Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System

Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System is a chess opening with the ECO code D05, part of the Queen's Pawn Game family. It goes 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... d5. After 6 moves it is White to move. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.

The moves

• 1. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
• 1... d5 – Black plays the pawn to d5
• 2. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
• 2... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
• 3. e3 – White plays the pawn to e3
• 3... e6 – Black plays the pawn to e6

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 4. Bd3.

About the Queen's Pawn Game

White opens with 1.d4 and plays a system without an early c4. It covers many calm setups like the Colle, London and Zukertort ideas.

• White develops simply: Nf3, e3 or Bf4, Bd3, O-O.
• A typical plan is the e4 push, often prepared with Nbd2 and c3.
• Black has easy equality with ...d5, ...Nf6 and ...c5, so play actively.

chessGM has a full course for this line: open the Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System course lesson.

Related openings

• It extends: Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System (1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3)
• Continues with: Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System – adds 4. Bd3
• Continues with: Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System – adds 4. b3
• Related line: Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System, Grünfeld Formation (1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 g6 4. Bd3 Bg7)
• Related line: Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System (1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 4. Bd3)
• Related line: Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System, Anti-Colle (1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 Bf5)
• Related line: Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System (1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 4. b3)
• Related line: Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System (1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 4. b3 c5 5. Bb2 Nc6)
• Related line: Queen's Pawn Game: Torre Attack, Grünfeld Variation (1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bg5 g6 4. e3)

Browse every named opening · Opening courses