1 .c4
bxa5 32.cxd5 axb4 ? !
Black sacrifices his bishop i n order t o get two connected passed pawns
which, from a tactical perspective, proves not to be enough. A more
practical continuation is 32 . . . Bb6 3 3 .Bxb6 axb6 34.bxa5 Rxa5 3 5 .Rxa5
bxa5 .
33 .Rxc7 as 34.Rxti b3 35.Bb2 a4 36.dxe6 Be4 37.Rf4 Bg6 3S.Rfxa4
Rxa4 39.Rxa4 RdS 40.Rb4 Bc2 4 1 .e7 ReS 42.Nd5 Kg6 43.Rf4 1-0
52 THE DOGS OF WAR
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 cS 3.e3 dS 4.c3 Nbd7 S.Nbd2 g6 6.Bd3 Bg7 7.0-0
0-0 8.Qe2 Qc7 9.e4 eSN 1 0.dxeS NxeS 1 l .NxeS QxeS 1 2.f4 Qc7
1 3 .eS Nd7 1 4.Nf3 Re8 I S.Qfl f6 1 6.exf6 Nxf6 1 7.Qh4 Ne4 1 8.NgS
NxgS 1 9.QxgS Be6 20.fS BxfS 2 1 .BxfS gxfS 22.QxfS Rad8?
Allowing White to develop with tempo. Black should play 22 . . . d4 ! ? to
gain space for his rooks and bishop.
23 .BgS Rd7 24.Rae l Re4?
Loses a pawn.
2S.Rxe4 dxe4 26.Qxe4 QeS 27.Qg4 Rf7 28.Qc4 Qc7 29.Bf4 Qd7
30.Bb8 a6 3 1 .a3 bS 32 .Rxfi Qxfi 33 .QxcS Qa2 34.Qc8+ Bf8
3S.Qg4+ Bg7 36.Qe2 Qb l + 37.Kf2 QfS+ 38.Qf3 Qc2+ 39.Kel Qb l +
40.Qd l Qe4+ 4 1 .Kfl B f8 42.Kgl h6 43 .Ba7 Be7 44.Bfl Kh7 4S.Qel
Qb7 46.Qe6 1-O
Boroviak - Jacobs
Golden Knights Postal, 1974
I .Nf3 dS 2.d4 Nf6 3 .e3 cS 4.c3 Nc6 S.Bd3 e6 6.Nbd2 Bd6 7.0-0 0-0
8.dxcS BxcS 9.e4 Qc7 1 0.Qe2 Bd6 1 l .Rel Ng4
An interesting repositioning of the knight that begins a wholesale
exchange of pieces in the center.
1 2 .h3 NgeS 1 3 .NxeS NxeS 14.exdSN Nxd3 I S.Qxd3 exdS 1 6.QxdS
Bh2+ 17.Kh l Be6 1 8.QhS Rad8 1 9.Nf3 RdS ? ! 20.NgS
On the surface this move serves the dual purpose of defending the
queen while threatening mate, but White 's main obj ective is to create
and exploit the weak pawn on e6.
20 h6 2 1 .Nxe6 fxe6 22 .Qe2 ReS 23 .Be3 RefS 24.g3 Bxg3 2S.fxg3
..
Qxg3 26.Qg2 Rf3 27.Qxg3 Rxg3 28.Bxa7 RfS 29.Kh2 Rd3 30.Rad l
Rdf3 3 1 .Rgl RaS 32 .Bd4 eS 33 .Kg2 Rf6 34.Be3 Rxa2 3S.Bc1 e4
3 6.Rd8+ Kh7 37.Re l Rf3 38.c4 Rc3 39.Rd4 Rc2+
Black does well to get both rooks to the second rank, but there simply
is no mating net to be found.
40.Kf1 Rh2 4 1 .Rdxe4 Ra l 42.Kgl Rc2 43.Bd2 Rxe l + 44.Bxe l Rxb2
4S.Bc3 Rb3 46.Re3 bS 47.cS b4 48.Bd4 Rb l + 49.Kg2 b3 SO.Re7 b2
S 1 .Rxg7+ 1-0
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 53
26.h3 ! ? sufficiently defends against the back rank mate and allows
White to keep his pieces poised for attack after 26 . . . Qe8 27.Bd8.
26... Be8?
Black in tum should press his attack with 26 . . . Qa l 27.Qh6 Nxc3
28.Nxc6 (threatening 29.Ne 7+ Kh8 30. Qf8#) Ne2+ 29.Kfl Qxc l +
30.Qxc l Nxc l .
27.Qh6 Qa4 28.Qd2 Qa7 29.h4 Qe7 3 0.Qh6 b4 3 1 .cxb4 Qxb4 32.NO
c3 33.bxc3 Qxc3 34.Bd2 Qal + 3S.Kh2 Qa7 36.NgS Nf6
54 THE DOGS OF WAR
White did not defend the g4 square on the previous move with 3 6.Ne5
and it is mandatory that he do so now with 37 .Bf3 . Instead he blunders.
37.Bf4 ? ? Ng4+ 0-1
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g 6 3.e3 d5 4.Nbd2 Bg7 5.Bd3 0-0 6.0-0 N c 6 7.c3
Re8 8.e4 e5 9.dxe5 Nxe5 1 0.Nxe5
The knight which started out grimly has finessed its way onto an
imposing square on e5 . White quickly removes this annoying piece.
10 Rxe5 1 1 .f4 Re8 1 2.e5 Ng4 1 3.Nf3 c5 1 4.h3 Nh6 1 5.Be3 c4 1 6.Bc2
..
Bf5 1 7.Bd4 Bxc2 1 8.Qxc2 Nf5 1 9.Rae l Ng3 20.Rfl as 2 1 .Kh2 Ne4
22.Rfe2 b5 23.Nd2 Nxd2 24.Qxd2 Qd7 25.Qe3 b4 26.Qf3 Rab8
27.g4 bxc3 28.Qxc3 a4 29.Rf2 Qc7 3 0.Kh l Bf8 3 1 .Qf3 Be7 32.Rfe2
Bb4 33.Rfl Qc6 34.f5 Rf8? 35.Qe3
Passive play by Black allows White to take the initiative.
35 .. Bc5 36.Qh6
Threatening 37.f6 and mate on g7.
36 ... Rfe8 37.e6 ! f6 38.fxg6 Rb7 39.Rxf6 Rg7 40.gxh7+ Kh8 4 1 .e7!
1-0
4 1 .e7 Qxf6 42.Bxf6 Rexe7 43 .Rxe7 and mate next move.
Practical PIt!) in The Colle System 55
1.d4 Nf6 2.NfJ d S 3.e3 e 6 4.Nbd2 c S S.c3 Nc6 6.Bd3 Be7 7.0-0 0-0
8.NeS NxeS 9.dxeS Nd7 1 0.NfJ f6 1 l . exf6 Bxf6 1 2.Qc2 h6 13.Re 1
eS 1 4.e4
The simple answer to Black's premature pawn advance is to strike
back in the center with e4.
14 .. c4?
If 14 . . . d4 then 1 5 .b4 attacks the pawn chain at its base.
l S.Bn Nb6 1 6.Be3 Qd6
16 . . . Bg4 ! ? is an interesting alternative for Black in an effort to slow
White 's attack after 1 7.exd5 Bxf3 1 8 .gxf3 Qxd5 .
17.Rad 1
" ' Come, Watson, come ! ' he cried. 'The game is afoot. Not a
word ! Into your clothes and come ! ' "
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.e3 Bg7 4.Bd3 0-0 S.O-O d6 6.b3 Nbd7 7.Bb2 b6
S.Nbd2 Bb7 9.c4 cS 1 0.dS eS
Black adopts an unusual defense with both bishops fianchettoed and
pawns on . . . c5 and . . . e5 .
1 l .Ne4 Nxe4 1 2 .Bxe4 fS 1 3.Bc2 Nf6 1 4.Nd2 NhS I S .e4 f4 1 6.Nf3
BcS I 7.Bd3 Bg4 I S.Be2 Bxf3
The pawn structure dictates the course of any game. In this game, the
pawn structure severely limits the scope of the bishops (especially
White 's). Black has the only "good" bishop, but he improvidently
trades it off.
1 9.Bxf3 Nf6 20.g4 gS 2 1 .Kg2 Kfi 22.Rh l RhS 23.h3 QeS 24.Qe2
Ke7 2S.a4 hS 26.Rh2 hxg4 27.hxg4 Rxh2+ 2S.Kxh2 Qg6 29.Rh l
RhS+ 30.Kgl Rxh l + 3 1 .Bxh l Nd7 %-%
l .d4 dS 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 BfS 4.Nbd2 e 6 S.Be2 B e 7 6.0-0 Nbd7 7.Re l
a6 S.c3 0-0 9.Nfl cS 1 0.Ng3 Bg6 1 l .Nh4 Be4 1 2 .f3 Bg6 1 3 .Nxg6
fxg6 1 4.Bd3
Prevented from playing a main line, White adapts to the moves being
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 59
made over the board and incorporates the thematic maneuvers inherent
in the Colle System.
14 QeS l S.e4 c4 1 6.Bc2 Qfi 1 7.eS NeS l S.Rfl KhS 1 9.Be3 Bh4
.
An unusual and unorthodox defense works well for Black in this game.
Even though he misses some devastating shots, he does manage to
bring home the upset win.
1.d4 dS 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 cS 4.c3 Nc6 S.Bd3 cxd4 6.exd4 Bd6 7.0-0
Qc7 S.Re1 Bd7 9.h3 Nge7 1 0.a3 h6 1 1 .Nbd2 gS 1 2.Nfl f6 1 3.Ne3 hS
14.c4 g4 l S.hxg4 hxg4 1 6.Nxg4 0-0-0 1 7.Nxf6 Nxd4 l S.Nxd4 BeS?
19.Nf3 ?
White can keep the initiative with 1 9.Nxd7 Bxd4 20.Qg4 Qh2+
2 1 .Kfl .
19 ... Bxf6 20.cxdS NxdS 2 1 .Re4 eS 22.Bd2 Bc6 23.BgS? Qh7 24.Rh4
Qg7 2S.RxhS RxhS 26.BfS+ KbS 27.Bxf6 Qxf6 2S.Qc2 ? Nf4
29.Rc 1
60 THE DOGS OF WAR
29 .. RgS
Black misses the annihilating 29 . . . Qh6 30.Bh7 (not 30.Kfl Qhl +
31.NgI Qxg2+) 30 . . . Rxh7 3 1 .Qxh7 Qxh7 32.Rxc6 bxc6 33 .NxeS .
30.g4? a6
More to the point would be 30 . . . Rh8 3 1 .QcS Ne2+ 32.Kfl Nxc l .
3 1 .Qe4 Nh3+ 32.Kg2 Nf4+ 33.Kgl BdS 34.Qe3 ? Ne2+ 0-1
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6N 3.e3 Bg7 4.Nbd2 d6 S.Bd3 0-0 6.e3 eS 7.0-0
Nbd7 S.NgS b6 9.e4 exd4 1 0.exd4 Bb7 H.dS
Black's double fianchetto is proving to be a challenging defense for
White to combat. Although White's text move gains space, it places the
center pawns under considerable pressure.
H NeS 1 2.Be2 h6 1 3.Nh3 e6 1 4.dxe6 fxe6 I S.f3
..
RaeS 2 1 .b4 Ned7 22.Bb3 Ne4 23.a4 NdeS 24.bS Bb7 2 S.f4 Nd7
26.Nd4 RfeS 27.fS exfS? 2S.exfS
White has regained the initiative.
2S .. Nf8 29.fxg6+ Nxg6 30.NfS NgeS 3 1 .Bxe4 Nxe4 32.QhS Re6
33.Ng4 ? ?
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 61
1 4.Qb3 ReS 1 5.Re2 Ned5 1 6.Rfe l Nxe3 1 7.Rxe3 Rxe3 I S.Qxe3 Qd7
1 9.Qb3 Dd5 20.Qe2 Db7 2 1 .Qb3 Dd5 22.De4 Db7 23.d5 Ne4 24.Qd3
Ne5 25.Dxe5 dxe5 26.e4 Qd6 27.Rel De5 2S.g3 DeS 29.Nxe5 Qxe5
30.f4 Qf6 3 1 .e5 Qg7 32.d6 Df5 33.Qdl
33 .. e6?
Black hallucinates in an equal position. 33 . . . exd6 34.Qxd6 g5 (34. . . Re8
35. Qc 7 Be6 36.Bxe6Jxe6 3 7. Qc6 and White 's advantage is lessened.)
3 5 . fxg5 Qxg5 36.e6 fxe6 37.Bxe6+ Bxe6 maintains equality.
34.g4 g5 35.gxf5 gxf4+ 36.Kh l KhS 37.f6 Qg5 3S.d7 RgS
3 S . . . RdS 3 9.Bd3 f3 40.Qxf3 h5 4 1 .Rg l Qxe5 42.Qg2 Qxf6 43 .Qe2
Qh6 44.Qe5+ f6 45.Qxe6 RfS 46.QeS f5 47.dSQ Qc6+ 4S .bxc6 RxeS
49.Qxe8+ Kh7 50.Qxh5#.
39.Rgl Qxe5
39 . . . Qg6 40.Rxg6 fxg6 4 1 .d8Q g5 42.Bxe6 Rxd8 43 .Qxd8#.
40.RxgS+ KxgS 4 1 .dSR# 1-0
From a practical point of view Black does very well with this unorthodox
flank opening. He does exactly what a player ofthe Black pieces should
be doing in order to win a game - he gets White out of his book early.
Theoretically White should have no problem meeting this line of play,
but he fails to correctly assess the position and his passive play allows
Black to build a positional advantage.
l .d4 a6 2.NfJ h6 3.e3 b5 4.Dd3 Db7 5.Nbd2 e6 6.e4 e5 7.e3 g5 S.h3
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 63
Black's queen and bishop battery on the a8-h 1 diagonal along with his
pawns on fS and g4 powerfully control the light squares.
25.Bd3 Nf4 26.Bfl Nh3+ 27.Kh l g3 28.fxg3 Rxg3 29.Nf3 ? Rhg8
After 29 . . . Rxf3 30.dS (If30.gxj3 Qxj3 + 31.Bg2 Nj2+) 30 . . . Qb6 Black
has more threats than White can deal with.
30.Kh2
30.Qe3 f4 3 1 .dS QxdS 32.Qd4 Rxf3 33 .Rc2 does not slow down
Black's attack.
30 .. Qe4 3 1 .Rel Qg4 32.Re2 Nf4
64 THE D OGS OF WAR
32 . . . Rxf3 leads to mate after 3 3 .c4 Qxh4 34.Qb4+ Ke8 3 S . Qe7+ Kxe7
36.Re4 Qg3+ 3 7.Kh l Rxfl + 3 8 .Rxfl Qxg2#.
33.Rfl Bxf3 34.gxf3
34.Kg l leads to mate after 34 . . . Nh3+ 3 S .Kh2 Nxf2 36.Qxf2 Bxg2
37.Qb2 Rh3+ 38.Kg l Bxfl + 39.Kf2 Qg3+ 40.Kxfl Qg l + 4 1 .Ke2
Rg2#.
34 ... Qh3+! ! 35.Bxh3 0-1
3 1 .Re l
An interesting line is 3 1 .Nd4 Bc8 32.Qxf6 Bxf6? 3 3 .Nxb3 Re4 34.Be3
and White has regained his piece while keeping his additional pawns.
But Black can keep the position equal by playing 32 . . . Qb2 3 3 . Qc6 Rf8
34.Be3 Bxd4.
31 Qc4 32.Qxc4 Bxc4 33.Rxe8+ Nxe8 34.Ne5 Bxe5 35.Bxe5+
With queens off the board White's three pawns to Black's knight is
not enough to win the game because the bishops of opposite color will
make it difficult for White to queen a pawn.
35 Kg8 3 6.f4 Kfi 37.Kf2 Ke6 3 8.Ke3 Bd5 39.g4 Nf6 40.Bxf6 Kxf6
4 1 .Kd4 Bc6 42.a5 h6 43.a6 Ke6 44.a7 Bb7 45.Kc4 Bc6 46.Kb4
Kd5?
With proper endgame technique, Black can draw the game with 46 . . .
g 5 47.fxg5 (lf4 7.f5+ Kd5 48f6 Ke6 49.Ka5 Kxf6 50.Kb6 Ba8 51.Kc 7
Ke6 52.Kb8) 4 7 . . . hxg5 48.Kc4 Ke5 .
47.h4 Ke4 48.g5 h5 49.Ka5 Kxf4 50.Kb6 Ba8 5 1 .c6 1-0
White will queen a pawn after 5 1 . . . Kg3 52.c7 Kxh4 53 .c8Q.
l .d4
In this position Black could play the prosaic 1 . . .d5 or 1 . . .Nf6, but (we
66 THE DOGS OF WAR
can only assume) Black is bound and determined to get White out of
his book early.
1 h6 2.e3 gS 3 .Bd3 Nf6 4.Nd2 dS S.h3 eS 6.e3 e4 7.Be2 Bd7 S.Ndf3
..
Black is playing sharply on the queenside and can get a passed pawn if
he plays 1 3 . . .Nb4 1 4.Bb l Nd3+ 1 5 .Bxd3 cxd3 .
1 4.NeS Nb4 I S.Nxd7 Nxd7 1 6.Ne2 ?
16 . Nxe2+? !
1 6 . . . Nd3+ and Black is winning after 1 7.Bxd3 cxd3 1 8 .Ng3 Nb6
1 9.Rb l Nc4.
1 7.Qxe2 Ba3 I S.Bxa3 Qxa3 1 9.Rb l 0-0 20.0-0 Nb6 2 1 .f4 Na4
22.fxgS hxgS 23.Qd2 Rb2 24.Rxb2 Qxb2 2S.Qxb2 Nxb2 26.Rb l
RbS 27.a3 ?
This move relinquishes control of the important b3 square. Black does
not hesitate to take advantage of this oversight.
27 .. Rb3 2S.Kh2 Nd3 29.Ral Rb2 30.Ng3 Re2 3 1 .e4 Rxe3
3 1 . . .Nf4 is a more efficient way to take advantage of White 's plight
after 32.Rg l Rxc3 3 3 .Rfl Rxa3 34.exd5 exd5 3 5 .Rf2.
32 .exdS exdS 33 .NfS Rb3 34.Ne7+ Kg7 3S.NxdS e 3 36.Nb4? Nxb4
37.axb4 Rxb4 3S.Rc 1 Re4 39.Kg3 as 40.dS ? ! e2 4 1 .Kf3 Kf6 42.Ke3
KeS 43.Kd2 KxdS 44.Rxe2 Rxe2+ 4S.Kxe2 Ke4 0-1
Practical PIt!) in The Colle System 67
l .d4 Nf6 2.NO e6 3.e3 cS 4.c3 Nc6 S.Bd3N cxd4 6.exd4 Ne7 7.0-
o Ng6 S.NeS Qc7 9.f4 b6 1 0.Nd2 Bb7 H .NdO Bd6 1 2.NgS Rf8?
13.Qe2
An interesting idea is 1 3 .Nxh7 ! ? Nxh7 1 4.Nxg6 fxg6 1 5 .Bxg6+ Kd8
1 6.Bxh7 g5 .
13 ... Nh4 1 4.Ne4 Nxe4 I S.Bxe4 f6?
Unnecessarily weakening the pawn shield protecting the Black king.
Better would have been 1 5 . . . Bxe4 ! ? 1 6.Qxe4 O----(k) .
1 6.Bxb7 Qxb7 1 7.QhS+ 1-0
If 1 7 . . . Ng6 1 8 .Qxh7.
l.d4 cS 2.e3 g6 3.NO Nf6 4.Bd3 Bg7 S.O--O cxd4 6.exd4 0--0 7.b3
dS S.Bb2 Nc6 9.a3 a6 1 0.Nbd2 bS H .NeS Qc7 1 2.f4 e6 13.Rn Nd7
14.Rh3 fS I S.NdO NdxeS 1 6.fxeS Bb7? 1 7.NgS RaeS? I S.Nxh7 Rti
19.NgS Rfe7 20.Qel BhS 2 1 .Qh4 1-0
l .d4 b6 2.NO e6 3.Nbd2 Bb7 4.e3 Nf6 S.Bd3 dS 6.0--0 cS 7.b3 Nc6
S.c3 Be7 9.Rel cxd4 1 0.exd4 0-0 H .Nfl ReS 1 2.Qc2 QcS 13.BgS
Ba6 1 4.NeS Bxd3 I S.Qxd3 Ne4 1 6.Bxe7 Nxe7 1 7.c4 Nf6 IS.Rac1
68 THE DOGS OF WAR
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 c5 4.Bd3 d5 5.c3 b6 6.0-0 Bd6 7.Nbd2 Bb7
8.Rel 0-0 9.e4 dxe4 1 0.Nxe4 cxd4 1 l .Nxf6+ Qxf6 l 2.Bg5 Bxf3
Practical PI'!) in The CoJie stem 69
13.Bxf6?
White throws away the advantage when he should be calmly sidestepping
the threat to his own queen with 1 3 .Qd2 Bf4 (Not 13 . . . dxc3 1 4. bxc3)
1 4.Bxf4.
13 . BxdI 1 4.Bxd4?
White has lost a piece and with it the game.
14 Ba4 I S.Be4 Bc6 1 6.Rad l Bxe4 1 7.Rxe4 Be7 I S.Rg4 f6 1 9.h4
..
Nc6 20.Be3 RadS 2 1 .Re1 NeS 22.Rg3 Kfi 23.f4 Nc4 24.Bc 1 BcS+
2S.Kfl Rd7 26.b3 Nd2+ 27.Ke2 Ne4 2S.Rf3 RfdS 29.b4 Nxc3+
30.Kfl Bxb4 3 1 .a3 BaS 32.fS exfS 33.Bb2 Na4 34.Re2 Rd l + 3S.Kf2
Nxb2 36.Rxb2 RSd2+ 37.Rxd2 Rxd2+ 3S.Kg3 g6 39.hS Rc2 40.Rd3
Rc3 0-1
1 6.Bxe6
White begins to rip open Black's fragile defenses.
1 6...bxe6 1 7.Bg5 Ne7? 1 8.Qa4 e5 1 9.Rac 1 Rd5 20.Bf4 Qb6 2 1 .Re3
l .d4 Nf6 2.e3 e6 3.Bd3 b6 4.NfJ Bb7 5.Nbd2 e5 6.e3 Ne6 7.0-0 Be7
8.Re 1 Re8 9.b3 exd4 1 0.exd4 0-0 1 l .Ne4 Nd5 1 2.e4 Ndb4 1 3.Bb 1 d5
1 4.Neg5 h6 1 5.a3 Na6?
The dangerous knight must be removed with 1 5 . . . hxg5 .
1 6.Qd3 f5
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 71
1 7 Qd6 1 8.Bf4 Qd7 1 9.NxfB RxfB 20.Ne5 Qe6 2 1 .Bc2 Nxe5 22.Rxe5
.
Qf6 23.Rxf5 Qxf5 24.Qxf5 Rxf5 25.Bxf5 Kf7 26.Bd3 Bf6 27.cxd5
Bxd4 28.Rd l Bf6 29.d6 Nc5 30.Bc4+ Ke8 3 1 .Rel + Kd8 32 .Bb5 Be4
33.b4 Bc3
In a lost position, Black makes a desperate attempt to harass the rook,
but instead walks right into mate.
34.Re2 Bd3 35.Re8# 1-0
Shupe - Boroviak
Postal Game, 1 975
l .d4 d5 2.NfJ Nf6 3.e3 Bf5 4.Bd3 e6 5.c4 c6 6.Bxf5 exf5 7.0-0 dxc4
8.Nc3 b5 9.Qc2 g6 1 0.a4 Qb6 1 l .e4 fxe4? 1 2 .Nxe4 Nd5 1 3 .Rel Be7
1 4.Nd6+ Kd7 1 5.Nxti Re8 1 6.Qe4 Kc7 1 7.Qe5+ Kd7 1 8.Bg5 Na6
1 9.Qe6+ Kc7 20.Bxe7 1-0
White flushes the king out and will finish the game off nicely with
20 . . . Rxe7 2 1 .Qd6+ Kb7 22.Rxe7+ Nac7 23 .a5 .
72 THE D O G S OF WAR
I .Nf3 d5 2.d4 e6 3.e3 Nf6 4.Bd3 Bg4 5.Nbd2 e6 6.h3 Bh5 7.e3
Nbd7 8.Qe2 Bg6N 9.0-0 Be7 1 0.ReI Bxd3 1 l .Qxd3 0-0 1 2.e4 dxe4
1 3 .Nxe4 Nxe4 1 4.Qxe4 Nf6 1 5.Qe2 Qb6 1 6.Bg5 h6 1 7.Bxf6 Bxf6
1 8.Ne5 Rfd8 1 9.Radl Rd5 20.b4 Rad8 2 1 .f4 Bxe5 Yz-Yz
Clayton, E. - Eberly, T.
Ellensburg, 200 1
l .d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 b6 4.Nbd2 Bb7 5.b3 e6 6.Bb2 Nbd7 7.Bd3 Be7
8.e4 Re8 9.0-0 e5 1 0.Rel dxe4 1 l .bxe4 exd4 1 2 .exd4 Bb4 1 3 .a3
A better tactical shot for White is 1 3 .Qa4 ! ? Bd6 1 4.Ba3 .
13 .. Bxf3 1 4.Nxf3
Loses the exchange. 1 4.gxf3 ! ? at least maintains material equality after
1 4 . . . Bd6 1 5 .Ne4.
14 BxeI 1 5.Qxel 0-0 1 6.Qd2 Qe7 1 7.Rc 1 Rfd8 1 8.Qe2 h6 1 9.Ne5
..
Nf8 ? !
Black can keep the pressure o n with 1 9 . . . Nxe5 20.dxe5 Nd7.
20.e5 Nd5 2 1 .Ba6 Rb8 22.Bb5? bxe5 23 .Qxe5 Qa5
Black can also win with 23 . . . Qb7 24.a4 a6 25 .Nc6 axb5 26.Nxd8 Rxd8
27.axb5 .
24.Ne6 Qxb5 25.Qxb5 Rxb5 26.Re2 Re8 0-1
If 27.Kfl then 27 . . . Rb6.
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 73
0-0 1 l .NbS Be7 1 2 .Bb4 Qd8 1 3.Bxe7 Qxe7 1 4.Nc3 Rd8N I S.Na4 b6
1 6.Nxc6 Nxc6?
Black misses 1 6 . . . Qc7 1 7.Qc3 ( 1 7.NxdS Qxc l + I S.Ke2 (1 8. Qdl Qc 7)
I S . . . Bc2) 1 7 . . . Ne4 which would leave White's pieces awkwardly
placed.
1 7.Rxc6 Bd7 1 8.Re I Ne4 1 9.Nc3 Rac8 20.Ba6
20 .. Rxc3
Sacrificing the exchange for a kings ide attack does not give Black the
attacking chances for which he was hoping. A more promising way to
take advantage of the uncastled king would be 20 . . . Qh4 ! ? 2 1 .Rc2 RbS
22.Qxd5 Ba4 23.Qxe4 Qxe4 24.Nxe4 Bxc2.
2 1 .bxc3 QgS 22.Bfl Re8 23.h4 Qh6 24.Rc2 BfS 2S.BbS Rd8 26.Rb2
Qg6 27.0-0 Qh6 28.Qa3 gS ? 29.hxgS NxgS 3 0.Qe7 NfJ+ 3 1 .gxfJ
Qg6+ 32.Kh2
74 THE DOGS OF WAR
32 .. Qh6+?
32 . . . Qh5+ and Black can squeak out a draw after 3 3 .Kg3 (33.KgJ
Qg6+) 33 . . . Rd6 34.QeB+ Kg7 3 5 .Qe5+ KgB 36.Qxd6 Qh3+ 3 7 .Kf4
Qh2+ 3 B .Kg5 Qxd6 39.Kxf5 Qg6+ 40.Ke5 Qe6+ 4 1 .Kf4 Qf6+ 42.Kg4
Qg6+ 43 .Kh4 Qh6+ 44.Kg3 Qg6+ 45.Kh2 Qh6+ 46.Kg2 Qg6+ 47.Kh3
Qe6+ 4B.Kg3 Qg6+ 49.Kh4 Qh6+ 50.Kg4 Qg6+ 5 1 .Kh4.
33.Kg3 Rd6 34.Qe8+ Kg7 35.Qe5+ Rf6 36.Kg2 Kg8 37.Qb8+ Kg7
38.Qh2 1-O
l .d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3 .Bd3 g6 4.NfJ Bg7 5.0-0 0-0 6.e4 e6 7.Ne3 h6 8.b4
Be6 9.e5
This King's Indian setup by Black adequately defends against a direct
kings ide attack, so White shifts his forces to the queenside.
9 Bd7 1 0.a4 as 1 l .b5 exb5 1 2 .Nxb5 b6 1 3 .Ba3 Na6? 1 4.Rb l bxe5
.
1 5.dxe5 Re8 1 6.Ne5 Re8 1 7.Rc 1 Nb8 1 8.Nxd7 Qxd7 1 9.Nd4 Re7?
20.Bb5 Ne6 2 1 .Bxe6 Rxe6 22.Nxe6 Qxe6 23 .Qb3 Ne4 24.Qb5 Qa8
25.e6 Ng5? 26.Qb7 1-0
26.c7 also wins easily after 26 . . . RcB 27.Rc6.
Practical PltfY in The Cof/e System 75
l .d4 dS 2.Nf3 b6 3.e3 Bb7 4.Bd3 eS S.e3 e6 6.Nbd2 Be7 7.0-0 Nd7
8.Re l gS
9.BbS
Rather than answering this flank attack with an advance in the center
(9.e4), White finds a clever combination that turns . . . g5 into a true
gambit. (For more on the . . . g5 gambit, see our chapter in this book, "A
Bust to the Colle?" .)
9 a6 1 0.Bxd7+ Qxd7 1 l .NeS Qe7 1 2 .QhS Bd6 1 3.QxgS BxeS
..
1 4.QxeS QxeS I S.dxeS Ne7 1 6.e4 Rg8 1 7.exdS NxdS 1 8.Ne4 Be6
1 9.e4 Nb4 2 0.Nf6+ Ke7 2 1 .Nxg8+ Rxg8 22.g3 Ne2 23.Be3 Bf3 24.h4
Re8 2S.BgS+ Ke8 26.Rac 1 Nxe1 27.Rxel Re7 28.Re3 Be6 29.Rd3
Rd7 3 0.Rxd7 Kxd7 3 1 .Kfl Be4 %-%
White was never in any danger of losing this game and maintained
a persistent advantage throughout. Bishops of opposite color and a
relatively symmetrical pawn structure made it difficult for White to
tum his advantage into a win.
23 .Qe4
23 .Qd4 Rg8 24.Qxd5 Bxf5 25.Qxa8+ Kg7 26.Qxg8+ Kxg8 27.cxb6
Kg7 28.b7 Kf6 29.b8Q Bc8 30.Re8 Be6 3 1 .Qd8+ Kf5 32.Qd3+ Kf6
3 3 . Qd4+ Kg6 34.Rg8+ KhS 3 S .BxgS hxgS 36.Qh8#.
23 .. Be6 24.c4
24.QeS Rh7 2S.Qd6+ Kg8 26.Rxe6 fxe6 27.Qxe6+ Kf8 28.QxdS Re8
29.Qd6+ Kg8 30.Qg6+ Kf8 3 1 .Qxh7 Re2 32.Qg7+ Ke8 3 3 .Nd6+ Kd8
34.Qf8+ Kd7 3 S .Qc8+ Ke7 36.Qe8+ Kf6 37.Qf7+ KeS 3 8 .QfS#.
24 . ReS 25.cxd5 Bd7 26.Ne7
26.Qxe8+ Bxe8 27.cxb6 Bc6 28.dxc6 Kg8 29.Re8+ Kh7 30.Rxh8+
Kxh8 3 1 .b7 Kh7 32.b8Q Kg6 3 3 .c7 g4 34.Ne7+ Kf6 3 S .c8Q hS
36.Qxa6+ Kg7 37.Qg8#.
26 .. bxc5 27.d6
27.QeS Rh7 28.Qd6 Kg7 29.Qxd7 Rhh8 30.NfS+ Kg6 3 1 .Rxe8 Rxe8
32.Qxe8 as 3 3 .Qg8+ KxfS 34.Qxf7+ KeS 3 S . Qe6+ Kd4 36.Qe4#.
27 .. Be6 2S.Be3
28 .QeS Rh7 29.Qf6 Ra8 30.Rxe6 Ke8 3 1 .Ng6+ Kd7 32.NeS+ Kc8
3 3 .Re8+ Kb7 34.Qe7+ Kb6 3 S . Qc7#.
2S .. c4 29.Rac1
29.Bd4 g4 30.QeS Rh7 3 1 .Ng6+ Kg8 32.d7 Rd8 3 3 .Qf6 Rxd7 34.Rxe6
Re7 3 S .Rxe7 gxf3 36.Re8#.
Practical Plc!y in The Colle System 77
1 7.Qxe4 ?
Better for White would be to keep the queens on the board with
l 7.fxe4 ! ? Rxfl + l 8 .Qxfl .
17 .. cxd5 1 8.Qxd5+
The exchange of queens is virtually forced as after l 8.NxdS BfS 1 9.Qc4
Be6 White has to be concerned with his weak pawn on f3 and pinned
knight on dS .
18 ... Qxd5 1 9.Nxd5 Be6?
78 THE DOGS OF WAR
With 1 9 . . . Bh3 Black can maintain his advantage after 20.Rf2 Rad8 .
20.Ne7
This move initiates a series of exchanges that allows White to
equalize.
20 Be4 2 1 .NxaS Bxfl 22.Kxfl RxaS 23 .Be3 ReS 24.Rc 1 Rxc 1 +
..
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nt1 eS 3.e3 dS 4.e3 Nbd7 S.Bd3 g6 6.0-0 Bg7 7.Nbd2
0-0
Black sets up a Benoni Defense.
S.e4 dxe4 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 1 0.Bxe4 Nf6 1 1 .Be2 Bg4 1 2.dxeS Qe7 1 3 .Be3
RfdS 1 4.Qe2 Nd7 1 S.Bd4
Loses a tempo.
IS .. eS
Black does not have to trade bishops, but rather goes for the win of the
c5 pawn.
1 6.Be3 NxeS 1 7.h3 Be6 1 S.Rad l Rxd l 1 9.Rxd l Bxa2
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 79
20.Qb5 b6 2 1 .b3
Trapping the bishop.
2 1 ...e4 22.Nd4 Ne6? 23 .Nxe6 fxe6 24.e4
White chooses not to go after the trapped piece directly with 24.Qa4 ! ?
and after Qxc3 2 5 .Qxa2 Qc6 White i s winning.
24 ... Qe5 25.Qxe5
25.Qd7 would put pressure on the Black king after 25 . . . Qf6 26.Bd4.
25 ... Bxe5 26.Bd4
26.Rd7 ! ! (Mingos).
26 ...Bxd4 27.Rxd4 a5 28.Rxe4 a4
Black offers a pawn to free the trapped bishop.
29.bxa4 Re8 30.Bd3 Kti 3 1 .Kfl Bb3 32.Rh4 Kg7 33.Rd4 Bxa4
34.Rd6 Re6 35.Rd7+ Kh6 3 6.g4 Bb3 ?
37.Rd4
White has a winning advantage after 37.f4 Rc5 3 8.Kf2 Bxc4 39.Bxc4
and Black cannot recapture with 39 . . . Rxc4 because of 40.g5+ Kh5
4 1 .Rxh7#.
3 7 ... e5 3 8.Re4 Re5 39.Kg2 g5 40.Kg3 Kg7 4 1 .Kf3 Kf6 42.Ke3 Ba4
43.Kd2 Be6 44.Rel h6 45.Ke3 Bg2 46.Bfl Bxfl 47.Rxfl b5 48.Kb4
Yl-Yl
80 THE DOGS OF WAR
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 cS 3.e3 dS 4.c3 e6 S.Bd3 b6 6.Nbd2 Bb7 7.0-0 Nbd7
8.Re1 Ne4 9.Qc2 Ndf6?
9 . . . f5 is Black's best chance to keep the position level.
1 0.BbS+ Ke7
Interposing with 1 O . . . Nd7 leads to I l .Nxe4 dxe4 1 2 .Ne5 and White
can pile it on with moves like dxc5 followed by Rd l and Qa4.
1 l .NeS Qc7 1 2 .Be2 Kd8 1 3 .f3 Nxd2 14.Bxd2 Bd6 l S.f4 Ne4 1 6.Rac1
f6 1 7.dxcS bxcS 1 8.Nf3 gS 1 9.c4 gxf4 20.cxdS BxdS 2 1 .Bd3 ? Nxd2
22.Nxd2 fxe3 23 .Nf3 Rg8 24.Be4 Rg4 2S.BxdS exdS 26.QfS Qd7
27.Qxf6+ Kc7 28.NeS BxeS 29.QxeS+ Kb6
29 . . . Kb7 30.Rxe3 Rag8 3 1 .g3 (31 . Rxc5 Rxg2+ 32.Kfl Qf7+ 33.Rj3
Qxj3 + 34.Kel Qf2+ 35.Kdl Qd2#).
30.Rxe3 R fB 3 1 .Rb3+ Rb4?
IS .. c4
Black cannot go after the pawn on a2 with 1 8 . . . Qxa2 because after
1 9.Ra l Qc4 20.Ra4 Qb5 2 1 .c4 Nb4 22.cxb5 Nxc2 23.Rc l Nb4 24.Rxc5
and White has regained the material.
19.a3 h6 20.Bc1 Qc7 2 1 .Rd4 RfdS 22.Qe2
Attacking the isolated pawn on c4.
22 ... RacS 23 .Rfd l Nf6 24.RxdS+ RxdS 2S.RxdS+ QxdS 2 6.Qxc4
Qdl+ 27.Qfl Qc2 2S.Qel Ne4 29.13 NcS 30.Be3 Nd3 3 1 .Qfl a6
32.h3 Nxb2 33 .Qxa6 Qxc3
Black wins back the pawn, but having nothing better, must allow a
draw by perpetual check.
34.QaS+ Kh7 3S.Qe4+ KgS 36.QaS+ %-%
l.d4 g6 2.Nf3 Bg7 3.e3 Nf6 4.Nbd2 0-0 S.Bd3 d6 6.0-0 ReS 7.e4
Nc6 S.c3 eS 9.dS Ne7 1 0.Rel c6 1 l .c4 cxdS 1 2 .cxdS a6 1 3 .Nfl Bg4
14.Be3 RcS 1 S.N l d2 NhS
Black can liquidate the center with 1 5 . . . Nexd5 ! ? 1 6.exd5 e4 1 7.Nxe4
Nxe4 giving his king bishop control of the long diagonal.
16.h3 Bxf3 1 7.Nxf3
White takes advantage of the opportunity to exchange minor pieces to
relieve his somewhat cramped position.
17 RfB I S.Rc 1 Nf4 1 9.Bb l fS 20.NgS Rf6? 2 1 .Bxf4 exf4 22 .exfS
27.Re7+ Kh6 ? !
27 ... Rf7 is no better after 28.Rxf7+ Kxf7 29.Qxf4+ Kg7 30.Qd4+
Kf7.
2S.g4 Rgs 29.Qxf4 QdS
29 . . . Qc8 Iets White mate after 30.Kh2 Qh8 3 1 .h4 Qe5 32.hxg5+ Qxg5
3 3 . Qf8#.
30.Qti QhS
3 1 .f4
3 1 .Kh2 puts Black in zugzwang. If 3 1 . . . Rxg4 32.hxg4 Kg5 and mate
is not far off.
3 1 ...Rxds 32.Qxds 1-0
32 . . . Qe5 3 3 .g5+ Qxg5+ 34.Qxg5#.
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 Bb7 s.Nbd2 cs 6.c3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7
S.Qe2 Qc7 9.dxcs bxcs 1 0.e4 dsN H .es Nd7 1 2 .Rel 0-0 1 3 .Nfl
RfdS 1 4.h4 NfS I s .Ngs d4 1 6.Nh2 ? dxc3 1 7.bxc3 Nxes ! I S.Bf4
If 1 8.Qxe5 Bd6 and Black relieves White of his wayward knight.
IS . Bd6 1 9.Bxh7+? Nxh7 20.Nxh7
White presses a very risky kingside attack.
20 .. Kxh7?
Black could test White's defenses with 20 . . . Qc6 2 1 .f3 Nd3 (21 . . . Kxh 7?!
22.Bxe5 Bxe5 23. Qxe5; 21 . . . Ba6) 22.Qxd3 Bxf4 23.Qb l Bd2 24.Ng5
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 83
l .d4 fS 2.e3 Nf6 3 .Nf3 g6 4.Bd3 Bg7 S.Nbd2 dS 6.0-0 0-0 7.c4 c6
S.NeS Be6 9.b3 Nbd7 1 0.f4
Black has taken extreme measures to stop White's intended kingside
attack. White employs Colle 's country cousin, the Stonewall, to bolster
the center.
1 0 Ne4 1 l .Ndf3 Ndf6 1 2 .cS Qc7 1 3.Qel NhS 14.Bd2 Bf6 I S.Rc 1
..
23 . Bxe5 24.dxe5
24.fxe5 avoids the ensuing combination.
24.. Nxc3 25.Rxc3 d4 26.exd4 Bd5+ 27.Kf2 Bxh l 2S.Qxh l RadS
Now that Black is up the exchange, will he find a way to activate his
rooks?
29.Ke3 Qd7 30.Nb3 Kg6 3 1 .Bc4 e6 32.h4 gxh3 33 .Qxh3
The pawn on d4 is a natural target for Black to attack, but it is sufficiently
defended. After this exchange, Black is given a new target to attack and
all the pieces gravitate to the kingside.
33 Qe7 34.Rcl RhS 35.Rhl Rh6 3 6.Nd2 RdhS 37.Nf3 Kfi 3S.Nh4
.
79.Rh7+
White 's position is desperate. Any other move for White leads to 79 . . .
Rd2+ 80.Qxd2 Rxf3+ 8 1 .Ke2 Qfl #.
79 Kxh7 80.NgS+ Kg6
.. 8 1 .Qxh3 Rd2+ 82.Ke3 Qel + 83.Kf3
Rd3+? !
83 . . . Qf2#.
84.Kg2 Qe2+ 8S.Kgl Rd l + 0-1
86.Qfl Rxfl #.
l .d4 dS 2.e3 Nf6 3 .Bd3 Bg4 4.Nf3 Ne4 S.c4 e6 6.Qa4+ c6 7.NeS hS
8.cxdS exdS 9.Qb3 QaS+ 1 0.Kf1 Bc8 1 1 .Bxe4 dxe4 1 2.Qxti+ Kd8
1 3 .Ng6 QbS+ 14.Kgl Qe2 I S .Nd2 b6 1 6.NxfB Qel+ 1 7.Nfl Ba6
1 8.Ne6+ Kc8 1 9.Qc7# 1-0
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g 6 3 .e3 Bg7 4.Nbd2 N c 6 S.c3 0-0 6.e4 d6 7.Bd3 e S
8.dS Ne7 9.0-0 c6 1 0.c4 B d 7 11 .a4 Q c 7 1 2 .dxc6 bxc6 13.b4 Rab8
1 4.Rb l dS I S.cxdS cxdS 1 6.Ba3 dxe4 1 7.Nxe4 Nxe4 1 8.Bxe4 BfS
1 9.Rc 1 Qb6 20.Rel Bxe4 2 1 .Rxe4 fS 22.Qb3+ Kh8 23.RxeS Nc6
24.Re6 Nd4 2S.Rxb6 Nxb3 26.Rxb8 Rxb8 27.Rc7 a6 28.Rc6 Ra8
29.g3 Nd4 30.Nxd4 Bxd4 3 1 .Bc1 Ra7 32.Bd2 Kg7 33.Bc3 Bxc3
34.Rxc3 Kf6 3S.Rb3 Rc7 36.bS as 37.Kf1 KeS 38.Ke2 Kd6 39.Kd3
KcS 40.Rc3+ 1-0
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g 6 3 .e3 Bg7 4.Bd3 0-0 S . O-O d6 6.Nbd2 Nc6 7.e4 e S
8.c3 Bg4 9.h3 B d 7 1 0.a3 N h S 1 1 .dS Ne7 1 2 .Rel c 6 1 3 .c4 Nf4 14.Nfl
Nxd3 I S.Qxd3 cxdS 1 6.cxdS Rc8 1 7.Bd2 fS 1 8.Ng3 Qb6 1 9.Be3
fxe4 20.Nxe4 Qc7 2 1 .Rac 1 Qb8 22.BgS Rce8 23 .Rc3 BfS 24.Nfd2
bS 2S.Rec 1 Rti 26.Bxe7 Rfxe7 27.g4 Bxe4 28.Nxe4 Rfi 29.Qc2 BfB
30.Rc7 Rf4 3 1 .NgS Be7 32.Rc8 Rxc8 33.Qxc8+ Qxc8 34.Rxc8+ RfB
3S.RxfB+ BxfB 36.Ne6 as 37.gS Bg7 38.Nxg7 Kxg7 39.Kfl
88 THE DOGS OF WAR
The White pawns on d5 and g5 make it impossible for Black to get his
king past his second rank and as a result, White will win the race to the
queenside.
39 h6 40.h4 hxgS 4 1 .hxgS Kfi 42.Ke2 Ke7 43.Kd3 Kd7 44.a4
..
1-0
White wins after 44 . . . bxa4 45.Kc4 and the pawn on a5 cannot be
protected.
l .d4 Nf6 2.NfJ g6N 3.e3 Bg7 4.Nbd2 0-0 S.Be2 d6 6.0-0 Nbd7 7.c4
cS S.b3 cxd4 9.Nxd4 a6 1 0.Qc2 NcS 1 l .Bb2 eS 1 2 .N4fJ BfS 1 3.Qc3
RcS 1 4.Rad l e4 I S.Nd4 NeS 1 6.Qc2 QgS 1 7.NxfS gxfS I S.Bxg7
Nxg7 1 9.Nb l f4 20.RdS
White begins to pressure Black's overextended position. Of course, the
pawn on d6 is immune for the moment because of 20.Rxd6 f3 2 1 .Bxf3
exf3 22.g3 Qh5 .
20 fS 2 1 .exf4 Qxf4 22.Nc3 Rf6 23.Qd2 Qxd2 24.Rxd2 NeS 2 S.NdS
..
Rti?
Practical Plt!Y in The Coffe System 89
1 .d4 dS 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 BfS 4.Bd3 Bxd3 S.Qxd3 c6 6.Nbd2 e6 7.0-0
Bd6 8.Re1 0-0 9.e4 dxe4 1 0.Nxe4 Nxe4 1 l .Rxe4 Nd7 1 2 .Rh4 Nf6
1 3 .BgS h6 14.Bxf6 Qxf6 1 S.Re1 Rfd8 1 6.c3 Rac8 1 7.Qe4 Bb8 1 8.RhS
Qf4 1 9.Rh4 Qxe4 20.Rexe4 cS 2 1 .g3 cxd4 22.Rxd4 bS 23.Kf1 Kf8
90 THE DOGS OF WAR
King and pawn endings are an exact science and if not played precisely,
the slightest inaccuracy can have serious consequences. Black's small
mistake on move 35 makes White 's task easier by bringing the base
of the pawn chain to White, rather than White having to go after the
pawns.
40.Kf6 1-O
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 91
This game between Dick Theroux and the late Denis Barry was sent
to us by Denis' good friend, Scott Knoke.
The isolated a-pawn is White 's Achilles ' heel as all of White 's pieces
are tied down to its defense thereby permitting Black to get a passed
pawn.
27 . c5 28.dxc5 bxc5 29.Ra2 c4 30.Rc3 Bc5 3 1 .Kf2 ?
White is relegated to marking time but 3 1 .Rc2 would at least be a more
efficient way to mark time.
3 1 . g5 !
.
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 93
l.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.e3 b6 4.Bd3 Bb7 5.Nbd2 e6 6.0-0 Be7 7.c3 cxd4
8.exd4 0-0 9.Re1 d6
Black is controlling in true hypermodern fashion, with pawns on b6,
d6 and e6, and the bishop on b7 controls the long diagonal from a
distance.
1 0.Nfl Nbd7 1 1 .Ng3 Re8 1 2 .Bg5
White continues along true classical lines by occupying the center with
pawns and pieces.
12 ...NfS 1 3 .Bb5 N6d7 1 4.Bxe7 Rxe7
Not 14 . . . Qxe7? because of the nifty 1 5 .Nf5 exf5 1 6.Rxe7 Rxe7 1 7.Qd2
and White comes out ahead in material with a queen for rook and
knight.
15.Ne4 Qc7 1 6.a4 a6 1 7.Bd3 Ng6 1 8 .Neg5 NdfS 1 9.93 h6 20.Ne4
94 THE D OGS OF WAR
White is enticed into taking the pawn but at the cost of the rook being
sequestered on the h-file.
48 ... Ral + 49.Kg2 Kg7 50.Rh2 Nh7
SO . . . Ng6 allows White to free his rook after S l .Nxg6 Kxg6 52.Rh8.
51 .Nc5 NfB 52.Kh3 Nf5 53 .Rf2
A better plan might be 53 .Ne4 ! ? Ng6 54.Ng4 and White is ready to push
the queenside pawns. {But not 54.Nxg5 Nxe5 55. dxe5 RgJ 56.Nxe6+
Kj7 5 7.Nd8+ Ke8 and White must give up the knight to avoid the mate
on g3.)
53 ... Ne3 54.Kh2 Nfl + 55.Kh3 Ne3 56.Ne4 Nh7 57.b4 Rh l + 58.Rh2
Rgl 59.Rf2 Rh l + 60.Rh2 Rgl
Black has craftily salvaged the game with perpetual check, but White
eschews the half point by playing 6 1 .Ng4.
61 .Ng4 ? ?
The losing move.
61...Nxg4 62.fxg4 Nf6 ! 63.Nxg5 Rg3+ 64.Kh4 Rxg4+ 65.Kh3 Rxg5
66.Rg2 Kg6 67.b5 Ne4 68.Rxg5+ Kxg5 69.Kg2
Obviously the c-pawn is untouchable; its capture will allow the b-pawn
to queen.
69 ...Kg4 70.b6 13+ 7 1 .Kfl Nd6 72.c4 Nb7 73.c5 Na5
The knight is perfectly positioned to halt any further advance of White's
pawns.
74.Kf2 Kf4 75.Kfl Ke3 76.Ke l f2+ 77.Kf1 Kt3
96 THE DOGS OF WAR
White is in zugzwang.
78.b7 Nc4 0-1
Black can allow the pawn to queen because it is too late for White to
avoid the mate after 79.b8(Q) Ne3#.
l .d4 Nf6 2.NO c5 3.e3 b6 4.Bd3 Bb7 5.Nbd2 e6 6.0-0 Be7 7.c3 cxd4
8.exd4 0-0 9.Re l d6 1 0.Nfl Nbd7 1 l .Ng3 Re8 1 2.Qe2 Nf'S 1 3 .Bd2
Qc7 1 4.Radl Ng6 1 5.Bel Bf'S 1 6.Ng5 e5 1 7.dxe5 Rxe5 1 8 .Qc2 Rae8
19.Rxe5 dxe5 20.Bb5 Rd8 2 1 .Rxd8 Qxd8 22.Qd3 Qxd3 23 .Bxd3
Nh4 24.N3e4
White should play 24.3 ! and if 24 . . . Bc5+ then 25.Kfl with equality
(Segal).
24 N d5 25.g3
..
27 .. f5
Black now begins a pawn stonn of the White fortress.
28.Nd2 e4 29.Be2 Ne5
Black's pieces command the board while White's pieces are huddled
on the first three ranks.
30.e4 Ne7 3 1 .b4 g5 32.Kf1 as 33 .bxa5 bxa5 34.Nb3 a4 35.Nd4 Be8
36.f4 ? exf3 3 7.Bd l
Not 3 7.Nxf3 because 3 7 . . . Nxf3 3 8.Bxf3 g4 forks.
37 .. Nd3 38.Bd2 f4 39.Ngl
The alternative 3 9.Nf2 Nxf2 40.Kxf2 Bc5 4 1 .gxf4 gxf4 42.Bxf4
N 6 3 .Bxh6 gets White two pawns for the piece, but Black is still
wmmng.
39 .. f2 0-1
White resigns in the face of losing a piece or getting checkmated.
a) 40.Be2 Bc5 4 1 .Bc3 Bf5 42.g4 fxg l Q+ 43 .Kxg l Nc l 44.Bd l Bd3 ;
b) 40.Ngf3 40 . . . Bh3+ 4 1 .Ke2 fl Q#;
c) 40.Nge2 Bh3#.
l .d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Nbd2 e 5 5.e3 N e 6 6.Bd3 Be7 7.0-0 0-0
8.dxe5 Bxe5 9.e4 Re8 1 0.Qe2 e5 1 l .exd5 e4 1 2 .Nxe4 Nxe4 1 3 .Bxe4
Bf5 14.dxe6 Rxe4 1 5.Qb5 b6 1 6.Bg5 Qd5 1 7.Be3 Rg4 1 8.Nel Re8
1 9.Bxe5? ?
White spoils his winning chances.
98 THE DOGS OF WAR
19 .. Rxel !
Eliminating the defender of g2.
20.f3 Qxf3 0-1
If 2 1 .g3 then 2 1 . . .Rxg3+ 22.hxg3 Qxg3+ 23.Kh l Be4#.
l .d4 e6 2.Nf3 cS 3.e3 Nf6 4.Bd3 dS S.c3 Nc6 6.Nbd2 Bd6 7.0-0 0-0
8.e4 cxd4 9.cxd4 dxe4 1 0.Nxe4 Be7 1 l .Re l Nxd4
With the capture of the isolated d-pawn Black has equalized
comfortably.
1 2 .Nxd4 Qxd4 1 3.Qc2 NdS 1 4.NgS
White should now continue with the simple 1 4 .Nc3 and if 1 4 . . . Nxc3
1 5 .Bxh7+ Kh8 1 6.bxc3 Qh4 winning back the pawn with a better
position.
14 ... g6 I S.Re4 Qg7 1 6.Bd2 Bd7 1 7.Rae l Rac8 1 8.Qb3 Bc6 1 9.Bb l
Rfd8 20.Qh3 Nf6 2 1 .Nxe6? fxe6 22.Qxe6+ Kh8 23.Rf4 Rc7 24.Bc3
RfB
White has sacrificed a piece for a menacing-looking attack, but Black
defends accurately.
2S.ReS Bd8 26.RgS Qt7 27.Qh3 Rd7 28.Bc2 Qxa2 29.ReS Re7
30.Qe3
Even 30.Rxe7 cannot save White 's game because after 30 . . . Bxe7
3 1 .Rd4 Rd8 32.Rxd8+ Bxd8 3 3 .Qg4 he is still down a piece.
30 ... Qal+
30 ... Rxe5 3 1 .Qxe5 Bc7 is a better way to exploit White 's back rank
weakness.
3 1 .Bel RxeS 32 .QxeS
32.Bb l does not help much 32 . . . Qxb l 3 3 . Qxe5 Re8 34.Qxe8+ Bxe8
3 5 .g4 Qxe l + 36.Kg2 Bc6+ 37.f3 Qd2+ 3 8 .Kg l Bb6+ 3 9 . Kh l Qxf4
40.h4 Bxf3#.
32 ... Re8 0-1
If 33 .h3 then Rxe5 34.Kh2 Rxe l 3 5 .Kg3 Rg l 36.Re4 Bxe4 3 7 .Kf4
Qc l + 3 8 .Ke5 Qxb2+ 39.Kf4 Bc7+ 40.Kg5 Rxg2+ 4 1 .Kh4 g5#.
l .d4 dS 2.Nf3 Nf6 3 .e3 c6 4.Bd3 g6 S.b3 Bg7 6.Bb2 0-0 7.0-0 BfS
8.Qe2 Nbd7 9.Nbd2 Re8 1 0.e4 dxe4 1 l .Nxe4 Nxe4 1 2 .Bxe4 Bxe4
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 99
13 .Qxe4 Nf6 1 4.Qe2 Qc7 1 S .NeS e6 1 6.Radl RadS l 7.c4 Nd7 1 S.Nf3
cS 1 9.dxcS NxcS 20.Bxg7 Kxg7 2 1 .Qb2+
White's play is on the queenside, but she is so fixated on a kingside
attack that she neglects to play 2 l .b4 taking advantage of her queenside
pawn majority, and in doing so yields the advantage to Black.
21 f6 22.Nd4 eS 23.NbS Qb6 24.Nc3 Nd3 2S.Qc2 Nf4 26.Qe4 Qc6
.
27.Qxc6
Keeping the queens on the board with 2? Nd5 ! ? was necessary for
White to maintain equality. With the queens off the board Black enjoys
a positional advantage.
27 bxc6 2S.b4 Rd4 29.g3 Ne6 30.Rxd4 exd4 3 1 .Ne4 fS 32.Nd6 RdS
.
33.cS as 34.a3 ?
Better is 34.Nb? and White could well hope t o play o n after 34 . . . Rb8
35 .Nxa5 Rxb4 3 6.Nxc6.
34 axb4 3S.axb4 RbS 36.Rel Kf6 3 7.bS cxbS 3S.c6 Nc7 39.Nb7
..
ReS 40.Rd l KeS 4 1 .NcS RdS 42.Nb7 RdS 43.Kf1 ? d3 44.Kel Kd4
4S.Rd2 b4 46.Rd l ReS+ 47.Kd2 Re2+ 4S.Kc1 Rc2+ 49.Kb l NbS
0-1
l .d4 Nf6 2.e3 g6 3 .Nf3 d6 4.Bd3 Bg7 S.c3 0-0 6.0-0 BfS 7.BxfS
gxfS 8.Nbd2 Nbd7 9.Qc2 e6 1 0.Re l dS 1 l .c4 c6 1 2 .b3 Kh8 1 3.Bb2
Rg8 1 4.NeS NxeS I S.dxeS Ng4 1 6.f4 Qh4 1 7.Nf3 QhS 1 8.cxdS cxdS
1 9.Rac1 Bh6 20.h3
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 cS 3.e3 dS 4.c3 Nbd7 S.Bd3 g6 6.Nbd2 Bg7 7.0-0 0-0
8.e4 dxe4 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 l 0 .Bxe4 Nf6 1 1 .Bc2 Bg4 1 2.Be3 NdS 1 3 .Qe2
Qb6 14.Be4 Nxe3 I S.fxe3 cxd4 1 6.exd4 eS 1 7.Qf2 Bxf3 1 8.Bxf3
exd4 1 9.c4 d3 20.Qxb6 axb6 2 1 .Bxb7 Ra7 22.BdS Bxb2 23 .Radl
Rxa2 Yz-Yz
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 101
l .d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3 .Bd3 e5 4.e3 Ne6 5.f4 Bg4 6.Nf3 exd4 7.exd4 ReS
S.Nbd2 g6 9.0-0 e6 1 0.Qe2 Bg7 1 l .h3 Bf5 1 2 .Ne5 h5 1 3 .Rel Re7
14.Nb3 Bxd3 1 5.Qxd3 Ne4 1 6.Nd2 Nxd2 1 7.Bxd2 Nxe5 I S.fxe5 a6
19.a4 0-0 20.Qg3 YZ-YZ
l .d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3 .Bd3 e5 4.e3 Nbd7 5.f4 Ne4 6.Nf3 g6 7.Nbd2 Nxd2
S.Bxd2 Bg7 9.0-0 0-0 1 0.Qel Qb6 1 l .Rb l Nf6 1 2.Qh4 ReS 1 3 .Ng5
Bg4 1 4.Nxh7 Nxh7 1 5.Qxg4 Nf6
1 5 . . . cxd4 1 6.cxd4 Bxd4 regains the pawn, but Black's position is
precarious (Markley).
1 6.f5 ? ? Nxg4 1 7.fxg6 fxg6 1 S.e4 exd4 1 9.e4 dxe4 20.e5 Qxe5 2 1 .Rbel
Qxc1 22.Rxel exd3 23 .Re7 RaeS 0-1
l .d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3 .Bd3 e5 4.e3 Ne6 5.f4 Bg4 6.Nf3 e6 7.Nbd2 ReS
S.O-O Bd6 9.h3 Bf5 1 0.Bxf5 exf5 l l .Ne5 0-0 1 2.a4 g6 13.Qb3 Qb6
14.Qxb6 axb6 1 5.Kh2 RaS 1 6.b3 exd4 1 7.exd4 b5 I S.Nxe6 bxe6
19.a5 b4 20.Bb2 Ra6 2 1 .exb4 Bxb4 22.Nf3 Ne4 23 .Ba3 RbS 24.Bxb4
Rxb4 25.Rfb l f6 26.Rb2 Kfi 27.g4 fxg4 2S.hxg4 Ne3 29.Kg3 NbS
30.Ra4 Rxa4 3 1 .bxa4 Nd6 32 .Rb6 Ne4+ 33 .Kh4 Rxa5 34.Rxe6
Rxa4 35.Re7+ Ke6 36.Rxh7 Ra 1 37.Kh3 Rh l+ 3S.Nh2 Rd I 39.Nf3
Rf1 40.Kg2 Rf2+ 4 1 .Kg l Rxf3 42.Rh6 Rg3+ 43.Kfl Rxg4 44.Ke2
Kf5 45.Rh7 Kxf4 46.Rd7 Rg2+ 47.Kd3 Rd2# 0-1
1 02 THE D OGS OF WAR
l .d4 dS 2.Nf3 cS 3 .c3 e6 4.e3 Nf6 S.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nbd2 Bd6 7.dxcS
White makes this exchange in order to play the thematic freeing move
e4 without having to worry about an isolated d-pawn after 7.e4 cxd4
8.cxd4.
7 BxcS S.O-O eS
..
Black's pawn advance serves a dual purpose - it frees the queen bishop
and threatens a nasty fork on e4. White cannot ignore this threat.
9.e4 dxe4 1 0.Nxe4 Nxe4 1 l .Bxe4 Qxd l 1 2.Rxd l Bg4 1 3.h3 Bxf3
14.Bxf3 RdS I S .Bxc6+ bxc6 1 6.RxdS+ KxdS 1 7.BgS+ f6 I S.Rd l +
Kc7 1 9.Bh4 RbS 20.b3 as 2 1 .Kfl a 4 22.Rb l axb3 23.axb3 RaS
24.b4 Bb6 2S.Rb2 Ra3 26.Rc2 Kd6 27.Ke2 KdS 2S.c4+ Ke6 29.cS
Bc7 30.13 fS 3 1 .Bel Ra4 32 .Kd3 KdS 33 .Bd2 Ra3+ 34.Rc3 Rxc3+
3S.Bxc3 g6 3 6.g3 ? ?
White 's weak attempt t o curb the advance of the Black kingside pawns
loses a vital pawn. A better waiting move is 3 6.Bd2.
36 e4+ 37.fxe4+ fxe4+ 3S.Ke3 Bxg3 39.Ke2 Bf4 40.Bel Kc4 4 1 .Kfl
.
BeS 42.Ke2 Bf4 43.Kfl BgS 44.Ke2 Bel 4S.h4 Ba3 46.Ke3 Bxb4
0-1
1 04 THE DOGS OF WAR
23 .Nxa7.
2 1 . Rxd3 22.Qe4 RddS 23.Rfd l Rxd l + 24.Rxdl h6 2S.Rd6 QaS
.
l .d4 dS 2.N1'3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 Bg4 S.Nbd2 Nbd7 6.0-0 eS 7.dxeS
NxeS S.Be2 Nx1'3+ 9.Nx1'3 Bd6 1 0.b3 Qe7 H .h3 Bx1'3 1 2 .Bx1'3 BeS
13.Rb l 0-0 1 4.Qe2 RfeS I S.Rd l Re6 1 6.e4 d4 1 7.eS RaeS I S.Qe4
dxe3 1 9.Bxe3 h6 20.Rd3 bS 2 1 .exb6 axb6 22.Rc 1 eS 23 .Kh l Rd6
24.Rxd6 Qxd6 2S.Rdl Qe7 26.a4 Qe6 27.QbS Be3 2S.Qe6 Qxb3
29.g4 BeS 30.h4 Qe6 3 1 .Qxe6 fxe6 32.gS hxgS 33.hxgS Y2-Y2
l .d4 dS 2.N1'3 Nf6 3 .e3 e6 4.Bd3 Be7 S.Nbd2 0-0 6.0-0 Nbd7 7.e3
Bd6 S.e4 dxe4 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 1 0.Bxe4 Nf6 H .BgS Be7 1 2 .Bxf6 gxf6 ! ?
13.Nd2 fS 1 4.B1'3 c S I S.dxcS BxeS
The anti-positional pawn capture 12 . . . gxf6 combined with the deflecting
pawn advance 1 4 . . . c5 has resulted in Black achieving a mobile pawn
formation.
16.Qe2 ReS 1 7.Rad l Qe7 I S.Ne4 RbS 1 9.BhS BfB 20.NeS Re7
21 .Qe3 f6 22.Nd3 b6 23.B1'3 as 24.Rfe l eS 2S.BdS+ KhS 26.Nc 1
Rg7 27.Qd2 f4
White has been unable to halt the slow but steady advance of Black's
pawns.
2S.Kh l Bg4 29.1'3 BfS 30.Qe2 BeS
1 06 THE DOGS OF WAR
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.e3 Bg7 4.Nbd2 d6 5.Bd3 0-0 6.0-0 Nbd7 7.Rel
ReS S.e4 e5
White should maintain the central tension with 9.c3 but the exchanges
in the center allow Black to equalize effortlessly.
9.dxe5 Nxe5 1 0.Nxe5 Rxe5 1 l .Nf3 Bg4 1 2.Bf4 ReS 1 3.h3 Bxf3
14.Qxf3 e6 1 5.Rad l Nh5 1 6.e3 Nxf4 1 7.Qxf4 Qf6 Yl-Yl
Practical PIt!Y in The Colle System 1 07
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 d5 4.Nbd2 c5 5.c3 Nc6 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.0-0 0-0
S.dxc5 Bxc5 9.e4 e5
The . . . e5 pawn advance is always an important move for Black to
achieve in order to gain space in the center. Playing 9 . . . Qc7 first would
help to support this advance.
1 0.exd5 Nxd5 1 l .Ne4 Be7 1 2.Qe2 Nf4 1 3 .Bxf4 exf4 1 4.Rfel Bg4
1 5.Rad l Qc7 1 6.Bb l g6 1 7.h3 Bh5 1 S.g4 fxg3 1 9.Nxg3 Bxf3 20.Qxf3
RadS 2 1 .Ne4 f5 22.Qg3 Qxg3+
Black should not accept White 's offer to exchange queens because
keeping them on the board with 22 . . . Qb6 ! ? 23 .Nd6 Bxd6 24.Rxd6
Rxd6 25.Qxd6 Qxb2 would augment Black's positional advantage
with a material advantage.
23 .Nxg3 Kti 24.Bc2 Kf6 25.Bb3 Ne5 26.RxdS ? !
The trading o f rooks puts White in a defensive posture when 26.Kfl
Bc5 27.Bd5 Rd6 28.f4 Nc6 29.Bc4 would give White chances for
counterplay.
26 .. RxdS 27.Kf1 Rd6 2S.Rd l Rxdl + 29.Bxdl Nd3 30.b4 Nf4
The isolated h-pawn is doomed.
40.c5 bxc5 4 1 .bxc5 Be7 and Black can halt the advance of the c-pawn
after 42.c6 BdS .
40 .. h3 4 1 .Kh2 g4 42.Bc6
42.c5 bxc5 43 .bxc5 Bd4 44.c6 Bb6 and the c-pawn cannot advance
further.
42 Bd4 43.f3 Kg5 44.fxg4 fxg4 45.Bd7 Kh4 46.Bxg4 Kxg4 47.Kh 1
..
Kf3 0-1
After 4S.Kh2 Ke3 and White 's queenside pawns cannot be defended.
But there is also a mate beginning with 47 . . . Bc3 4S.c5 Bxb4 49.cxb6
axb6 50.Kg 1 Kg3 5 1 .a5 bxa5 52.Kh 1 a4 53 .Kg 1 a3 54.Kfl h2 5 5 .Ke2
h 1 Q 56.Kd3 Qd5+ 57.Kc2 Qc4+ 5 S .Kb l Qc3 59.Ka2 Qb2#.
1 .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 c5 4.c3 d5 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nbd2 Bd6 7.0-0 0-0
8.Re1 cxd4 9.exd4 Re8 1 0.Ne5 Nd7 1 1 .Bxh7+! Kf8
dxe4 1 7.Rg6 Kh8 1 8.Rh6+ gxh6 19.Ng6#) 1 7.Nxf6 Qxf6 l S .Rh3+ Qh6
1 9.Rxh6+ gxh6 20.Ng6#.
1 2 .Nxf7? !
White rushes headlong into a speculative sacrifice and spends the
next 20 moves trying to justify it. 1 2.Qh5 ! ? gives White a material
Practical Plc!y in The Colle System 1 09
advantage and clear targets for attack after 1 2 . . . Ndxe5 1 3 .dxe5 Bxe5
1 4.Rxe5 Nxe5 1 5 .Qxe5 .
12 .. Kxf7 13 .QhS+ Ke7 14.BfS
White misses 1 4.Qxd5 ! ? Nf6 1 5 .Qg5 Rf8 1 6.Bd3 Kd7 1 7.Qxg7+ Qe7
1 8 .Qxe7+ Bxe7 and White has all the wiILl1ing chances.
14 Nf6 I S.Qg6 Kf8 1 6.Bd3 eS 1 7.Nf3 ? ! e4 1 8.NgS Qd7 1 9.Nh7+
..
d l Q+ 27.Kh2 QhS+
More decisive is 27 . . . Kxe7 28.Qxg7+ Kd8 29.Qf8+ Kc7 30.Qc5+
Kb8.
28.QxhS Kxe7 29.QeS+ KfB 30.f4 Qe6 3 1 .Qc7 Qxg6 32 .Qd8+ Kf7
33.QxdS+ Qe6 34.Qd8 b6 3S.dS Qd7 0-1
l .d4 dS 2.Nf3 Nf6 3 .e3 Bg4 4.Nbd2 e6 S.c3 c6 6.Bd3 Nbd7 7.0-0 Be7
8.Qc2N BhS 9.Rel Bg6 1 0.e4 0-0 1 l .eS Bxd3 1 2.Qxd3 Ne8 13 .Nfl
Nc7 1 4.a4 bS I S.aS cS 1 6.Be3 c4 1 7.Qc2 b4 1 8.N3d2 bxc3 1 9.bxc3
NbS
Black targets the only weakness in White's position, the pawn on c3 .
20.Ra4 Qc7 2 1 .f4 Rab8 22.Ng3 g6 23.Real a6 24.Nf3 Rb7 2S.h4
Rlb8 26.Bc1 Na7 27.hS Nc6
Black turns his attention to the isolated a-pawn.
28.hxg6 hxg6 29.NgS NfB
An interesting continuation is 29 . . . Bxg5 30.fxg5 Ndxe5 3 1 .dxe5 Nxe5
and Black is ready to overrun White 's position.
30.Nf3 RbS
Increasing the pressure on the isolated pawn on a5 .
3 1 .Qa2 R8b7 32.Nd2 Qb8
1 10 THE DOGS OF WAR
White, sensing that the passive defense of his a-pawn will only result
in a slow death, resorts to a desperate attempt at counterplay but this
only loses material.
33 .Nxc4 dxc4 34.Qxc4 Qc7 35.Ne4 Rb I 36.Qa2 Rxa l 37.Qxal Rb5
3 S.Be3 Qb7
Another winning line for Black is 38 . . . Nxa5 3 9.Nd2 Nb3 40.Nxb3
Rxb3 4 1 .Rxa6.
39.Nd2 BdS 40.Kh2 Rxa5 4 1 .Rxa5 Nxa5 42.Qa4 Qb5 43.Qc2 Nc4
44.Nxc4 Qxc4 0-1
l .d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 c5 5.c3 Nbd7 6.Nbd2 Be7 7.0-0 0-0
S.Qe2 b6 9.e4 dxe4 1 0.Nxe4 Bb7 1 l .Rd l Qc7 1 2 .Bg5 RfeS 13.dxc5
Bxe4 14.Bxe4 Nxe4 1 5.Qxe4 Nxc5 1 6.Qc4 Bxg5 1 7.Nxg5 Qe7 1 S.Nf3
RacS 1 9.Nd4 RedS 20.b4 Nb7 2 1 .Nc6 Rxd l + 22.Rx d l Qc7 23.b5
RdS 24.Rd4 Rd6 25.Qa4 Rxd4 26.Qxd4 g6 27.g4 as 2S.Ne5 Nd6
29.a4 f6 30.Nc6 e5 3 1 .Qd5+ Nfl 32 .c4 Qd6 33.Qxd6 Nxd6 34.c5
Nb7 35.cxb6 Kfi 36.Kfl Ke6 37.Ke2 Kd6 3S.h4 Kc5 39.Kd3 Kxb6
40.Kc4 Nc5 4 1 .Nxa5 Nxa4 42.Kb4 Nb2 43.Nc4+ Nxc4 44.Kxc4
e4 45.h5 gxh5 46.gxh5 f5 47.Kd5 Kxb5 4S.Ke5 Kc5 49.Kxf5 Kd5
50.Kf6 h6
Practical PIt!)' in The Coffe System 111
S 1 .KfS?
White should play for the win with 5 1 .Kg7 Ke6 52.Kxh6 Kf6 53 .Kh7
Kf7 54.h6 Kf8 5 5 .Kg6 Kg8 56.Kf5 Kf7 57.Kxe4.
S 1 . Kd4 -
Secures the draw after 52.Kg6 Kd3 53 .Kxh6 Ke2 54.Kg6 Kxf2 55 .h6
e3 56.h7 e2 57.h8Q e l Q.
l .d4 dS 2.NfJ cS 3.c3 e6 4.e3 Nf6 S.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nbd2 Bd6 7.dxcS
BxcS 8.0-0 eS 9.e4 Bg4
With 8 . . . e5 and 9 . . . Bg4, Black employs disruptive tactics that throw
White off his game plan of a direct kingside attack.
1 0.h3 BhS l l .Qa4 0-0 1 2.exdS NxdS 1 3.Qc4 Be7 14.Be4 Nb6 1 S.QbS
a6 1 6.Qb3 Qc7 1 7.Nc4 Nd7 1 8.Be3 bS l 9.Bxc6 Qxc6 20.NcxeS NxeS
2 1 .NxeS Qc7 22.Bd4 Kh8 23.Rfel f6 24.Nd3 Bf7 2S.Qd l Bd6 26.QfJ
Rad8 27.a3 BdS 28.QfS Qb7
Black's pieces have nice attacking vectors and work in conjunction
with one another. White's pieces have little scope and he has drifted
into a passive position, despite being up a pawn.
29.fJ Qc7 30.Re3 Bf7 3 1 .Rae l Bg6 32.Qg4 Rd7 33.Nf2 ?
White removes the vital defender of the f4 square.
33 . fS 34.QgS
1 12 THE DOGS OF WAR
34.Qh4 Bg3 3 S .QgS Bf4 and the position is no different from the game
continuation.
34 .. Bf4 3S.Bxg7+? Rxg7 36.Qh4 0-1
l .d4 dS 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 Nf6 4.Bd3 eS S.b3 exd4 6.exd4 Ne6 7.Bb2
Be7 S.O-O 0-0 9.a3 b6 l 0.Nbd2 Bb7 1 1 .Re l ReS 1 2 .Qe2N ReS 1 3 .b4
Bd6 14.bS Ne7 I S .NeS Ng6 1 6.g3 BxeS 1 7.dxeS Nd7 I S.Rad l NeS
1 9.Bxg6 fxg6 20.Ne4 Ne4 2 1 .Ne3 Qe7 22.e4
White pushes this backward pawn in the hope of ridding himself of
that weakness, but the ensuing tactics that it ignites are to Black's
advantage.
22 ... dxe4 23 .Nxe4 NgS 24.Nd6 Nf3+ 2S.Kf1 Nxh2+ 26.Kgl Nf3+
27.Kfl Nxel 2S.Kxel BdS 29.Qg4 RedS 3 0.NxeS QxeS 3 1 .a4 hS
32.Qb4 Qf7 33.Bc1 ReS
33 . . . Qf3 is more forcing after 34.Rd4 Qh l + 3 S .Kd2 Qg l .
34.Ba3 ?
34.Be3 is no better after 34 . . . Rc4 3 S .Qb3 Qf3 .
34 ... Re4 3S.Qd6 Qf3 36.QdS+ Kh7 3 7.Bc 1 Re2 3S.Bd2 Be4 0-1
l .d4 dS 2.NfJ Nf6 3.e3 BfS 4.Nbd2 e6 S.c3 Be7 6.Be2 0--0 7.NeS
Nbd7 S.NdfJ cS 9.0--0 Qb6 1 0.a4 RfcS 1 l .aS Qc7 1 2.a6 c4 13.axb7
Qxb7 1 4.b4? cxb3 1 S.Ba6 b2 1 6.Bxb2 Qxb2 1 7.BxcS RxcS 1 S.Rxa7
QbS 1 9.Qal BdS 20.g4 NxeS 2 1 .NxeS Nxg4 22.RaS Qb7 23.Qa4 Nf6
24.Ra7? !
White should play 24.Ra l h 6 25.Qa7 Rxa8 26.Qxa8 with an equal
position.
24 Bc2 2S.Qal QbS 26.f4 QbS 2 7.Rxfi BaS 2S.Qe 1 ? Bg6 29.Re7
..
31 .. Qxfl +
3 1 . . .Rxe3 ? allows White to mate with 32.Qxe6+ Kh8 3 3 . Qc8+ Bd8
34.Qxd8+ Qe8 3 5 . Qxe8+ Bxe8 36.Rxe8#.
32 .Kxfl Re t + 33 .Kg2 Rc2+ Yl-Yl
And White cannot avoid perpetual check.
Practical Plc!y in The Colle System 1 15
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 d5 4.Bd3 b6 5.b3 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Bb2
Bb7 8.Nbd2 Nbd7 9.e4 e5 1 0.Qe2 Re8 1 l .Rad l Qe7N 1 2 .Bb l Ba6
l 3.Re l Rfd8 1 4.Rfe l Qb8 1 5.e4 exd4 1 6.exd5 Nxd5 1 7.Nxd4 NfB
1 8.Ne4 Nf4 1 9.Qe3 Bb7 20.Nf3 f6 2 1 .g3 N4g6 22.h4 Bb4 23.h5 Bxe4
24.Qxe4 Bxel 25.Rxel Ne7 26.Qg4 Kfi
All of White 's pieces are bearing down on the kingside. Black is up
the exchange but his pieces are not yet coordinated. Can White get his
attack in before Black consolidates?
27.h6 g6?
Black's best hope for counterplay is 27 . . . gxh6 28.Bxh7 Rc5 (but not
28. Nxh 7 29. Qxe6+ Kg7 30. Qxe 7+) .
. .
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 1 17
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 e5 4.Bd3 d5 5.b3 Ne6 6.0-0 Bd6 7.Bb2 0-0
8.Nbd2 Qe7 9.Ne5 exd4 1 0.exd4 Ba3 1 1 .Bxa3 Qxa3 1 2.e3 Bd7 1 3 .f4
Rae8 14.Rf3 g6 1 5.Qel Kg7 1 6.Rh3 Be8 1 7.Ndf3 Rh8
Black's last opportunity for counterplay is 1 7 . . . Qb2 1 8 .Rc l Nb4
1 9.Bb l .
1 8.Qd2 Ne7 1 9.94 Qa5 20.Rc 1 Bb5 2 1 .Bbl h5 22.Ng5 RefS
White has prosecuted his attack to near perfection. All of his pieces are
powerfully posted while the Black pieces are not effectively positioned
for either attack or defense. The stage is set for White 's final assault on
the Black king position. Black's attempt to open the h-file with 22 . . .
hxg4 ! ? does not work after 23.Rxh8 Rxh8 24.Nexf7 Rb8.
23.f5
1 18 THE DOGS OF WAR
l .d4 d5 2.Nf3 e5 3 .e3 Nf6 4.e3 Nbd7 5.Bd3 e6 6.Nbd2 Bd6 7.0-0
0-0 8.e4 exd4 9.exd4 dxe4 1 0.Nxe4 Nxe4 1 1 .Bxe4 Qb6 1 2 .Re1 N Nf6
1 3 .Be2 Bd7 1 4.Ne5 Rad8? 1 5.Bg5 Bxe5 1 6.dxe5 Ba4
This move must have looked very inviting. Black opens up the d-file
and has a direct attack on White's queen. However, he fails to anticipate
the complications that accompany White 's next move.
1 7.Bxh7+!
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 1 19
17 .. Nxh7
1 7 . . .Nxh7 begins a forcing series of punches and counterpunches as
both sides fend off persistent attacks on their queens.
I S.BxdS Qb4 1 9.Be7 Qf4 20.b3 Bc6 2 1 .BxfS
The threats and parries from both players have left Black down the
double exchange with a lost game.
2 1 . QgS 22.f3 NxfS 23.Qc1 QhS 24.Qe3 Ng6 2S.Rac 1 Nh4 26.Rxc6
.
1-0
26.Rxc6 bxc6 27.Qxa7.
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 cS 3.c3 e6 4.e3 dS S.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nbd2 Bd6 7. 0-0
S.dxcS BxcS 9.e4 eS 1 0.Qe2 ReS 1 l .h3 NhSN 1 2 .Nb3 Ng3 1 3 .Qc2
dxe4
Black thinks he has the opportunity to win the exchange, only to realize
in the nick of time that he will lose two pieces for the rook after 1 3 . . .
Nxfl ? 1 4 .Nxc5 b 6 1 5 .Nb3 .
14.Bxe4 Nxe4 1 S.Qxe4 Bb6 1 6.NgS g6 1 7.Qh4 hS 1 S.g4 Kg7 1 9.gxhS
RhS 20.h6+ KfS
If 20 . . . Rxh6 2 1 .Qxh6+ Kxh6 22.Nxf7+ and White will be up the
exchange and a pawn.
2 1 .Be3 BfS 22.Rad l Qc7 23.Nd2 f6?
1 20 THE D OGS OF WAR
24.Nge4
24.Ne6+ ! Bxe6 25.Qxf6+ Qf7 26.Qxh8+ Qg8 27.Qf6+ Qf7 28.Qh4
would give White a strong passed pawn and a decisive winning
advantage.
24 gS 2S.QhS Qt7 26.Qf3 Bxe4 27.Nxe4 Rxh6 28.Rd6 Kg7 29.Ng3
..
l .d4 dS 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Nbd2 cS S.c3 Nc6 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.0-0
0-0 8.dxcS BxcS 9.e4 eS 1 0.Qe2 Bg4 1 l .exdS QxdS 1 2 .Ne4 Nxe4
1 3 .Bxe4 Qe6 1 4.Rd l RadS I S .BgS f6 1 6.Be3 Bxe3 1 7.Qxe3 KhS
I S.QcS Bxf3 1 9.Bxf3 e4 20.Be2 fS 2 1 .Bc4 Qf6 22.BdS QeS 23.QbS
Ne7 24.Bc4 Qc7 2S.Bb3 a6 26.Qc4 QeS 27.Qe6 Nc6 28.Rd7 Qxe63
29.Bxe6 Rxd7 30.Bxd7 NeS 3 1 .Be6 Nd3 32.Rd l Nxb2 33 .Rd7 g6
34.Rxb7 Na4 3S.Ra7 RdS 36.h4 Rd6 37.Bc8 Nxc3 3S.hS Ne2+
39.Kh2 Nf4 40.h6 RdS 4 1 .Bxa6 NdS 42.a4 e3 ?
Black's only chance is to try for counterplay against the weak h-pawn
with 42 . . . Nf6.
43.fxe3 Nxe3 44.Be2 gS ? ! 4S.aS KgS 46.Rg7+ Kf8 47.a6 1-0
Practical PI'!Y in The Colle System 121
1 .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3 .c3 b6 4.Nbd2 Bb7 5.e3 g6 6.Bd3 Bg7 7.0-0 0-0
8.Qe2 Nc6 9.Ne5 Nxe5 1 0.dxe5 Ne8 1 1 .f4 d6 1 2.exd6 exd6 13.e4
Qe7 1 4.Re1 Nc7 1 5.Nfl Rfe8 1 6.Bd2 Qd7 1 7.Qd l Re7 1 8.Qc2 Rae8
1 9.Rad l Qc6 20.b3 ? f5
28 ... gxfS 29.BxhS dxe3 30.Bxti+ Qxti 3 1 .Bxe3 NdS 32.Bc1 Nb4
33 .Qe4 Qxe4 34.bxe4 Be6 3S.Rd6 B18 36.Rf6 Nd3 37.Rfl Bd7
38.Be3 BeS 39.BxeS bxeS 40.Rd6 Be6 4 1 .Rb l Re7 42.Rf1 Kti 43.a3
Kf6 44.g4 KeS 4S.Rxe6+ Rxe6 46.gxfS Rf6 0-1
l .d4 dS 2.Nf3 eS 3.e3 Nf6 4.Nbd2 e6 S.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 Be7 7.0-0 0-0
8.NeS Ne8 9.f4 fS 1 0.g4 Ndf6 1 l .gS
18 . Rh8
Threatening 1 9.Rxh7+ KgS 20.RhS+ NxhS 2 1 .QxhS+ Kf7 22.Qh7#; If
l S . . . hxg6 1 9.Rh7+ KgS 20.Bxe4 (20.Ne5 Nexg5 21.fxg5 Bxg5 22. Qh3
Bf6) 20 . . . fxe4 2 1 .Ne5 Qa4 22.b3 Qa5 23 .Nxg6.
19.Nxh8 Nxh6 20.Qxh6+ Kxh8 2 1 .Bxe4 BfB 22.Qh3 fxe4 23 .NeS
Kg8 24.Bd2 b6 2S.Kh l Bg7 26.Ng4 Rb8? 27.Nf6+ Bxf6 28.gxf6
Rb7 29.Rgl+ Kh8 30.Qh6 eS 3 1 .Rg7 1-0
And Black must give up his queen to stop checkmate 3 1 .Rg7 QgS
32.RxgS+ KxgS 3 3 . Qg5+ Kf8 34.Qxe5 .
l .d4 Nf6 2.NfJ eSN 3.e3 b6 4.BgS Bb7 S.e3 e6 6.Nbd2 Be7 7.Bd3
dS 8.NeS Nfd7 9.Bxe7 Qxe7 1 0.f4 NxeS 1 l .fxeS Qh4+ 1 2.g3 Qh6
13.QfJ Ne6 14.Qf4 Qxf4 I S.gxf4
1 5 .exf4 would leave the d-pawn under-defended after 1 5 . . . cxd4
1 6.cxd4 Nxd4.
IS fS 1 6.dxeS bxeS 1 7.BbS Rb8 1 8.Nb3 Ba8 1 9.Bxe6+ Bxe6
..
Ra3 36.Rxe4 Ke7 37.c5 Rc3 3S.Rh4 Rxc5 39.Rxh7+ Ke6 40.Rxa7
Kxe5 Y2-YZ
Although both sides energetically pursued an advantage in the king
and pawn ending, the logical outcome is a draw.
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.e3 g6 4.Bd3 Bg7N 5.0-0 0-0 6.c3 d6 7.b4 cxb4
S.cxb4 e5 9.Nc3 Bg4 1 0.b5 Nbd7 1 l .h3 Bxf3 1 2.Qxf3 Qb6 1 3 .Qd l
exd4 14.Na4 QdS 1 5.exd4 Nb6 1 6.Nc3 RcS 1 7.Qb3 Qc7 I S.Ne2
RfeS 1 9.Bd2 Ne4 20.Ba5 Bh6 2 1 .Rad l Qd7
22 .Bb4
White does not take advantage of Black's last move. 22.Bxb6 ! ? axb6
23 .Bxe4 Rxe4 24.Nc3 gives White a solid positional advantage due
to the doubled pawns and clear tactical threats after the knight goes to
d5 .
22 .. d5 23.a4 Nc4 24.Bxe4 dxe4 25.Bc5? Nd2 0-1
Facing the loss of the exchange for a pawn after 25 . . . Nd2 26.Rxd2
Bxd2 27.Bxa7 Qc7 and with Black in command of the c-file, White
resIgns.
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3 .e3 b6 4.Bd3 Bb7 5.0-0 d5 6.b3 Be7 7.c4N Nbd7
S.cxd5 exd5 9.Nh4 g6 1 0.g3 0-0 1 l .Ng2 Ne4 1 2 .f3 Nd6 1 3 .Nc3 ReS
Practical Plqy in The Colle stem 1 25
This position is the result ofWhite 's very unusual and original treatment
of the opening.
16 e6 1 7.a3 Bf8 1 8.Ra2 Re8 1 9.Rg2 Bg7 20.Bd2 Nh7 2 1 .Rh2 Re7
The stage is set for an assault on the Black kingside. The knight
maneuver is an attempt to clear the c3 square for his bishop to j oin the
attack. The zeal with which White presses this line of play ultimately
1 26 THE DOGS OF WAR
The Colle System once again rears its ugly head in this skillfully (? ! )
played draw.
l .d4 dS 2.NfJ Nf6 3 .e3 e6 4.Bd3 cS S.c3 Nc6 6.Nbd2 Be7 7.a3 Qc7
S.Qe2 0-0 9.0-0 RdS 1 0.Re l a6 1 l .h3 bS 1 2.dxcS BxcS 1 3 .e4 NhS
1 4.Nb3 Ng3
A very similar tactical motif can be found in the Shure-Musgrove game
in which both queen and rook are forked. In this game only the queen
is under attack.
I S.Qc2 dxe4 1 6.NxcS exd3 1 7.Nxd3 NfS I S.Bf4 Yz-Yz
l .d4 Nf6 2.NfJ d6 3.c3 Nbd7 4.Nbd2 dS S.e3 g6 6.Bd3 Bg7 7.0-0
Practical Plqy in The C()lIe .stem 1 27
0-0 S.Qe2 ReS 9.Ne5 Nxe5 1 0.dxe5 Nd7 1 1 .f4 Nc5 1 2.Bc2 f5 1 3 .NO
b6 1 4.b4 Ne4 1 5.c4 e6 1 6.cxd5 exd5 1 7.Bb2 c5 l S.Rad l Bb7
Black wisely overprotects the dS pawn to prevent White from gaining
the advantage after 1 8 . . . cxb4 1 9.RxdS Qe7 20.Bxe4 fxe4 2 1 .NgS .
1 9.Bb3
29 . . . Nd7 would diffuse the strength of White 's advantage after 30.Re6
Qf7 (30. . . Qxh4? ? is refuted decisively by mate in two with 31.Rxe8+
Nj8 32.Rxj8#).
30.Rxg6 !
White's sudden and violent attack is breathtaking in its scope and
execution.
30 .. Nf6
Black plays the only move he can in this position. If 30 . . . Bxe5 3 1 .Rxg8+
Rxg8 32.Qxe7 and 30 . . . Qxh4 is impossible due to 3 1 .Bxg7#.
3 1 .Rxf6 !
Another winning continuation is 3 1 .Rxg7 Kxg7 32.Qg5+ Kf8 3 3 . Qh6+
Qg7 34.Bd6+ Re7 3 5 .Bxe7+ Kxe7 36.Qxg7+ Ke8 3 7 .Ba4+ Kd8
3 8 .Qxf6+ Kc7 39.Qc6+ Kb8 40.Qd6+ Kb7 4 1 .Bc6+ Kc8 42.Qd7+
Kb8 43 .Qd8#.
3 1 . .. e4 32 .Bxe4 Qxb4 33 .Bfl 1-0
If 33 . . . Rxe5 34.Rf7 ; Or 33 .Rh6 Qe l + 34.Qxe l Re6 3 5 .Rxe6 Bxe5
3 6.Re8+ Kg7 37.Qg3+ Kf6 3 8 . fxe5#.
l .d4 d5 2.Nf3 e5 3.e3 Nf6 4.Nbd2 g6 5.b3 Bg7 6.Bd3 0-0 7.Bb2 Ne6
S.a3 Qb6 9.dxe5 Qxe5 1 0.b4 Qb6 1 l .e4 Bg4 1 2 .h3 Bxf3 1 3 .Nxf3
dxe4 1 4.Bxe4 Ne4 1 5.Bxg7 Kxg7 1 6.0-0 Nd6 1 7.Bd5 RfdS 1 S .Bxe6
Qxe6 1 9.Rc 1 Qb6 20.Qd4+ Qxd4 2 1 .Nxd4 RdeS 22.Re5 b6 23 .Re6
Rxe6 24.Nxe6 KfS 25.a4 a6 26.Ne5 KeS 27.Rc 1 f6 2S.Ne4 Nxe4
29.Rxe4 Kd7 30.Kfl ReS 3 1 .RxeS KxeS 32 .Ke2 Ke7 33 .Kd3 Kd6
34.Kd4 e6 Yz-Yz
l .e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3 .Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Be7 7.0-0 Ne6
S.e4 Nb4 9.Be2 0-0 1 0.a3 Ne6 1 l .exd5 Qxd5 1 2 .Ne3 Nxe3 1 3 .bxe3
Qd6 1 4.Rb l b6 1 5.Rel Be6 1 6.Bd3 RaeS 1 7.Rb5 Na5 1 S .Rbe5 Ne6
1 9.R5e2 Bd7 20.d5 Na5 2 1 .Ne5 Bf6 22.Bf4 Bxe5 23 .Bxe5 Qxa3
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 1 29
l .d4 Nf6 2.NfJ e6 3.e3 b6 4.Nbd2 Bb7 5.Bd3 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.a3 Be7
S.O-O cxd4 9.cxd4 0-0 1 0.e4 d6 1 l .b4 e5 1 2 .Bb2 exd4 1 3 .Nxd4 Nxd4
1 4.Bxd4 d5 1 5.e5 Ne4 1 6.Qe2 f5 1 7.exf6
White has just been presented with a passed pawn, however she
improvidently parts with it. Other viable candidate moves worth
considering are 1 7 .Rac 1 , 1 7. f3 or 1 7 .Nb3 .
17 .. Bxf6 I S.Bxf6 Nxf6 1 9.Ba6 ? ! ReS
Black takes advantage of White 's dubious bishop move by attacking
the queen before capturing on a6, grabbing the e-file with tempo.
20.Qd3 Bxa6 2 1 .Qxa6 QcS 22.Qd3 Qe6 23 .a4 RacS 24.h3 Qe2
25.Qd4 Rc2 26.Rfd l RecS 27.a5 bxa5 2S.bxa5 a6 29.Nfl
The isolani on d5 is a target but it cannot be captured as long as it is
only attacked by major pieces.
29 RSc4 30.Qe3 Re4
1 30 THE DOGS OF WAR
Black has skillfully infiltrated the White position. With her options
limited, White relieves some of the pressure by trading queens.
3 1 .Qxe2 Rexe2 32 .Ne3 Rb2 33 .Nxd5 Rxf2 34.Nxf6+
34 ... gxf6
Black does not want to relieve the pressure that her rooks on the seventh
rank pose by capturing with the rook.
35.g4 Rg2+ 36.Kh l Rh2+ 3 7.Kgl Rxh3 3 8.Rd6 Rg3+ 39.Kf1 Rxg4
40.Rxa6 Rf4+ 4 1 .Kgl Kfi 42.Rc6 Rg4+ 43 .Kh l Rh4+ 44.Kg l Rbh2
45.Ra3 ? Rh l+ 46.Kg2 R4h2+ 47.Kg3 Rh3+ 48.Kg2 Rxa3 49.Kx h l
Rxa5 50.Kg2 Ra3 5 1 .Rc4 h5 0-1
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 131
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 dS 3.e3 g6 4.Bd3 Bg7 S.Nbd2 cS 6.c3 Nbd7 7.0-0
0-0 S.Qe2 ReS 9.NeS e6N 1 0.f4 b6 I 1 .Ndf3 Ne4 1 2.Bd2 f6 13.Nxd7
Bxd7 1 4.Bel Bc6 I S.Bh4 c4 1 6.Bc2 bS 1 7.NeS Bb7 I S.a4 gS 1 9.N17
Qe7
1 9 . . . Kxt7? is tempting, but after 20.fxg5 Nxg5 2 1 .Bxg5 White has the
advantage.
20.fxgS Qx17 2 1 .gxf6 B h 6 22.axbS e S 23 .Bxe4 dxe4 24.g4 exd4
2S.cxd4 BdS 26.gS B18 27.Bg3 Qd7 2S.Rf2 QxbS 29.Qg4 B17 30.h4
hS 3 1 .Qe2
Try as White may, he cannot break through. For example 3 1 .gxh6+
Kh7 32.Qg5 Qb6 3 3 .Bf4 Re6.
3 1 . Re6 3 2.BeS Yz-Yz
.
This is the computer that sent Gary Kasparov packing in 2003 . Deep
Junior is noteworthy for its life-like penchant for risky play.
I .d4 dS 2.e3 Nf6 3 .Bd3 e6 4.f4 Be7 S.Nf3 cS 6.c3 0-0 7.Nbd2 Ng4
S.Qe2 c4 9.Bc2 fS 1 0.Rgl
1 O.Ne5 Nf6 1 1 .0-0 is the more typical Stonewall Attack formation.
The solid pawn structure is the prelude to White 's kingside attack.
10 .. Nc6 l 1 .h3 Nf6 1 2 .g4 Ne4 1 3.Qg2
White is threatening mate after 1 4.gxf5 .
13 . g6 1 4.Qh2 KhS I S.h4 Nxd2
If 1 5 . . . fxg4 1 6.Bxe4 dxe4 1 7.Ng5 and White will regain the pawn after
1 8 .Ndxe4 with and equal position.
1 6.Bxd2 fxg4 1 7.NgS QeS?
1 7 . . . e5 allows Black to get his queen bishop into play after 1 8 .dxe5
Bf5 although White will have the better position as after 1 9.0-0-0 the
White king is safer.
I S.hS gxhS l 9.Rxg4 Rf6
Certainly not 1 9 . . . hxg4 20.Qxh7#.
20.Rh4 Rh6 2 1 .0-0-0 as 22.Rh l bS 23.Bd l Ra7 24.BxhS Q18
Black hopes to break through on the queenside with the advance b4.
2S.e4
25 .Nt7+ Qxt7 26.Bxt7 Bxh4 also wins for White.
2S .. BdS 26.fS b4 27.Bg6 Rxh4 2S.Qxh4 bxc3 29.bxc3 Bf6?
Black is helpless and cannot stop the coming attack.
1 32 THE DOGS OF WAR
The ebb and flow of this game shows in graphic detail that the ultimate
winner does not have the winning advantage throughout the game.
Here we will see White sacrifice his queen, White missing perpetual
check, White missing a mate, Black going up a queen for a piece and
a winning position, Black losing back his queen, and Black getting
checkmated. This game is not for the faint of heart.
l .d4 Nf6 2.NfJ d5 3.e3 Bg4 4.Nbd2 e6 5.Bd3 c5 6.c3 c4 7.Bc2 Nc6
8.b3N e5 9.dxe5 Nxe5 1 0.bxc4 dxc4 1 l .Ba4+ Nfd7 1 2 .Nxe5 Bxdl
13.Bxd7+ Ke7
White 's interesting queen sacrifice nets him three pieces, a pawn and
an exposed king. At this point, White can force a draw by perpetual
check wiht 1 4.Ndxc4 Bc2 1 5 .Ba3+ Kf6 1 6.Ng4+ Kg6 1 7.Nge5+ Kf6
1 8 .Ng4+ Kg6 1 9.Nge5+ Kf6.
1 8.f4+? !
Played one move too soon. 1 8 .Rd4 and Black must give back the queen
with 1 8 . . . Qxc3+ ! ? to stop the mate that follows with 1 8 . . . g5 1 9. f4+
gxf4 20.exf4+ Kxf4 2 1 .Rf1 + KeS (21 . . . Ke3 22.Rj3 #) 22.RfS#).
18 Kxe4 1 9.Rd4+ Kxe3 20.0-0 Qxc3 2 1 .Rddl
Black sees the threat but does not find 2 1 . . .QaS 22.h4 Qb6 which
would save the queen.
1 36 THE DOGS OF WAR
l .d4 dS 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 cS S.c3 Nc6 6.Nbd2 b6 7.0-0 Bd6
S.Qe2 0-0 9.e4 dxe4 1 0.Nxe4 Bb7 1 1 .dxcS BxcS I 2.Nxf6+
A common exchange in this position to ruin the Black king's
pawn shield. (See also Davis-Nixon and Ferrell-Stewart for other
continuations from this position.)
1 2 . . . gxf6 1 3 .Bh6 ReS 1 4.Radl Q c 7 I S.Qe4 fS 1 6.Qh4 Ne7?
Black's only hope was to defend with 1 6 . . . Be7 1 7.Ng5 Qe5 but after
1 8 .Qh5 Qf6 1 9.Nxh7 White still has the upper hand.
1 7.Qf6 1-0
1 7 . . . Bxf2+ 1 8 .Rxf2 Qg3 1 9.hxg3 Bxf3 20.Qg7#.
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 dS 4.Bd3 Bd6 S.Nbd2 cS 6.c3 Nc6 7.0-0 0-0
S.dxcS BxcS 9.e4 Bd6 1 0.Rel Qc7 1 l .Nfl Bd7 1 2.exdS1 exdS 1 3 .Ne3
RaeS 1 4.BfS ? ! NeT?
Overlooking 1 4 . . . Rxe3 followed by 1 5 . . . Bxf5 and Black is up two
Practical Plqy in The Coffe System 1 37
Re7 29.Bd6 Bxd6 30.Rxd6 Rc3 3 1 .R6d3 Rec7 32.a4 Rxd3 33.Rxd3
Rc4 34.Ra3 fS 3S.h4 Kfi 3 6.Kf3 Ke6 3 7.Ke3 gS 3 S.hxgS hxgS 39.f3
f4+ 40.gxf4 gxf4+ 4 1 .Kd3 KdS 42.Ra l Rd4+ 43.Kc3 Rc4+ 44.Kd3
KcS 4S.Ra2 a6 46.Ra l bS 47.axbS axbS 4S.RaS Rd4+ 49.Kc2 Kb4
SO.RbS Rc4+ S 1 .Kd2 YZ-YZ
l .d4 dS 2.Nf3 Nf6 3 .e3 BfS 4.Nbd2 e6 S.Be2 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Rel
Nbd7 S.c4 c6 9.NeS NxeS 1 0.dxeS Nd7 11 .Nf3 Bg4 1 2 .Qd4 NxeS
Black has posted his pieces efficiently. White's position is in disarray
with weaknesses on c4, f3 and h3 .
1 7.Bf4 Nxf3+ I S.Qxf3 Bd6 1 9.Kh l
White should fight back with 1 9.e5 Be7.
19 . Bxf4 20.gxf4 a6 2 1 .Rgl Qc6 22 .Rae l fS 23.Qg3
23.Qg2 ! ? Rf7 24.exf5 Qxg2+ 25.Kxg2 Rxf5 26.Rxe6 Rxf4 27.Rd 1
simplifies and clarifies White 's position, but Black is still in complete
138 THE DOGS O F WAR
control.
23 ...Rti 24.h4?
Loses another pawn. Necessary was 24.Qg2.
24 ... fxe4 25.Rg2 d3 26.Regl Qd7 27.Qe3 Qd4 2S.Qg3
28.b4 represents the last chance for counterplay.
2S ... Qxb2 29.Qg4 Qf6 30.Qg3 b5 3 1 .cxb5 axb5 32.Qe3 Qd4
32 . . . Qxh4+ 3 3 .Rh2 Qxf4 34.Rhg2 picks off two pivotal pawns dashing
White 's hopes for any semblance of counterplay.
33 .Qg3 Rxa2
34.f5
I know I should have resigned in this position but thought I could still
get something going on the g-file. This was Round 2 of my first U. S .
Open and my adrenalin was pumping. Also, my husband's game was
still in progress so I played on waiting for him to finish (T. Hatch).
34 ... RaS 35.fxe6
Being up an enormous amount of material causes Black to lose
concentration, believing "any" move will win. Black is probably
hoping that White will resign, saving him the task of having to win the
game with good moves.
35 ... Re7 36.Qf4 c4 37.Qg5 RaeS 3S.h5 c3 39.Qf5 d2 40.h6 d l Q
Black has an overwhelming position and White now takes her last shot
in an attempt to swindle her opponent.
4 1 .Rxg7+
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 1 39
41 Rxg7? ?
Unbelievable ! Black plays the only move that loses by force. Black
greedily tries to hold on to all of his material when 4 1 . . .Qxg7 was the
correct way to recapture and win the game.
42.Qti+ Kh8 43.hxg7+ 1-0
43 . . . Qxg7 44.Qxg7#.
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 c5 4.c3 b6 5.Bd3 Ba6 6.Bxa6 Nxa6 7.Nbd2
Be7 8.e4 cxd4 9.cxd4 0-0 1 0.0-0 Qc8 1 1 .a3
Prevents the knight from intruding on b4.
11 .. Qb7 1 2 .Rel Rac8 1 3.e5 Nd5
White gains space with his last move but at the cost of giving Black a
nice outpost for a knight which is not easily driven from d5 .
14.Ne4 h6 1 5.Qd3 Rc6 1 6.Bd2 f5
Weakens the e5 square. Black would do better to consolidate his
position with 1 6 . . . Nac7.
1 7.exf6 Nxf6 1 8.Ne5
White 's knights dominate the board. Black has to defend his weak d6
and g6 squares as well as his misplaced knight on a6.
1 8 Rcc8 1 9.Ng6 d5 20.Nxf6+ Rxf6 2 1 .Nxe7+ Qxe7 22.Qxa6 Rc2
..
23 .Bb4
23 .Qd3 Rc4 24.Rac l Rxc l 25.Rxc l keeps the pressure on Black and
consolidates White 's material and positional advantages.
1 40 THE DOGS OF WAR
23 . Rfxf2
The best Black has in the position is perpetual check.
24.Bxe7 %-%
With 24.Qc8+! White does not have to settle for the perpetual check.
24 . . . Rxc8 25 .Bxe7 trades off queens and allows White to play on with
a material advantage.
l .d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3 .Bd3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nd2 e53 6.dxe5 Nxe5 7.Bc2
Bd6 8.NgO Bg4 9.h3 Bh5 1 0.g4 Bg6 1 1 .Nxe5 Bxc2 1 2 .Nxti Qe7
12 . . . Bxd l was necessary to avoid the loss of a minor piece. After
1 3 .Nxd8 Rxd8 1 4.Kxd l h5 1 5 .gxh5 Rxh5 Black is down only a
pawn.
1 3 .Nxd6+ Qxd6 1 4.Qxc2 0-0 1 5.b3 Rae8 1 6.Bb2 d4 1 7.cxd4 Nd5
1 8.Nc4 Qc6 1 9.0-0-0 Nb4 20.Qd2 Rc8 2 1 .dxc5 Qxc5 22.Kb l Qe7
23 .Ba3 1-O
l .d4 Nf6 2.NO e6 3.e3 d5 4.Bd3 Bd6 5.Nbd2 c6 6.0-0 Nbd7 7.Qe2
0-0 8.e4 dxe4 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 1 0.Bxe4 h6 1 l .Bd3 Qc7 1 2 .Rel c5 1 3 .c3
cxd4 14.cxd4 Nf6 1 5.Bd2 Qe7 1 6.Ne5 Rd8 1 7.Bc3 Bc7 1 8.Rad l a6
1 9.Bb l Bd7 20.Qc2 Be8 2 1 .Re3 g6 22.a3 Rac8 23.Qe2 Ba4 24.Rel
Bb5 25.QO Bxe5 26.Rxe5 Nd5?
Practical Plqy in The Colle stem 141
Both sides were easily countering each other 's threats and 2 6 . . . Bc6
would maintain the equality.
27.Rxd5 Rxd5 28.Qxd5 Bc6 29.Qe5 1-0
1 .d4 Nf6 2.NO d5 3 .e3 c5 4.c3 e6 5.Bd3 Bd6 6.Nbd2 Nbd7 7.0-0
0-0 8.b3 Re8 9.Bb2
If White wants to fianchetto his queen bishop he should not be playing
c3 . The pawn belongs either on c2 or c4.
9 e5 1 0.dxe5 Nxe5 11 .Nxe5 Bxe5 1 2.NO Bc7 1 3 .Qc2 Bg4 1 4.Nd2
.
Bh5 1 5.h3 ?
White must play 1 5 .c4 to activate his queen bishop.
15 .. Qd6 1 6.g3 ? Rxe3 ! 1 7.fxe3 Qxg3+ 0-1
l .d4 e6 2.NO Nf6 3 .Nbd2 d5 4.e3 c5 5.c3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 Be7 7.0-0 Qb6
8.Rel a6 9.e4 dxe4 1 0 .Nxe4 Nxe4 1 1 .Bxe4 Nf6 1 2 .Bc2 0-0 1 3 .Qe2
cxd4 1 4.Nxd4 Qc7 1 5.Nf5 Bc5 1 6.Ng3 h6 1 7.Nh5 Nxh5 1 8.Qxh5 f5
1 9.QO Bd6 20.h3 Kh8 2 1 .Be3 e5 22.Qh5 Rf6 23 .Bg5 Qti 24.Qxti
Rxti 25.Rad 1 Bc7 26.Bd8 e4 27.Bb3 Bxd8 28.Rxd8+ 1-0
l .d4 Nf6 2.NO d5 3.Nbd2 e6 4.e3 c5 5.c3 Nc6 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.0-0 0-0
8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.e4 dxe4 1 0.Nxe4 Nxe4 1 1 .Bxe4 Qxd l 1 2 .Rxd 1 Rd8
1 3 .Bf4 Rxd 1 + 1 4.Rxd 1 g6 1 5.Bh6 Be7 1 6.Bf4 f5 1 7.Bc2 b6 1 8 .Ne5
Nxe5 1 9.Bxe5 Kti 20.Ba4 a6 2 1 .Bc6 1-O
1 .d4 d5 2.NO Nf6 3.c3 e6 4.e3 Be7 5.Bd3 0-0 6.0-0 Nbd7 7.Nbd2
b6 8.Re1 c5 9.e4 dxe4 1 0.Nxe4 cxd4 1 1 .cxd4 Bb7 1 2 .Neg5 h6
1 3 .Ne4 Qc7 1 4.Bxh6 gxh6 1 5.Re3 Bxe4 1 6.Bxe4 Nxe4 1 7.Rxe4 Bf6
1 42 THE DOGS OF WAR
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 d5 4.Bd3 c5 5.c3 c4 6.Bc2 Bd6 7.Nbd2 0-0
8.0-0 b5 9.e4 dxe4 1 0.Nxe4 Bb7 1 l .Nxf6+ Qxf6 ? ?
Black's Queen is put on a most vulnerable square. Black must play
1 1 . . . gxf6 1 2.Bh6 f5 even though he is saddled with doubled pawns and
an exposed king.
1 2 .Bg5 Bxf3 1 3 .Qd2
1 3 .Qxf3 is the weaker alternative 1 3 . . . Qxf3 1 4.gxf3 Nd7.
13 .. Bf4
14.Bxf4
1 4 .Qxf4? ! is weak, allowing Black to escape with 1 4 . . . Qxf4 1 5 .Bxf4
Bd5 .
14 .. Bxg2
Black must choose between losing his bishop or queen. Any move to
save the bishop allows 1 5 .Bg5 re-trapping the queen.
1 5.Kxg2 Rd8
1 5 . . . Qh4 is the last best hope for Black to save the queen.
1 6.Bg5 1-0
The best Black can do is 1 6 . . . Qe5 1 7.dxe5 Rxd2 1 8 .Bxd2.
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 1 43
l .d4 Nf6 2.e3 dS 3 .NfJ e6 4.Bd3 Bd6 S.O-O 0-0 6.Nbd2 Bd7 7.Rel
Na6 8.c3 cS 9.e4 c4 1 0.Bc2 Bb8 ? ?
A waste of time which allows White to lock in the center completely.
1 l .eS
The center is locked and the attack will come swiftly.
1l .. Ng4 1 2.Nfl fS 1 3 .Ng3 Qb6
The last thing Black needs is to put another piece on the queenside.
1 4.h3 Nh6 I S.Bxh6 gxh6 1 6.Qc1 Rti 1 7.NhS Nc7 1 8 .Qxh6 Ne8
1 9.NgS Re7
It should be obvious who is winning. Black is positionally lost as a
result of the locked center.
20.Nf6+ Nxf6 2 1 .exf6 eS 22.dxeS Qc6 23.e6 Bh2+ 24.Kxh2 Qc7+
2S.Kgl Bxe6 26.Nxe6 Qd7 27.BxfS Rti 28.Re3 Kh8 29.NgS Qc7
30.Rae1 Rg8 3 1 .Re8 Rff8 32 .Qxf8 Qh2+ 33 .Kxh2 Rxf8 34.Rxf8#
1-0
l .d4 dS 2.NfJ Nf6 3.e3 cS 4.c3 e6 S.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nbd2 cxd4 7.exd4
Bd6 8.0-0 0-0 9.Rel Qc7 1 0.Qe2 1 l .dxeS Re8 1 2.exd6 1-0
l .NfJ d5 2.d4 c6 3.e3 Nf6 4.Bd3 Nbd7 5.Nbd2 e6 6.0-0 Be7 7.e4
Because Black has not challenged White in the center with . . . c5, White
does not have to prepare his normal e4 push with c3 . White gets his e4
break in quickly.
7 .. dxe4 8.Nxe4 0-0 9.Re1 Re8 1 0.Bf4
Black's play is passive, allowing White to post his pieces on
commanding squares.
10 .. Nxe4 1 l .Bxe4 NfB 1 2 .Ne5 Bd6 13.Re3
Also good is 1 3 .Qh5 Qe7.
13 .. f5 1 4.Bd3 g5? ?
Leading t o a quick end.
1 5.Bxg5 ! Qb6
Of course the bishop is poison. If 1 5 . . . Qxg5 1 6.Rg3 pinning the
queen.
1 6.Rg3 Ng6 1 7.Qh5 Qxb2 1 8.Rf1 Qxd4 1 9.Bf6 Bxe5 20.Rxg6+ ! Kf8
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 1 45
l .d4 cS 2.e3 dS 3.c3 Nf6 4.Bd3 e6 S.Nf3 b6 6.Nbd2 Bb7 7.0-0 Bd6
S.NeS Nbd7 9.f4 0-0 1 0.Qe2 Ne4 1 1 .Ndf3 f6 1 2.Nxd7 Qxd7 13.Nd2
fS 1 4.a4 Nxd2 l S .Bxd2 RaeS 1 6.aS Bc6 1 7.axb6 c4 l S.Bc2 axb6
1 9.Kh1 Qe7 20.Ra6 Qb7 2 1 .Rfa 1 RaS
Both sides have set up a Stonewall pawn formation which is not
conducive to active bishop play. The position is even.
22 .RxaS RxaS 23 .RxaS+ QxaS 24.g4 Qa1 + 2S.Qe1 Qxb2 26.Bb 1 ?
fxg4 27.fS? exfS 2S.BxfS bS? 29.Bxg4?
Here the position becomes a little frantic. In blitz games both sides
often make mistakes and in time pressure cannot calculate the correct
continuation.
29 Qc2 30.Be6+? KhS 3 1 .Qf2 Be7? ! 32.Bg4 Qb 1 + 33.Kg2 Qg6
..
Bh5 1 2.Qb3 ? 0-0-0 1 3.Bf5+ Kb8 1 4.a4 Nd5 1 5.Be4 c6 1 6.Nc4 Nf4?
1 7.Bxf4 exf4 1 8.Bxc6 Qc7 1 9.Na5 b6? 20.Be4 Qe7 ? ? 2 1 .Nc6+ Kb7
22 .Nxe7+ Kc7 23.Qc4+ Kd7 24.Bc6+ Kd6 25.Rad l+ Kc7 26.Be4+
Kb8 27.Rxd8# 1-0
l .d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.Nbd2 e6 5.h3 Bxf3 6.Qxf3 Bb4 7.c3
Bd6 8.e4 dxe4 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 1 0.Qxe4 c6 1 l .Bd3 h6 1 2.0--0 Nd7
13 .Qg4 Qf6 1 4.Rel 0-0-0 1 5.Re3 h5 1 6.Qe2 Qe7 1 7.Rf3 ?
White should be attacking on the queenside with a2-a4. l 7.RB
unnecessarily puts the rook on a vulnerable square and accelerates
Black's attack.
17 ... g5 1 8.g3 ? g4 1 9.Re3 gxh3 20.Bf5 Rdg8
20 . . . h4 2 1 .g4 Nf6 puts even more pressure on White 's weakened
kingside.
2 1 .Bxh3 Qh4 22.Bg2 Qg4?
There is no reason for Black to trade queens in this position. He should
simply play 22 . . . Qe7 followed by 23 . . . Nf6 and his rooks, bishop and
knight are ready to attack on the kingside.
23.Qxg4 hxg4 24.c4 Nf6 25.a3 c5 26.Rb3
Black's attack has dissipated.
26 .. b6
Both sides are in big time pressure (Lowey).
27.Be3 Nd7 28.a4 cxd4 29.Bxd4 Nc5 30.Rb5 e5 3 1 .Be3 Nd3 ? ?
32.Rd5 Nxb2 33.Rxd6 Nxc4 34.Rc6+ Kd7 35.Rxc4 1-O
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3 .e3 Bf5 4.Bd3 e6 5.Bxf5 exf5 6.Qd3 Qc8 7.Ne5
Bd6 8.Nd2 0-0 9.f4 c6 1 0.0--0 Re8 1 l .c4 as 1 2 .cxd5 cxd5 1 3.Ndf3
N e4 1 4.Bd2 f6 1 5.Rac1 Qd8
Better is l 5 . . . Qe6 with excellent chances for Black 1 6.Qb5 Nxd2 (16 . . .
Bxe5 1 7fxe5fxe5 1 8. Qxb 7; 1 6. . fxe5?! 1 7. dxe5 Bj8 1 8. Qxb 7) l 7.Nxd2
fxe5 (1 7. . . Bxe5 1 8fxe5 Nd7 19.Rc 7) l 8.fxe5 Bb4.
1 6.Qb5 fxe5 1 7.Qxd5+ Kf8 1 8.fxe5 Nxd2 1 9.Nxd2 Bb4? 20.Rxf5+
1-0
Practical PIt!) in The Coffe System 1 47
l .d4 dS 2.ND e6 3 .e3 Nf6 4.Bd3 b6 S.Nbd2 Nbd7 6.0-0 Be7 7.c3
0-0 8.e4 cS 9.eS Ne8 1 0.Re l Nc7 1 l .Nfl cxd4 1 2.cxd4 Na6 13.a3
Nab8 1 4.Bb l Nc6?
14 . . . Re8 was Black's only hope.
I S.Qc2
IS .. Bb7
Worrying about protecting the knight, Black neglects to defend her
king.
1 6.Qxh7# 1-0
Leighton, G. - Johnson, G.
Illinois , 1 97 1
l .Nf3 cS 2.e3 Nf6 3 .d4 e6 4.Bd3 Nc6 S.c3 Qc7 6.Nbd2 dS 7.Qc2 Bd6
S.dxcS BxcS 9.e4 NeS 1 0.exdS NxdS 1 l .BbS+ Ke7 1 2 .Ne4 Nxf3+
13 .gxf3 Bb6 1 4.BgS+ f6 I S .Bh4 Qf4 1 6.Qa4 Qxh4 1 7.Qa3+ Kf7
I S.Nd6+ KgS 19.0--0-0 Qf4+ 20.Kb l Bc7 2 1 .NxcS RxcS 22.Rhel
Bd6 23.Qxa7 QfS+ 24.Bd3 Qxf3 2 S.c4 BcS 26.Qa4 Nb6 27.Qb3 Qc6
2S.Be4 Qc7 29.QbS 0-1
and White lost on time.
l .d4 dS 2.Nf3 Nf6 3 .e3 g6 4.Bd3 Bg7 S.Nbd2 0-0 6.0-0 Nbd7 7.Re l
cS S.c3 c 4 9.Bc2 bS 1 0.a4 bxa4 1 l .Bxa4 B b 7 1 2 .Bc2 Qc7 1 3 .e4 Nb6
1 4.eS Nfd7 I S .NgS BcS 1 6.Ndf3 ? !
1 6.e6 i s the shot that White misses. 1 6 . . . fxe6 i s out o f the question
because 1 7.Nxe6 forks queen and rook while 1 6 . . . Nf6 1 7.exfl+ gives
White a powerful passed pawn deep in Black territory.
16 .. h6 1 7.Nh3
White had a chance to make up for his oversight on move 1 6 with
1 7.Nxfl Rxfl 1 8 .e6.
1 7 ... ReS? I S.Bf4 ? !
Black again hands White the opportunity to play 1 8 .e6 fxe6 (1 8. . . Nj8
19.Bf4 Qb 7 20. exj7+ Kxj7 21.Ne5+ Bxe5 22.Bxe5 Bxh3 23. Qf3 + Bf5)
1 9.Nf4 e5 20.Bxg6 RfS 2 1 .Ne6 winning the exchange.
IS .. Nf8?
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 1 49
Black stubbornly refuses to put a stop, once and for all, to White 's e6
threat by playing 1 8 . . . e6 himself.
1 9.Qd2
1 9.e6 Qb7 20.exf7+ Kxf7 2 1 .NeS+ Kg8 22.Qf3 BxeS 23 .RxeS and
White is in a position to pounce.
19 . Bxh3 20.e6 Qc8 2 1 .exli+ Kxli 22.gxh3 Qxh3
Timing is everything in chess. White finally played e6 but it was too
late. The exchanges have netted Black a pawn and the shots White
once had are no longer there.
23 .Bg3 Qc8? 24.Qf4+ Kg8 2S.Qh4 e6 26.NeS Qd8 27.Qh3 Nbd7
28.Nxg6 Nxg6 29.Bxg6 Rf8 ? 30.Qxe6+ Kh8 3 1 .QxdS Nb6
32.Qg2
32.Qxd8 Raxd8 3 3 .Rxa7 Rf6 gives White a material advantage with a
winning position.
32 QgS 33 .Bc2 Rli 34.Qe4 Bf6 3 S.h4 Qg7 36.Kh l Re7 3 7.Qg6
.
Rxe l + 38.Rxel Qxg6 39.Bxg6 Kg7 40.hS Nd7 4 1 .Bd6 Nf8 42.BfS
Nh7 43.f4 Bh4 44.Re6
44.Rg l + wins a piece after 44 . . . Kh8 4S.Rg6 Nf6 46.Be7 Rb8 47.Bxf6+
Bxf6 48.Rxf6.
44.. N f8 4S.BeS+ Kti 46.Rxh6 1-O
l .d4 dS 2.e3 e6 3 .Bd3 cS 4.c3 Nc6 S.Nt1 Nf6 6.0-0 Bd6 7.Nbd2 Qe7
8.e4N dxe4 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 1 0.Bxe4 Bd7 l l .dS exdS 1 2.BxdS 0-0-0
150 THE DOGS OF WAR
1 3 .Re1 NeS?
Black underestimates the dangers of the position. 1 3 . . . Be6 1 4.Bxe6+
fxe6 1 5 .Qb3 keeps White 's advantage to a minimum.
14.Bf4 Bg4?
Better is 1 4 . . . Nxf3+ 1 5 .Qxf3 Be6.
l S.BxeS BxeS 1 6.RxeS QxeS 1 7.NxeS
White should play 1 7.Bxb7+ Kc7 1 8.Qxd8+ (1 8.Nxe5? Rxdl +
19.Rxdl Bxdl and White has too many weaknesses to defend.) 1 8 . . .
Rxd8 1 9.Nxe5.
1 7 . . .Bxd 1 1 S.Rx d 1 RheS 1 9.Nf3 Re2 20.Bxb7+ Kc7 2 1 .RxdS KxdS
22.Kf1 Rxb2 23.BdS f6 24.Ke1 Rc2 2S.c4?
White can hold on to both queenside pawns with 25.Bb3 Rc l + (25 . . .
Rxc3 26.Kd2 Rxb3 2 7. axb3) 26.Kd2.
2S ... Rxa2 26.Nd2 Kc7 27.Ne4 Kb6 2S.Nd6 as 29.NeS?
29.Nb5 keeps the knight on the queenside where it is needed to keep
an eye on the passed pawn on a5 .
29 .. a4 30.Nxg7? a3 3 1 .Ne6 Ra 1 +
A more precise win is 3 1 . . .Rb2 32.g3 a2 3 3 .Kfl a l Q+.
32 .Kd2 a 2 0-1
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 dS 4.Bd3 Nbd7 S.Nbd2 Bd6 6.0-0 0-0 7.Re 1
c S S.c3 Q c 7 9.e4 dxe4 1 0.Nxe4 Nxe4 1 l .Rxe4 c 4 1 2.Bc2 bS 1 3 .NeS
BxeS 14.dxeSz Bb7 l S .Rh4 g6 1 6.Be4 Bxe4 1 7.Rxe4 RfdS l S.Qe2
NcS 19.Rd4 RacS 20.BgS Rxd4 2 1 .cxd4 Nd7 22.Re 1 a6 23.dS c3
24.dxe6 fxe6 2S.bxc3 Qxc3 26.h3 Qc7 27.Qg4 NxeS ?
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 151
3 S.Qd4+ Rf6 3 6.g4 h6 3 7.Qb2 Nd6 38.QeS Nfi 39.Qb2 NgS 40.a3
Nf3+ 4 1 .Kg3 NgS 42.h4 Ne4+ 43.Kg2 Kh7 44.QxbS Rf2+ 4S.Kgl
Rfi 46.Qe8 Nd6 47.Qe6 1--0
Black is in zugzwang after 47 . . . g5 48 .h5 .
l .d4 dS 2.Nf3 Nf6 3 .e3 Bg4 4.c4 e6 S.Nc3 Bb4 6.Qa4+ Nc6 7.NeS
Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 0--0 9.Nxc6 bxc6 1 0.Qxc6 Qd6? 1 l .cxdS NxdS l 2.Qxd6
cxd6 1 3.c4 Nc3 ? 1 4.f3 BfS 1 S.e4 Bg6 1 6.Bd3 fS 1 7.eS Rad8 ? 1 8.exd6
Rxd6 1 9.Ba3 Rxd4 20.Bxf8 Rxd3 2 1 .Bb4 Re3+?
Black makes an ill-fated decision to check.
22.Kd2 f4 23.Bxc3 Rd3+ 24.Kc2 Rxf3+ 2S.Kb3 Rf2 26.Rhgl Bc2+
27.Kb4 Be4 28.Ran Rxa2 29.Rxf4 Bxg2 30.Rg4 Bc6 3 1 .Rxg7+
Kh8
3 1 . . .KfS does not save Black from being checkmated after 32.Rg8+
Ke7 3 3 . R l g7+ Kd6 34.Rd8+ Bd7 3 5 .Rdxd7+ Kc6 36.Rc7+ Kb6
3 7.c5+ Ka6 38.Rxa7#.
32.Rg8# 1--0
l .d4 dS 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 cS S.b3 Nc6 6.0--0 Be7 7.Bb2 0--0
8.Nbd2 b6 9.NeS Qc7 1 0.f4 cxd4 1 1 .Nxc6 Qxc6 12.exd4 Ne4 13.Rf3
eS I 4.fS ?
1 4.fxe5 Bg4 1 5 .c4 and Black is "only" down the exchange.
14 Nxd2 I S .Qxd2 e4 1 6.Bxe4
6.Re3 is no better after 1 6 . . . Bg5 (1 6. . . exd3 1 7.Rxe 7 Qxc2 18. Qxc2
dxc2 19.Re5) 1 7.Bfl Bxf5 .
1 6 dxe4 1 7.dS Qd6 1 8.Rg3 Bf6 1 9.Qh6 Bd4+ ! 20.Bxd4 Qxh6
..
While researching the Internet and mega databases for this book we
came upon a gambit for Black evidently designed to get White out of
the Colle "system." After l .d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3. Nf3 e6 4.Bd3 c5 5 .c3 Nc6
6.Nbd2, Black plays 6 . . . g5 which is a Shabalov Attack in reverse. The
Shabalov Attack is a gambit (6.g4) White plays against the Semi-Slav
(Meran). Now reverse the colors and you have Black playing 6 . . . g5
against the Colle (which really is a Semi-Slav in reverse). Like any
gambit, 6 . . . g5 can be accepted or declined:
7 Rg8 8.f4?
.
White has at least three very good lines to follow that do not accept
the gambit: 7.e4, 7.h3 and 7.0-0.
White has nothing to fear in this position and can simply castle. The
slight weakness of his isolated d-pawn is balanced by Black's own
loose pawn structure and lack of development.
Practical PI'!Y in The Colle System 155
Illustrative Game # 1
Markus, John Raymond (2 1 56) - Kobrin, Michael (2355)
Dieren Open, 1 999
White can turn this into a tactical melee with 24.b5 and Black can
respond with 24 . . . Bxa3 or 24 . . . Bb4. Instead White's more conservative
move gives Black one last ray of hope. But Black doesn't see it and
blunders after
24.Nf6+ Kd8? ?
24 . . . Bxf6 would allow Black to cement the position after 25.exf6 b5.
25.Rxa4 ! Rxa4 26.Nxg8 Bxb4
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 1 57
White 's last move begins the final liquidation of Black's pieces leaving
White a rook up in a winning position after 3 6 .Ba4 Bxb2 37.Bxc6+
Nxc6 3 8 .Qxb2 Qxb2+ 39.Kxb2 Nxd4 40.Nxb7
Illustrative Game #2
Markus, John Raymond (22 0 1 ) - Steinbacher, Matthias (2326)
Amsterdam ACT Open, 2004
Illustrative Game #3
Chessmaster - Bradzang
www.j axchessnews.com/id82.html
l .d4 d5 2.NO Nf6 3.e3 c5 4.c3 e6 5.Nbd2 Nc6 6.Bd3 g5 7.h3 Rg8
8.0-0 Qb6 9.dxc5
A better continuation for White is 9.e4 g4 1 0.hxg4 cxd4 1 1 .exd5
Nxd5 1 2.Nc4 Qc7 1 3 .Nxd4 Nxd4 1 4.cxd4 and his superior
development is evident.
9.. Bxc5 1 0.e4 h6 1 l .exd5 Nxd5 1 2 .Nc4 Qc7 1 3 .Rel Be7 14.Nfe5
1 60 THE DOGS OF WAR
White's pieces are developed and he has open lines of attack. His
opponent has a dark square weakness (e5 and f6) and must hurry to
complete his development.
14 ... Bd7 1 5.Qh5 0-0-0 1 6.Nxe6 Qxe6 1 7.Ne5 Qb6 1 8.Qxh6
White can maintain an edge with 1 8.a4 ! ? Bc5 1 9.Qe2 combining
defense of the f2 square with an attack on Black's queenside.
18 ... Be5 19.Re2 f6 20.Nxd7 Rxd7 2 1 .Be2
White should keep his bishop active with 2 1 .Be4.
21. .. Qa6 22.Rel Qb6 23.Rf1
Again, White should keep his rook active on the e-file by playing
23.Re2 g4 24.hxg4 Rxg4 25.Qh8+ Rd8 26.Qh3 .
23 ... g4
Practical PIt!Y in The Colle System 161
Sum mary
In the Markus v. Steinbacher game, Mr. Markus did not get flustered by
6 . . . gS . He was able to discern, even in the face of a theoretical novelty,
that the gambit could be declined without repercussion and that the
Colle System has sufficient resources to so decline the gambitted
pawn. If Black's objective was to get White out of his book, he failed
miserably.
In the third game White's loss was due to several inaccuracies and
missed opportunities during middlegame play.
Our conclusion is that the 6 . . . gS gambit in the Colle System may not
be totally sound, but it does contain shock value, and with continued
study and homegrown analysis, may offer practical chances for the
gambiteer at heart. The study of these games can only help to improve
your tactical and analytical skills.
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 1 63
Had it not been for chess I should never have met some
of the extraordinary men and women, in many walks of
life, whose acquaintance has enriched my days. Among
them I count some of my best friends - reason enough
for me to be grateful to the game.
- Edward Lasker ( 1 885- 1 98 1 )
Przepiorka, D. - Colle, E.
Frankfurt, 1 93 0
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e 6 3.e3 b6 4.Bd3 Bb7 5.Nbd2 e 5 6.0-0 Ne6 7.e3 Qe7
8.Re l Re8 9.Nfl d5
Black has equalized comfortably and is ready to complete his
development with . . . Bd6 followed by . . . 0-0 .
1 0.Bd2 Bd6 1 l .Rc 1 0-0 1 2.dxe5 Bxe5 13.e4 d4
The passive placement of the White pieces allows Black to push
1 64 THE D OGS OF WAR
forward.
1 4.a3 as 1 5.e4
An attempt to close the position and limit the scope of the Black
bishops. But in reality, the move gives Black a powerful passed pawn.
15 .. Bd6 1 6.Ng3 Nd7 1 7.Qe2 Rfd8 1 8.Bb l
Black's passed pawn and powerfully placed pieces will prove too much
for White.
26 Nxb2 0-1
The queen is trapped.
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 dS 3 .e3 e6 4.Bd3 cS S.b3 Nc6 6.0-0 Bd6 7.Bb2 0-0
8.Nbd2 Qe7 9.NeS cxd4 1 0.exd4 Ba3
A common defensive strategy against the Colle-Zukertort variation is
to exchange the dark squared bishops. Obj ectively White has nothing
to fear from this exchange as it sidelines the Black queen. This game
shows that in the hands of a master like Capablanca White should not
take this exchange for granted.
1 l .Bxa3 Qxa3 1 2 .Ndf3 Bd7 1 3 .Nxc6 Bxc6 14.Qd2 Rac8 I S.c3 a6
1 6.NeS
White is positioning his pieces aggressively, but this comes at the cost
of neglecting the weaknesses on the queenside.
16 BbS 1 7.f3
White can avoid the exchange of bishops and maintain his advantage
with 1 7.c4 ! ? Bc6 1 8 .Qe3 .
17 . Bxd3 1 8.Nxd3 Rc7 1 9.Rac1 Rfc8 20.Rc2 Ne8
The knight is heading for d6 where it will eye the c4 square, weakened
as a result of the exchange of bishops on move 1 7.
2 1 .Rfc 1 Nd6 22.NeS
22.Nc5 b6 23 .Na4 would require Black to work harder for the win.
22 .. QaS
1 66 THE DOGS OF WAR
All of the focus is on the critical c3 square which has been under almost
constant attack since move 1 8 .
23.a4
An unnecessary weakening of the queenside pawns. The pressure to
defend the backward pawn on the open c-file creates new weaknesses
for White.
23 Qb6 24.Nd3 Qxb3 2S.NcS Qb6 26.Rb2 Qa7 27.Qel b6 28.Nd3
..
Rc4 29.aS bxaS 30.NcS NbS 3 1 .Re2 ? Nxd4 ! 32.cxd4 R8xcS 0-1
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Nbd2 dS 4.e3 cS S.c3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 Be7 7.0-0
0-0 8.NeS NxeS 9.dxeS Nd7 1 0.f4 fS 1 l .exf6 Rxf6 1 2.e4 NfB 1 3 .Nf3
Ng6 14.eS Rf8 1 S.Qc2 Qe8 1 6.c4 d4 1 7.h4 Kh8 1 8.g3 Rg8 1 9.hS NfB
20.g4 g6 2 1 .hxg6 Nxg6 22.gS Bd7 23.Qh2 Rg7 24.Qh3 Bc6 2S.Nh2
NxeS 26.fxeS BxgS 27.Ng4 hS 28.Rf8+ QxfB 29.QxhS+ Kg8 30.BxgS
Qf3 3 1 .Nf6+ KfB 32 .Qxf3 Bxf3 33.Kf2 RxgS 34.Nh7+ Ke7 3S.NxgS
Bc6 36.Nh7 1-O
l .d4 dS 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 cS S.c3 Nc6 6.Nbd2 cxd4 7.exd4
Bd6 8.0-0 Qc7 9.Rel 0-0 1 0.Nfl eS 1 l .dxeS NxeS 1 2 .NxeS BxeS
1 3 .BgS Ng4 1 4.h3 ? Bh2+
Black "out Colle 's" the Colle System.
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 1 67
l .d4 dS 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 cS S.c3 Bd6 6.Nbd2 Nc6 7.0-0 0-0
8.e4 cxd4 9.cxd4 dxe4 1 0.Nxe4 Be7
H .Ng3
Colle still has to work out a few kinks in his system. I 1 .Qc2 Ng4
1 2.Neg5 g6 and the themes we are familiar with are evident.
H QdS 1 2 .Rel Rd8
The pressure on the isolated pawn forces White into a defensive
posture.
1 3 .Ne2 Qd7 1 4.BbS Qc7 I S.Bf4 Qb6 1 6.Bxc6 bxc6 1 7.Qc2 Bb7
1 8.Nc3 NdS ? !
1 8 . . . c5 would give Black the advantage after 1 9.Na4 Qb5 20.dxc5 (20.
Nxc5 Bxj3 21.gxj3 Rxd4) 20 . . . Bxf3 2 1 .gxf3 .
1 9.NxdS
After Black's miscue on move 1 8 the chances for both sides are equal
and the draw is soon agreed to.
19 . RxdS 20.Be3 Rad8 %-%
1 68 THE DOGS OF WAR
l .d4 dS 2.Nf3 Nf6 3 .e3 e6 4.Bd3 cS S.c3 Nbd7 6.0-0 Bd6 7.Nbd2
0-0 8.e4 cxd4 9.cxd4 dxe4 1 0.Nxe4 Nxe4 1 l .Bxe4 Qb6 1 2 .Bc2 Nf6
1 3 .Qd3 Bd7 1 4.NeS?
l .d4 dS 2.Nf3 Nf6 3 .e3 e6 4.Bd3 cS S.b3 Nc6 6.Bb2 Bd6 7.0-0 Qc7
8.a3N b6 9.c4 Bb7 1 0.Nc3 a6 1 l .Rel cxd4 1 2.exd4 0-0 1 3 .Na4 Bf4
1 4.NeS
This move opens up the a8-h l diagonal for Black. A better course of
action would be 1 4.c5 ! ? b5 1 5 .Nc3 and the diagonal remains blocked.
14 .. dxc4 I S.bxc4 NxeS 1 6.dxeS Qc6 1 7.BO
The opening of the a8-h l diagonal poses considerable problems for
White. Black is threatening mate on g2 as well as attacking the wayward
knight on a4.
17 Rfd8 1 8.Qb3 Ng4 1 9.h3 ?
19 . Rd3 !
Black invades quickly and powerfully. White is helpless to defend all
of Black's threats.
20.Qxb6
The rook cannot be captured with 20.Bxd3 because of Qxg2#; 20.Qxd3
loses the queen after 20 . . . Bh2+ 2 1 .Kh I Nxf2+ 22.Kxh2 Nxd3 and,
adding insult to injury, White stands to lose more material.
20 .. Rxh3 ! 2 1 .Bd4
2 1 .gxh3 2 1 . . .Qh l # is the more obvious mate, but. 2 1 . . .Bh2# is more
subtle.
21 . Bh2+ 22.Kh l 0-1
White resigns as 22 . . . Bxe5+ 23 .Kg l Bh2+ 24.Kh l Bc7+ picks up the
queen.
1 70 THE D OGS OF WAR
This game, which depicts the "Colle System" in its infancy, exhibits
the creative genius of Edgar Colle at a time when the Colle Sytem was
on the cutting edge of opening theory. It is clear from this game that
Colle envisioned his system to be an attacking weapon, not the tame
and dull opening with which it has been labeled by modem critics.
l .d4 dS 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 eS S.e3 Ne6 6.Nbd2 Be7 7.0-0 0-0
8.dxeS
It is 1 924 and Colle is still refining his system. In Colle-Loman, with
the Black bishop on e7, Colle played 8.e4.
8 ... BxeS 9.b4
Modem opening theory says that 9.e4 is the correct continuation.
9 Bd6 1 0.a3 eS 1 l .e4 Bg4 1 2.exdS NxdS 1 3 .Ne4 Be7 1 4.bS NaS
..
25 . . . Rxc3 can be played without fear as after 26.Bxg6 Qc7 (but not
26. . . hxg6 2 7.Rxg6+ Kh 7 2B.Rgxd6 and Black 's exposed king gives
White the advantage.) 27.Bxf7+ Kh8 and Black's material advantage
gives him winning chances.
Practical Plqy in The Colle System 171
26.Bxg6 !
The combination for which White has been maneuvering is finally
realized. The difference is that now the rook is also under attack and
Black must capture the invading bishop.
26 . hxg6 27.Rxg6+ KhS 2S.Rdxd6
All the material that White has sacrificed is now returned and he is
right back in the game.
2S .. Qe7 29.Nd5 Qe5 3 0.Rh6+ Rxh6 3 1 .Rxh6+ KgS?
If 3 1 . . . Kg7 ! ? 32.Rh4 Rg8 and Black still has fighting chances.
32.Rh4
After 32.Nf6+ Kg7 3 3 .Qb l the threats against the Black king would be
too much to handle.
32 RdS 33.Rg4+ KhS 34.Nxf4 Qel+ 35.Rgl Qe3 36.Qe2 RgS
..
l .d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e4 e6 4.e3 e6 5.Ne3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxe4 7.Bxe4 b5
S.Bd3 a6
This is a mirror image of the position reached four games earlier in this
match between Colle and Euwe. Did either player glean any insights
from that encounter?
9.0-0 e5 1 0.a4 b4 1 I .Ne2 Bb7 1 2 .Ng3 exd4 1 3 .exd4 Bd6 14.Qe2
0-0 1 5.Rd l Qa5 1 6.Be3 Nd5 1 7.Ng5 N7f6 I S.N5e4 Nxe4 1 9.Nxe4
Nxe3 20.Qxe3 Bxe4 2 1 .Bxe4 RadS 22.Qh3 h6 23.Be2 Be7 24.Qd3
g6 25.Bb3 Bf6
Attacking the isolated pawn on d4.
26.Qe4 Rd6 27.Rd3 Kg7 2S.Rad l
White prepares to advance the pawn to d5 with the hope of ridding
himself of this liability.
2S .. RfdS 29.h3 Qf5 30.Qe3 e5 3 1 .d5
The pawn advances without having to be traded.
3 1 . e4 32 .R3 d2 ReS 33 .Qe2 Re7 34.Re1 Re7 35.Qe4 Be5 36.Rde2
.
Rb7 37.Qe2 Qf6 3S.Rb l Bd4 39.Qxe4 Rdd7 40.Be4 Re7 41 .Qd3
1 72 THE DOGS OF WAR
Rxe2 42.Qxe2 Re7 43.Qe2 Re5 44.b3 Rg5 45.Qd2 Be5 46.Rf1 Qf5
47.Kh l Rh5
48.f4
Not 4S.Bxa6 because after 4S . . . Rxh3+ 49.gxh3 Qxh3+ 50.Kg l Qg3+
5 1 .Kh I Qh3+ 52.Kg l Qg3+ 53 .Kh l Qh3+ Black can escape with a
draw by perpetual check.
48 ... Qe4 49.Qd3 Qxd3 50.Bxd3 Rxd5 5 1 .Bxa6
With an extra pawn and bishops of opposite color, White has a small
but persistent advantage. The passed a-pawn will queen on a square
that is the same color as his bishop.
5 1 ... Rd2 52.g3 g5 53.fxg5 hxg5 54.Rf5 Be7
There is no perpetual check after 54 . . . Rd l + 5 5 .Kg2 Rd2+ 56.Kfl and
the White king is safe.
55.Be4 f6 56.a5 B d 6 57.a6 Be5
Restricting the White rook from defense of the pawn. Black cannot
attack the passed pawn directly because after 57 . . . Ra2 5S .Rb5 Kh6
the White pieces are well posted to usher the pawn to the as queening
square.
58.g4 Kf8? 59.Bb5 Ke7 60.a7 1-0
After 60 . . . RdS 6 1 .Bc6 and the pawn cannot be stopped from
queemng.
Practical PI'!Y in The Colle System 1 73
As Black, Colle would inevitably come face to face with his "System."
When he did, his defense of choice would be a Queen's Indian.
l .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3 .e3 b6 4.Bd3 Bb7 5.Nbd2 c5 6.0-0 Nc6 7.c3 Be7
S.Qe2 0-0 9.Re1 Qc7 1 0.e4 cxd4 1 l .Nxd4 Ne5 1 2 .Bc2 Ng6 1 3.Nfl
RacS 1 4.Bg5 Nd5 1 5.Bxe7 Ndxe7 1 6.Ne3 d5 1 7.exd5 Nf4 1 S.Qf3
Nexd5 1 9.Nxd5 Bxd5 20.Be4 Bc4 2 1 .Qe3 e5 22.Nf3 f5 23 .Bc2 e4
24.Nd4 RceS 25.f3 Rf6 26.fxe4 Rg6 27.g3 Nh3+ 2S.Kh 1 Bd5?
29.exd5 Rxe3 30.Rxe3 Qd7 3 1 .Nxf5 Qxd5+? 32.Be4 Qd2 33 .Ne7+
KhS 34.Nxg6+ hxg6 35.Rae1 Nf2+ 3 6.Kg 1 ? Nh3+ 3 7.Kh 1 Nf2+
3 S.Kg1
3S Nxe4?
..
Black can guarantee himself a draw by taking the perpetual check with
3 8 . . . Nh3+ 39.Kh l .
39.R3e2 Qd5 40.Rxe4 Qxa2 %-Yz
In the final position White has the advantage, but the draw is agreed
upon.
Practical PIt!Y in The Colle System 1 75
Pawn Promotions
P.O. Box 3 54
Raritan, NJ 08869
gambit@pawnpromotions.org
SYM B O LS
? A bad move
A good move
!? An interesting move
?! A dubious move
?? A blunder
+ Check
# Mate
1 -0 White wins
0- 1 Black wins
1/2- 1/2 Draw agreed
178 THE DOGS O F WAR
P LAYERS IN D EX
Steinbacher, Matthias, 1 5 8
Stewart, Douglas, 68, 1 4 1 ,
1 45
Stoyko, Steve, 1 6, 27, 93 , 96
Stuart, Phil, 25, 50, 54, 87, 89
Sugar, Zoltan, 22
Taylor, Anton, 20, 1 44
Theroux, Dick, 92
Thompson, R., 70
Van der Westhuizer, 52
Vameckas, Donald, 1 45
Vasilj evic, D., 29, 3 0
Veach, J . , 3 3 , 9 8
Vermeson, 8 7
Vidmar, Richard, 43
Vosburgh, Ted, 4 1
Walker, Jim, 1 4 1
Wang, P., 3 5
Weidman, 1 46
Weinand, Gerald, 1 04, 1 39,
1 50
Weir, Patrick, 1 49
Wen, Jean-Francois, 1 1 3
Weyrauch, C., 50
Wilder, Michael, 1 1 6
Wirig, A., 1 05
Woods, Glenn, 1 52
Yildiz, B . , 98
Yudasin, Leonid, 9
Zimmer, Ralph, 1 22