Here is the game I played last night on ICC against buckshot (a.k.a. atomicpatzer). It started with a setup from the Colle-Zukertort system and left me with a position burning in flames. For a while I hoped for a wonder but finally had to give up



The interactive board shows the position after black played 17. ... Nd7, right before I made what I believe is the move that cost me the game.

PGN text:

[Event "ICC 60 0"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2007.6.14"]
[Round ""]
[White "sciurus"]
[Black "buckshot"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Eco "D05"]


1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 c5 5.b3 Nc6 6.Bb2 Be7 7.O-O O-O 8.Nbd2 Qc7 9.Ne5 cxd4 10.exd4 Bd6 11.f4 Nb4 12.Be2 Qxc2 13.Qxc2 Nxc2 14.Rac1 Ne3 15.Rf3 Nf5 16.g4 Ne7 17.g5 Nd7 18.Rxc8 Rfxc8 19.Nxd7 Bb4 20.Nf1 Rc2 21.Bd3 Rxb2 22.Rh3 Ng6 23.Ne5 Rc8 24.Nxg6 hxg6 25.Re3 Bc3 26.Re2 Rxe2 27.Bxe2 Bxd4+ 28.Kg2 Rc2 29.Kf3 Rxa2 30.b4 a5 31.bxa5 Rxa5 32.Nd2 Ra3+ 33.Kg2 Be3 34.Nf3 Bxf4 35.Kf2 Kf8 0-1

Here is my analysis of the game:

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 c5 5.b3 Nc6 6.Bb2 Be7 7.O-O O-O 8.Nbd2

So far everything is from the "book" - leaving us with a typical Colle-Zuckertort setup.

8. ... Qc7

Not the most common move but the queen will prove to be useful here. More common is ... b6.

9.Ne5 cxd4 10.exd4 Bd6 11.f4 Nb4!? 12.Be2?

I spend a lot of time thinking here. Basically, I wanted to keep my light-squared bishop for my king-side attack plans. However, moving the B away leaves the c-pawn hanging. My calculation was now ...Nxc2 and then to pin the
knight to the queen with Rc1. However, White had a surprise for me.

12. ... Qxc2 13.Qxc2 Nxc2 14.Rac1 Ne3

I am still not sure if putting the black N in the middle of White's camp is a good idea (The computer likes it, though). In any case the big chase starts which was probably not that great of an idea, too, even though I tried to calculate well ahead.

15.Rf3 Nf5 16.g4 Ne7 17.g5 Nd7 $17 18.Rxc8?

Better would have been to improve my position by Bd3. The text move looks good within my calculation horizon but messes up my position completely beyond that as we will see. Ultimately, this is the move that loses this game. In that even though winning two pieces for a rook is always a good idea on CTS... Another reason why one should not employ too many general rules but analyze more carefully, I guess.

18. ... Rfxc8 19.Nxd7

From an oversimplified point of view, White restored material equality. That was how far I calculated it before making the 18th move. What I missed during planning was that White now has a weak spot at c2 and the black rook is perfectly positioned to invade there and exploit all the unprotected pieces lined up on White's 2nd rank. But these things seem to be way beyond my chess visualization capabilities.

19. ... Bb4 20.Nf1?

And the knight has no real good square to go to; well at least there would have been a better one: Nb1, but I did not find it without the help of the computer.

20. ... Rc2!

Beautifully exploiting White's weakness on the 2nd rank.

21.Bd3

From here on I realized that this is lost for White. Bd3 is a desperate attempt for counterplay with the idea of following up with Rh3.

21. ... Rxb2 22.Rh3 Ng6

Blocking the path of the white bishop. Moving a pawn would have enabled White to use his advanced pawns to break up the defense around the black king.

23.Ne5 Rc8 24.Nxg6 hxg6 25.Re3

It is only a matter of time until the second black rook comes into play on White's first rank. I am trying to block the path of the rook to either move the king from the back rank or to exchange rooks.

25. ... Bc3

Picking up a pawn by threatening to pin the R to the K.

26.Re2 Rxe2 27.Bxe2 Bxd4+ 28.Kg2

Black is now converting the positional advantage into material gain. I am still hoping for a wonder, though.

28. ... Rc2 29.Kf3 Rxa2 30.b4 a5 31.bxa5 Rxa5 32.Nd2 Ra3+ 33.Kg2 Be3 34.Nf3 Bxf4 35.Kf2 Kf8

That is too much for me, time to resign 0-1

Not bad. What is buckshot's rating?

Nice game! Where can I learn more about Colle-Zukertort opening?

As for my opponent's rating - I don't know, because he played only few games on ICC so far which makes it fluctuate a lot. Of course you might be able to find more info on his blog. My feeling from playing a couple of games against buckshot is that he is probably a bit better than me.

I don't know about good information sources on the we on this particular opening system, even though I would guess that there should be a decent amount due to its alleged popularity among amateurs.

Said that, I own a copy of Susan Polgar's DVD "Learn the Opening the Easy Way: The Colle-Zukertort System". You can find a review of the DVD here at chessville.com. The review also includes a brief introduction into the opening.

I agree with the review in the sense that things are explained very well. However, it provides information about this variation only and leaves you in the dark if Black does not respond with 1. ... d5. However, it is better to have good explanations than tons of material, so overall I can recommend it.

You can also find an example here at SquirrelChess where I actually succeeded with the typical kingside attack that (I believe) makes this opening fun to play - yes, I do win sometimes

It should be also mentioned that Edward Colle actually never played this specific variation (with b3) so calling it Colle-Zukertort is probably a bit of a misnomer, but what can you do, it is the widely accepted name of this system.

Anyway, if anyone knows good sites explaining the basics of the Colle-Zukertort, please let me know or post here!

Thanks for explaining. Your game looks tempting. May be I will try to learn the Colle-Zukertort opening.

Why is it called system?

I don't think that there is a sharp definition of a "system opening", but here's my take on that:

In opening systems, you use the same pawn formations and develop your pieces to the same positions (almost) regardless of what your opponent does. Some people like to contrast that to opening lines. In opening lines, your moves depend on the detailed response by your opponents: She/he does X, you move Y, but if your opponent makes move Y instead, you do something completely different. The main difference is that opening systems et you into a limited number of different positions at the beginning of the middlegame that are all somewhat similar. In contrast to that, you might end up with very different positions from line openings depending on what your opponent does.

Opening systems are therefore nice for the memory challenged among us (like me ). However, system openings are almost never considered as the very best/sharpest openings by chess opening theory. I personally think the latter does not matter for patzers like me and try to play opening systems as much as possible.