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07-31-2008, 08:38 PM
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#1 (permalink)
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Posts: 1,410
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How to play with black against the Colle System, London System and Stonewall Attack
I recently started putting my old scribbled notes and other materials into the computer. This because I've seen lots of discussion here (and many other places) lately about the Colle and London systems and the Stonewall attack.
Without going into any details on whether or not those are valid opening systems, I'm giving you my notes. First on the Colle System, for which I have three approaches. The all-purpose defense with the e6-d5-c5 formation, countering with e5 and a simple solution (which may transpose).
Colle System
“The All-Purpose Defense (1)”
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 c5 4. c3 e6
{A bit stody, but it’s solid}
5. Bd3 Bd6
{Black should look to play e5 constantly, this furthers that effort}
6. Nbd2 Nbd7
{Nbd2 to get in e4 for white, the bishop on c1 is hemmed in, this isn’t so much of a problem since it will come out later. For black, Nbd7 is a little passive, I would recommend Nc6 instead, but this line is fine as well.}
7. O-O O-O 8. Re1 Re8
{White’s moves are extremely easy to find, this is what people like about the Colle. Time for white’s thematic move.}
9. e4 exd5
{Black had to do something because e5 was threatened which would push black ‘off the board’.}
10. Nxe4 Nxe4 11. Bxe4 cxd4
{Looking to leave white with an isolated pawn and play Nf6 which is why the knight went to d7. Maybe not such a good idea! Black’s kingside has no defenders. This may be sound or not for white, what is beyond question is that black has a tough time defending.}
12. Bxh7+ Kxh7 13. Ng5+ Kg6
{13. … Kg8 would have been fatal immediately}
14. h4 Rh8
{Contesting white on the h-file. White follows with a sacrifice to get at the king but black won’t take it.}
15. Rxe6 Nf6 16. h5+ Kh6 17. Rxd6 Qa5
{17. Rxd6 is hotly debated, but black doesn’t take it.}
18. Nxf7+ Kh7 19. Ng5+ Kg8 20. Qb3+ {Game over. Black maybe has to try and play e5 in one shot.}
“Countering with e5 (1)”
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 c5 4. c3 Nbd7
{Black is not going to play e6, he protects the c-pawn in case white takes it.}
5. Nbd2 g6
{This move is very effective against the Colle system. The white bishop is going to d3, this takes away squares on that diagonal. White really cannot castle long so black has little to worry about attacks with the white h-pawn.
6. Bd3 Bg7 7. O-O O-O
{Colle against Vidmar continued e4, which maybe wasn’t such a great idea.}
8. e4 dxe4 9. Nxe4 cxd4
{Colle takes back with the knight to avoid the isolated pawn and black hits the bishop while putting his knight on a good square.}
10. Nxd4 Ne5 11. Nxf6 Bxf6 12. Be2 Bd7
{White now hits the b-pawn, which is easily defended}
13. Qb3 Qc8 14. Bh6 Rd8 15. Bf4 Nc6 16. Nxc6 Bxc6 17. Bc4 Qg4
{Black has countered properly in the center, exchanged some pieces while staying on par in development. The threat on f7 looked terrible, but black hasn’t made any mistakes, ignores the threat and goes ahead with his own play.}
18. Bxf7+ Kg7
{Both white bishops are hanging, the f4-bishop because it’s loose, the f7-bishop because it’s protected by the queen only, which gives black opportunities to overload the heavier piece.}
19. Bg3 Rd2 20. Re1 Rad8
{Black has definite compensation. Black has the d-file, good maneuverability for his bishops and queen whereas white’s queen is babysitting the f7-bishop. White follows with a move to try and solve everything, losing more tempo.}
21. Be6 Qg5 22. Bh3 Bb5
{White has a problem here. White counters with his own threat.}
23. Bf4 Qxf4 24. Qxb5 Qc7 25. Bg4 R8d5
{Black gets a nice positional advantage out of chasing the queen.}
26. Qb4 a5 27. Qa3 Rb5
{Threatening to take the b-pawn and double on the 7th which is great for black.}
28. b3 Rc5
{Not only attacking the pawn on c3 but also making life harder for the queen by taking away squares. Also, the idea of Rxe2+ is deprived of some of its potency. White has to play c4 to defend.}
29. c4 Bb2
{Isn’t that cute? The queen is getting mated, moving one square at a time as a king would.}
30. Qa4 b5 31. cxb5 Rd4 32. b6 Rxa4 33. bxc7 Rxg4
{An easily won endgame for black.}
“Countering with e5 (2)”
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Nbd7 4. Bd3 c5 5. c3 g6 6. O-O Bg7
{Many roads lead to Rome.}
7. Nbd2 O-O 8. Re1 Qc7 9. e4 dxe4
{You could possibly play 9. … e5 rightaway, but it’s not necessarily a good idea. 9. … dxe4 is simpler.}
10. Nxe4 cxd4
{This is a very safe path.}
11. Nxd4 Nxe4 12. Bxe4 Nf6 13. Bc2 e5
{Black has a good game.}
“Countering with e5 (3)”
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Nbd7 4. Bd3 c5 5. c3 g6 6. O-O Bg7 7. Nbd2 O-O 8. Re1 Qc7 9. e4 dxe4 10. Nxe4 e5
{This is a little more enterprising.}
11. dxe5 Ng4
{If 11. d5 you exchage the knights on e4 and you’re okay. Black comes up with a Budapest’ish move.}
12. Bf4 Ngxe5 13. Qe2 Re8 14. c4 Nxf3+ 15. Qxf3
{Time to play chess, black’s fine.}
“Countering with e5 (4)”
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Nbd7 4. Bd3 c5 5. c3 g6 6. O-O Bg7 7. Nbd2 O-O 8. Re1 Qc7 9. b4 b6 10. bxc5 bxc5 11. Qa4
{Black, again, hasn’t made any mistakes. Why should this lead to an advantage for white? Black should play e5 or Re8 first and then e5.}
“The All-Purpose Defense (2)”
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 e6 4. Bd3 c5 5. c3 Bd6 6. O-O Qc7 7. Nbd2 Nf6
{This is a little more active in light of later exchanges. }
8. dxc5 Bxc5 9. e4 O-O
{Black doesn’t have to exchange here. White doesn’t want to exchange on d5, can’t play e5 since that square is defended. Both sides maneuver pieces to hit the e5 square.}
10. Qe2 Bd6 11. Re1 Ng4
{Here comes that Ng4 idea again. Black contests the central squares.}
12. h3 Ne5 13. Nxe5 Nxe5
{White wants to deal with the pawn first.}
14. exd5 Nxd3 15. Qxd3 Rd8
{Go for development! The rook opposite the queen is never to be underestimated. The exd5 is threatened because white cannot recapture with the queen as Bh2+ would be the end of the game.}
16. Nf3 Be7 17. c4 exd5 18. cxd5 Be6
{The pawn is pinned.}
19. Qe4 Rxd5 20. Nd4 Qc4 21. Nf5 Qxe4 22. Nxe7+ Kf8 23. Rxe4 Kxe7
{Equal.}
“Something simple”
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Bf5
{This is Alekhine against Euwe in ’35, 3. … Bf5, a simple idea. You have to be prepared for 4. c4 if white doesn’t go into the Colle. Euwe would have likely played c6 entering the Slav.}
4. Bd3 e6
{Rather than exchanging or going back to g6. The pawns aren’t very nice and the f5-pawn may be difficult to defend, but the e4 idea is off.}
5. Bxf5 exf5 6. Qd3 Qc8
{Qxf5 and Qb5+ were threatened.}
7. b3 Na6
{A very interesting idea on Euwe’s part. Intending Nc7 creating a very solid position it can’t be taken because the bishop is gone.}
8. O-O Be7 9. c4 O-O
{If 10. cxd5 then Nb4 and black can recapture getting a nice square there.}
10. Nc3 c6 11. Bb2 Ne4
{Difficult to deal with the knight there. White has to create play on the queenside.}
12. Rfc1 Rd8
{White opposed the queen and black does the same, though there is stuff in the way, that can change quickly.}
13. Qe2 Qe6 14. a3 Nc7
{A balanced position.}
15. c5 Re8
{The rook is no longer needed on d8 and moves to a better square.}
16. b4 f4
{Aggressive on black’s part.}
17. exf4 Nxc3 18. Qxe6 Nxe6 19. Rxc3 Nxf4
{Black has a good game.}
20. Rb3 a6
{Stopping b5.}
21. g3 Ne6 22. a4 Bf6
{Hitting e4.}
23. Rd1 Nc7 24. Kf1 Re4 25. Bc1 Rae8 26. Bf4 Ne6 27. Be3
{The game was drawn later by repetition as it wasn’t 30 moves yet.}
(I've posted this in the Colle thread as well.)
__________________
White:
- Ruy Lopez
- Sicilian Defense: Chekhover variation, Rossolimo variation, Delayed Alapin variation
- French Defense: Bogo-Winawer variation, Classical variation 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7
- Pirc Defense: Byrne variation
Black:
- Ruy Lopez: Modern Steinitz variation
- Two Knights Defense: Fritz variation, Ulvestadt variation
- King's Gambit: Falkbeer Countergambit: Nimzowitsch variation
- Indian Defense: Nimzo-Indian Defense, Queen's Indian Defense
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07-31-2008, 08:41 PM
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#2 (permalink)
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Posts: 1,410
Thanked 77 Times in 74 Posts
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Over to the London System, note the many similarities.
London System
‘Smyslov as black (1)’
1. d4 Nf3 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bf4 Bg7
{Smyslov, black, isn’t committing his d- or e-pawn yet nor does he have to because of his control of e4. Bf4 by white usually indicates d6 is better for black than d5 because that would weaken the e5 square.}
4. e3 c5
{Counterattacking in the center without committing his center pawns.}
5. Nbd2 O-O
{White now sets up a sort of hybrid between the London and Colle.}
6. c3 b6
{Fightning for the e4 square.}
7. h3 Bb7 8. Bc4 d5
{If instead 8. Bd3 d6 would have been good. White plays Bc4 to invite black to play d5, which black does.}
9. Bd3 Nbd7
{A trick by white to prevent e5.}
10. O-O Ne4
{A pawn sacrifice.}
11. Bxe4 dxe4 12. Ng5 Nf6 13. Be5 h6 14. Bxf6 exf6 15. Ngxe4 f5 16. Ng3 f4 {Black is aggressive and has compensation.}
‘Smyslov as black (2)’
1. d4 Nf3 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bf4 Bg7 4. e3 c5 5. Nbd2 O-O 6. c3 b6 7. h3 Bb7 8. Bc4 d5 9. Bd3 Nbd7 10. O-O Ne4
{White however does not feel like taking the pawn.}
11. Qc2 Nxd2 12. Qxd2 Re8 13. Bg3 a6 14. Rad1 e5
{The standard freeing move.}
15. dxe5 Nxe5 16. Be2 Qe7 17. Nxe5 Bxe5 18. Bxe5 Qxe5 19. Bf3 Rad8
{With an equal game.}
‘Two Knights system’
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c3 Nbd7 4. Bf4 c5 5. Nbd2 6. g6 h3 7. e3 O-O 8. Be2 b6 9. O-O Bb7 10. Qa4 a6 11. Rfc1 b5 12. Qd1 Qb6 13. Ne5 Rac8 14. b4 c4 15. a4 Ra8 16. Kf1 Bc6
{White won’t take the bishop. This forces white to ‘do’ something.}
17. a5 Qb7 18. Ra2 Rad8 19. g4 Ne8
{One of the nice ideas in this sort of system, works in the Stonewall Attack as well.}
20. Kg1 Nd6 21. Qe1 Rde8 22. f3 f6
{Another key idea.}
23. Nxc6 Qxc6 24. Nf1 e5
{Following principles.}
25. Bh2 f5
{Black has a good game.}
__________________
White:
- Ruy Lopez
- Sicilian Defense: Chekhover variation, Rossolimo variation, Delayed Alapin variation
- French Defense: Bogo-Winawer variation, Classical variation 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7
- Pirc Defense: Byrne variation
Black:
- Ruy Lopez: Modern Steinitz variation
- Two Knights Defense: Fritz variation, Ulvestadt variation
- King's Gambit: Falkbeer Countergambit: Nimzowitsch variation
- Indian Defense: Nimzo-Indian Defense, Queen's Indian Defense
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07-31-2008, 08:44 PM
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#3 (permalink)
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Posts: 1,410
Thanked 77 Times in 74 Posts
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And last of all, the Stonewall Attack. Though there are differences in move orders in all these lines, the ideas and themes are very similar and often precisely the same.
Stonewall Attack
‘Two Knights system (1)’
1. c3 d5 2. d4 c5 3. e3 Nd7 4. f4 Ngf6 5. Nd2 g6 6. Ngf3 Bg7
{It’s worth mentioning this sort of setup works against about anything.}
7. Bd3 O-O 8. O-O Qc7 9. Ne5 Ne8
{This is actually a great move on black’s part.}
10. Ndf3 Nd6 11. Qe1 Nf6
{10. Qf3 would be better but this is alright. Look at the two knights utterly dominating the e4 square.}
‘Two Knights system (2)’
1. d4 Nf6 2. e3 g6 3. Bd3 d5 4. Nd2 Bg7 5. f4 Nbd7 6. Ngf3 c5 7. c3 O-O 8. O-O Ne8 9. Ne5 Qc7
{Many roads lead to Rome, the ideas are the same.}
10. Qf3 e6
{The threat on d5 can become a bit bothersome.}
11. Qh3 Nxe5 12. fxe5 f6
{White plans things as g4 and make some noise with the rooks. Black makes a few nice moves.}
13. exf6 Nxf6
{Note the bishop on c8.}
14. Qh4 e5
{Of course, e5!}
15. e4 c4 16. dxe5 Ng4
{16. dxe5 is a lemon.}
17. Rxf8+_Bxf8 18. Bb1 Qc5+
{Kh1 is met with that well-known mating pattern}
19. Kf1 Ne3+ 20. Ke2 d4
{Great move on black’s part.}
21. Nf3 d3+ 22. Kd2 Nxg2
{Game over.}
Right, I hope that's of use to someone
__________________
White:
- Ruy Lopez
- Sicilian Defense: Chekhover variation, Rossolimo variation, Delayed Alapin variation
- French Defense: Bogo-Winawer variation, Classical variation 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7
- Pirc Defense: Byrne variation
Black:
- Ruy Lopez: Modern Steinitz variation
- Two Knights Defense: Fritz variation, Ulvestadt variation
- King's Gambit: Falkbeer Countergambit: Nimzowitsch variation
- Indian Defense: Nimzo-Indian Defense, Queen's Indian Defense
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08-01-2008, 06:03 PM
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#4 (permalink)
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Posts: 321
Thanked 8 Times in 8 Posts
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Definitely some good stuff in there. I personally am annoyed when I have to play against the London, so I'll look into that line. I haven't played against the Colle or Stonewall in a long while.
__________________
USCF: 2158
High: 2158
Floor: 2000
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08-05-2008, 05:38 PM
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#5 (permalink)
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Posts: 12
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
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If you generally open 1...Nf6 in response to 1. d4 as I do, then the obvious response (to me) has always been to just to go into a KID shell with ...g6, ...Bg7, ...0-0, probably ...d6, and then either a queenside pawn storm or ...e7-e5.
The big advantage of this is that it robs White of all his normal piece arrangements (the b1-h7 diagonal is blocked and the e5 square is unavailable for a knight, so White has to think up a plan not based on Bxh7+. If White plays e4 he's just a move or three down on the actual KID, and if he doesn't, what does he do?
I think it's a nice idea because you don't have to study it if you know the basics of the KID structures.
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