Colle
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 c5!?
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| How should White respond to Black's aggressive second move? |
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3.e3
This is the commonest continuation in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, but also popular are 3.dxc5!?, 3.c3 and especially 3.c4!?, which is the top choice of Stockfish17 and Dragon1.
3...Nc6 4.c3 Bg4!?
This was a favourite move of Alexander Alekhine's, but is not liked by the engines.
5.Nbd2
All three of Alekhine's opponents played the text, but the engines reckon 5.dxc5!? gives at least a slight edge, one point being the reply 5...e5, tried by Paul Keres in a 1932 game, can be met by 6.b4, when 6...e4 7.h3 Bh5 8.g4 Bg4 was played in A Peet - Keres, Estonian Cities Match 1932. The engines reckon White has a winning advantage (but 0-1, 29 moves).
5...e5?!
This is probably too ambitious. The engines prefer 5...cxd4 or 5...e6, both of which were played by Alekhine.
6.dxe5 f6!?
Apparently a novelty. After the known 6...Ne5 the engines reckon 7.h3 Nxf3+ 8.Nxf3 Be6 (8...Bh5? 9.Qa4+) 9.Bb5+ Bd7 10.Bxd7+ Qxd7 11.Ne5 Qe6 12.Qa4+ gives White the upper hand.
7.Qa4
The engines prefer this over capturing on f6, but even stronger, according to them, are 7.Bb5 and 7.h3, eg 7.h3 Bh5 8.Qb3 Qd7 9.e6! Qxe6 10.Qxb7 Rb8 11.Qa6, when White is a pawn up and, they reckon, has the better position.
7...Bd7 8.Qb3 c4!?
The engines agree this is best.
9.Qc2!
After 9.Qxb7 Rb8 10.Qa6 Rb6 11.Qa4 Nxe5 12.Qd1 White is winning, according to the engines. However they reckon 9...fxe5! gives complete equality, which is why they agree the text is White's best continuation.
9...fxe5?!
Probably better is 9...Nxe5.
10.e4!?
Black's centre collapses after this.
10...Nf6 11.exd5 Nxd5 12.Bxc4 Nf4 13.0-0
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| Not only is White up a pawn, but the black king will have problems reaching safety, and e5 is weak |
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13...Qc7 14.Ng5 Be7!? 15.Nde4
Not 15.Bf7+?? as Black replies 15...Kf8, while 15.Nf7? Rf8 gives Black good play.
Not 15.Bf7+?? as Black replies 15...Kf8, while 15.Nf7? Rf8 gives Black good play.
15...h6 16.Bxf4
This gives a large advantage, but it seems 16.Nf7!? is even stronger, eg 16...Rf8 17.Bxf4 exf4 18.Ned6+ Bxd6 19.Rfe1+ Be5 20.Qg6! Ne7 21.Qh5 g6 22.Qxe5 Qxe5 23.Nxe5.
16...exf4
Possibly better is giving up a second pawn with 16...hxg5!? as after 17.Bxg5 Black can castle long.
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| How should White proceed? |
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17.Ne6
I feared 17.Nf6+?, missing that after 17...Bxf6 18.Qg6+? Kd8 19.Nf7+ Kc8 20.Nxh8 Black has 20...Ne5 with much the better game.
However even stronger than the text may be 17.Nf7 as 17...Rf8 transposes to the note at White's 16th move.
17...Bxe6 18.Bxe6 Qe5 19.Bh3 0-0
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| Now Black has belatedly castled, how would you assess the position? |
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White is a pawn up and has the safer king. The engines agree White is winning.
20.f3
The engines point out 20.Nd2!, with Nf3 to come.
20...Qc7!?
The queen on e5 is a target for White's rooks, and the text also sets up the possibility of ...Nd4!? or ...Nb4!?
21.Rad1 Rad8 22.Rxd8+ Rxd8 23.Rd1?
WI offered a draw in my time.
23...Rxd1+ 24.Qxd1 Qb6+ 25.Kf1
The engines reckon White keeps an advantage with 25.Kh1!? Qxb2 26.Be6+ and 27.h3 or 27.g3.
25...Qxb2 26.Qb3+ Qxb3 27.axb3
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| How would you assess this minor-piece ending? |
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The engines reckon it is equal, but there is quite a bit of play in the position.
27...Kf7 28.Ke2 Na5 29.Bc8 b6 30.Ba6 Ke6 31.b4 Nc6 32.g3!?
The engines are happy with this, although it opens the possibility of Black creating a passed h pawn after ...fxg3 hxg3.
32...Ke5!? 33.Bc4 a5 34.bxa5 bxa5
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| Black has an outside passed pawn, but the engines reckon the position remains equal |
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35.Nf2 fxg3 36.hxg3 a4!? 37.Ne4
Not 37.Bb5 a3 38.Bxc6?? a2. However the engines prefer 37.f4+.
37...Na5 38.Ba2 Nb3
Perhaps 38...h5 is marginally better, not worrying about 39.Bf7 as that can be met by 39...a3.
39.Kd1
Black threatened the forking 39...Nc1+. However the engines reckon White is fine after 39.Bxb3.
39...Na5
The engines suggest 39...Nc5!?, reckoning the opposite-coloured bishops ending after 40.Nxc5 Bxc5 is slightly better for Black (Dragon1), although Stockfish17, after at first agreeing with this assessment, quite quickly comes to regard the position as equal.
40.Nd2 Nb7 41.Ne4 g5 42.Ke2
The engines are unsure about this, but reckon 42.Nf2 maintains equality.
42...h5 43.Nf2?!
This retreat seems to give Black an unexpected chance. The engines suggest 43.Ke3, albeit giving Black a slight edge.
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| How can Black take advantage of White's last move? |
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43...Nc5!
This is strong despite allowing knights to come off.
44.Nd3+?
The engines reckon White should keep knights on with, for example, 44.Ke3, but then they like 44...Kf6!?, the point being to be able to meet 45.f4 with 45...g4, which they agree gives Black at least the upper hand.
44...Nxd3 45.Kxd3 h4 46.gxh4 gxh4 47.Ke2
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| Black to play and win |
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47...h3?
Winning is 47...Bc5 48.Kf1 h3, eg 49.Bc4 a3 50.Ba2 Kf4 51.Be6 Kg3 etc.
48.Kf2 Kf4 49.Kg1 Kg3 50.f4 Bf6
Capturing the f pawn makes no difference to the game's outcome. Indeed, as we will see, capturing both white pawns makes no difference - the position is drawn.
51.Kh1 Bxc3 52.f5 a3 53.f6!?
Dragon1 at first thinks this loses, but then fluctuates between Black winning and having the upper hand.
Bxf6 54.Bc4 Be5 55.Ba2 Kf2 56.Bc4 Ke3 57.Ba2 Kd3 58.Bd5 Kc3 59.Be6 Kb2 60.Bd5 h2 61.Be6 ½–½
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