First Steps: the Colle and London Systems

171 Pages·15.11 MB·english

by  Cyrus Lakdawala

First published in 2016 by Gloucester Publishers Limited, Northburgh House,
10 Northburgh Street, London EC1V 0AT
Copyright © 2016 Cyrus Lakdawala
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About the Author
Cyrus Lakdawala
is an International Master, a former National Open and American Open Champion, and a six-time
State Champion. He has been teaching chess for over 30 years, and coaches some of the top
junior players in the U.S.
Also by the Author:
Play the London System
A Ferocious Opening Repertoire
The Slav: Move by Move
1 ... d6: Move by Move
The Caro-Kann: Move by Move
The Four Knights: Move by Move
Capablanca: Move by Move
The Modern Defence: Move by Move
Kramnik: Move by Move
The Colle: Move by Move
The Scandinavian: Move by Move
Botvinnik: Move by Move
The Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Move by Move
Korchnoi: Move by Move
The Alekhine Defence: Move by Move
The Trompowsky Attack: Move by Move
Carlsen: Move by Move
The Classical French: Move by Move
Larsen: Move by Move
1 ... b6: Move by Move
Bird’s Opening: Move by Move
Petroff Defence: Move by Move
Fischer: Move by Move
Anti-Sicilians: Move by Move
First Steps: The French Defence
Contents
About the Author
Bibliography
Introduction
1 Colle Versus Slav, ... e6 and ... d5 Set-ups
2 Colle Versus Queen’s Indian
3 Exchange Slav and Gambit Lines
4 London Versus King’s Indian
5 London Versus Reti
6 London Versus Grünfeld
7 Dutch Defence and Other Lines
Index of Complete Games
Bibliography
1 ... b6: Move by Move
, Cyrus Lakdawala (Everyman Chess 2014)
1 ... d6: Move by Move, Cyrus Lakdawala (Everyman Chess 2011)
Beating Unusual Defences, Andrew Greet (Everyman Chess 2010)
Colle plays the Colle System, Adam Harvey (Chess Enterprises 2002)
Play the London System, Cyrus Lakdawala (Everyman Chess 2010)
Starting Out: d-pawn Attacks, Richard Palliser (Everyman Chess 2008)
The Colle: Move by Move, Cyrus Lakdawala (Everyman Chess 2010)
The Moment of Zuke, David Rudel (Thinker’s Press 2009)
The Ultimate Colle, Gary Lane (Batsford 2001)
The Zukertort System: A Guide for White and Black, Grigory Bogdanovich (Mongoose Press 2010)
Win with the London System, Sverre Johnsen and Vlatko Kovacevic (Gambit 2006)
Winning with the Colle System, Ken Smith and John Hall (Chess Digest 1990)
Introduction
Why Play the Colle/London?
The actions of even a single annoying person tends to make the lives of the rest of us miserable.
My proof? Now every time we go to the airport they make us take off our shoes. Thanks a lot,
shoe bomber. And when we buy aspirin, they seal it in an impossible to open tamper-proof
bottle. Thanks a lot Tylenol poisoner lady.
Chess openings operate under the same principle: we think we understand our Dragon line
deeply, and then some GM comes up with the comp-generated 27 ... g5!?, the ramifications of
which lead to seemingly infinite subsets. Thanks a lot, GM with photographic memory. When we
blindly follow such theoretical winds, are we not guilty of violating the commandment not to
create graven images of the divine?
Our inner natures are given physical form in the opening systems we choose to play. If the Najdorf
and King’s Gambit are heavy metal music, then the Colle/London are Chopin’s Nocturnes. Neither the
Colle nor London are openings associated with kindling our imagination, yet from personal experience, I
can tell you that I rarely get a dull game with either. The reason I am attracted to the Colle and London is
the opening is effectively immune from such theoretical shifts.
Now the Dragon guys may consider us dullards for playing the Colle/London, while we consider the
Dragoners suicidal. I realized early on that irrational positions were ones for which I had little aptitude.
There is a sense of well-being in knowing that our line is sound, and that we are part of something which
endures, unable to be refuted by the hot-shot comp in the next GM game. When I look back at the opening
choices of my youth (King’s Gambit as White, and Najdorf with Black, both of which are completely at
odds with my natural style), it feels like rereading my high school yearbook and looking upon my
childhood aspirations, which today, somehow feel trivial.
Natural strategists/defenders, a group in which I belong, exhibit a sense of interiority, where our
natural inclination is toward the thought: ‘What is my opponent threatening?’ rather than the
tactician/attacker’s mind state: ‘How can I threaten my opponent?’. If you sense that you are in the
former category, then the Colle/London is a snug fit for you, since solidity is an attribute implicit in our
opening.
Now I make the iconoclastic claim that many of the positions we reach in Colle/London are sharp, but only later in the game. We don’t
avoid a clash, we simply delay it. All positional players understand that an outward show of manners, as exhibited from the Colle/London,
can disguise malevolent intent. We intend to win politely! There are two paths to chess theory: the automated version, where we memorize,
or the do-it-yourself model, where we force our opponents – and more importantly, ourselves – to actually think, even from the opening
stage. By playing such a repertoire, we choose the latter.
What is the Difference between Colle and London?
The two opening systems are differentiated by the development of the dark-squared bishop to f4
(London), or just leaving the bishop where it stands on c1, and developing it later on (Colle), yet their
themes certainly overlap. About two decades ago, I realized that I preferred London when Black plays
... g6 lines, and Colle, when Black plays either ... e6, ... b6 or ... d5 lines. This is the format we go with
in the book. So in reality the opening you are now playing is ‘First Steps: Lakdawala’s Hybrid
Colle/London Preference’, which the editors at Everyman wisely altered to First Steps: Colle and
London Systems.
Popular at Last
Can a stodgy pair of systems prevail as a popular opening with the multitude? Our line doesn’t come
with a venerable theoretical pedigree – until now. I’m stunned to announce the shifting zeitgeist of the
chess world embraces the now trendy Colle/London. Our chess world is constantly abuzz with Jane
Austin character-like gossip about a young, pretty, fashionable and eligible new opening. Rarely is much
attention paid to the elderly neighbourhood spinster sisters, Colle and London.
After about a century of neglect and outright contempt, suddenly our two openings are the belles of the
ball, since now world champion Magnus Carlsen, ex-world champ Vladimir Kramnik and other top
ranked players are suddenly distinguished alumni of the University of Colle/London. Some chess players
see the advent of the computer/database as a new Golden Age, while others (like your comp-loathing
writer) interpret it as a sign of a kind of intelligence devolution, since we allow machines to think for
us.
The greatest fear for world class players is to get out-prepped in the opening stage, where their
colleagues’ comp analysis outshines their own. The new solution for players like Carlsen, Kramnik and
a growing list of others is to circumvent comp-friendly irrational positions altogether and go with stable
lines like Colle and London, which are virtually immune to the computer’s analytical glare, since they
are based upon understanding – not raw mathematics.
If you embrace this repertoire there will be great peace of mind, knowing that some snot-nosed 12-
year-old (If you are 12-years-old and reading this, please accept my sincerest apology! Of course I was
referring to other 12-year old kids who aren’t reading this book, not you) burns you by simply out-
homeworking you in the opening stage.
When I play Colle/London and remove one of my theory-obsessed opponents from his or her comfort zone, I am tempted to quote
Edward G. Robinson’s memorably hateful line to Charlton Heston, in The Ten Commandments: “Where’s your messiah now?”. If we
remove their computer messiah, we weaken our opponents by confiscating their training wheels, and making them peddle by their own
effort. Let’s take a look at some of our battlegrounds:
The Colle
This line, more commonly seen from a pure queen’s pawn opening/Slav move order, is also a Colle.
We pick off Black’s light-squared bishop and play on our bishop-pair.
This is the main line of the Colle, our Normandy, where we straddle two worlds simultaneously. We
can play for either the traditional pure Colle e4 break or we can violate the Semi-Slav’s copyright and
play it a move up with a b4 break. Both attempt to free the structure of its interlocking pattern. Most
Colleites consider the e4 break a quasi-sacred rite, but I encourage you to also be open to the b4 move-
up Semi-Slav plan.
White just played Ne5!, where our Zukertort fianchettoed bishop exerts a mesmeric force down the
a1-h8 diagonal.
Okay, I will begin with the bad news: for the pawn we just grabbed, Black gets enhanced central
control with ... e5, as well as an initiative. The good news? I don’t believe this constitutes enough
compensation, since we are playing a line which Black normally plays in the Botvinnik/Moscow
Gambits, except a move up with White.
A project’s importance or insignificance is signalled by its expense, or lack of it. Just because our opponent’s dubious line may be
stylistically congruent to the chaotic positions which appeal to them, doesn’t magically make it sound. This I feel is too much of a handicap
for Black to overcome for a full pawn. Yet obviously Black gets practical chances. Let’s be careful and not forget that many times in human
history, barbarians defeated civilization.
The London
This is our London section, which is Part B of the book. As we look deeper, the uniform grey begins
to show cracks of variegated colours and shades. From this position we usually reach three distinct set-
ups:
1. London versus King’s Indian: Black castles and follows with ... d6 and plays for an ... e5 break.
2. London versus Reti: Black castles and sets up with ... d6 and ... c5.
3. London versus Grünfeld: Black castles and plays ... d5.
Is it just me, or does Black’s position remind you of child-Drew Barrymore’s character in
Firestarter, when she attempted to burn all her enemies to a crisp? Player A’s reaction to our London
System may be vastly opposed in interpretation to player B’s response. We Colle/Londoners tend to be
affronted by synthetic aggressive concepts, which include the weakening of pawn structure in the
process, like Black did with his earlier ... g5.
This version is one of paradoxical contrasts in solidity versus blatant aggression. We can’t arbitrate
with an opponent who refuses to negotiate. Either we get mated, or our opponent overextends. In this
case the two camps are stylistically incompatible, to the level of placing a pair of scorpions in a shoe
box, and then hoping they live in harmony. Black’s philosophy: when attacking, it’s necessary to remove
all strategic taboos and sanctions, and just operate on the level of the selfish ID, where he or she
proceeds as if there will be no future consequences of rash actions, like pushing madly forward all the
black kingside pawns. On our part, we can’t sit idly in that grey middle ground between detachment and