As White
Colle System
The Colle System is a chess opening for White that starts with 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3.
An easy system to learn: you always develop the same way (e3, Bd3, Nbd2, castling) and then open the centre with e4.
Reviewed on November 6, 2026 · Prepared by Josep Serrano Ballestero
Basic · Elo 400 – 600
Opponent's mistake · 7...Bb4
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Nc6 4.Bd3 Bg4 5.Nbd2 e5 6.dxe5 Nxe5 7.Be2 Bb4 8.Nxe5
Opponent's mistake · 7...Ne4
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Nc6 4.Bd3 Bg4 5.Nbd2 e5 6.dxe5 Nxe5 7.Be2 Ne4 8.Nxe5
5.Bxf3 Nc6
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Bg4 4.Be2 Bxf3 5.Bxf3 Nc6 6.c4 dxc4 7.Nd2
5.Nbd2 e5
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Nc6 4.Bd3 Bg4 5.Nbd2 e5 6.dxe5 Nxe5 7.Be2 Nxf3+ 8.Bxf3 Bxf3 9.Nxf3
5.Bxf3 e6
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Bg4 4.Be2 Bxf3 5.Bxf3 e6 6.O-O Bd6 7.g3
5.Nbd2 Bxf3
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Nc6 4.Bd3 Bg4 5.Nbd2 Bxf3 6.Nxf3 e6 7.O-O Bd6 8.c4
4.Be2 e6
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Bg4 4.Be2 e6 5.O-O Bd6 6.Nbd2 O-O 7.h3
Colle System · 4.Bd3 Nc6
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.O-O Bd6 6.b3 O-O 7.c4
5.Nbd2 e6
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Nc6 4.Bd3 Bg4 5.Nbd2 e6 6.c3 Bd6 7.e4
Colle System · 4.Bd3 Bd6
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 Bd6 5.O-O O-O 6.Nbd2 Nc6 7.c4
Intermediate · Elo 800 – 1000
Colle System · 5.c3 cxd4
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 c5 5.c3 cxd4 6.exd4 Nc6 7.O-O
Colle System · 4.Bd3 Bd6
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 Bd6 5.O-O O-O 6.Nbd2 c5 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.c4
4.Be2 Bxf3
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Bg4 4.Be2 Bxf3 5.Bxf3 e6 6.O-O Bd6 7.g3 O-O 8.Nc3
Colle System · 5.c3 Nc6
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 c5 5.c3 Nc6 6.Nbd2 Bd6 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.b4 Bd6 9.b5
Colle System · 4.Bd3 Be7
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 Be7 5.O-O O-O 6.Nbd2 c5 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.c4 Nc6 9.b3
5.O-O c5
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Bg4 4.Be2 e6 5.O-O c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.h3 Bh5 8.Nbd2 Bd6 9.dxc5
4.Be2 Nc6
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Bg4 4.Be2 Nc6 5.O-O e6 6.Nbd2 Bd6 7.h3 Bh5 8.b3 O-O 9.Bb2
Colle System · 5.c3 c4
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 c5 5.c3 c4 6.Bc2 Nc6 7.Nbd2 Bd6 8.e4
5.O-O Bd6
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Bg4 4.Be2 e6 5.O-O Bd6 6.Nbd2 O-O 7.h3 Bh5 8.c4
Advanced · Elo 1200 – 1400
Colle System · 6.Nbd2 b6
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 Be7 5.O-O O-O 6.Nbd2 b6 7.e4 dxe4 8.Nxe4 Bb7 9.Nxf6+ Bxf6 10.c3 Nd7 11.Qe2 c5 12.Rd1
Colle System, Anti-Colle · 5.Qxd3 e6
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Bf5 4.Bd3 Bxd3 5.Qxd3 e6 6.O-O Bd6 7.Qb5+ Nbd7 8.Qxb7 O-O 9.Qa6
Colle System, Anti-Colle · 4.Bd3 e6
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Bf5 4.Bd3 e6 5.Bxf5 exf5 6.Qd3 g6 7.Qb5+ Nbd7 8.Nc3 c6 9.Qxb7
Colle System, Anti-Colle · 5.Qxd3 c6
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Bf5 4.Bd3 Bxd3 5.Qxd3 c6 6.O-O e6 7.c4 Nbd7 8.Nbd2
Colle System · 6.Nbd2 c5
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 Be7 5.O-O O-O 6.Nbd2 c5 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.c4 Nc6 9.b3
5.O-O c5
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Bg4 4.Be2 e6 5.O-O c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.h3 Bh5 8.Nbd2 Bd6 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.b4 Bd6 11.Bb2 O-O 12.b5
5.O-O Be7
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Bg4 4.Be2 e6 5.O-O Be7 6.Nbd2 O-O 7.h3 Bh5 8.b3 c5 9.c4
5.O-O Bd6
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Bg4 4.Be2 e6 5.O-O Bd6 6.Nbd2 O-O 7.h3 Bh5 8.c4 c6 9.Qc2
Colle System, Anti-Colle · 4.Bd3 Bg6
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Bf5 4.Bd3 Bg6 5.O-O e6 6.b3 Bd6 7.c4 c6 8.Qc2 Nbd7 9.Nbd2
Colle System · 4.Bd3 c5
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 c5 5.c3 c4 6.Bc2 Nc6 7.Nbd2 Bd6 8.e4
Frequently asked questions
Is the Colle System good for beginners?
Yes. On OpeningCraft you learn it in these levels: Basic (Elo 400 – 600), Intermediate (Elo 800 – 1000), Advanced (Elo 1200 – 1400). It suits players who prefer long-term plans and pawn structure.
What traps are there in the Colle System?
OpeningCraft teaches 2 traps and opponent mistakes in this opening, for example: Opponent's mistake (7...Bb4); Opponent's mistake (7...Ne4).
How many lines of the Colle System do you need to learn?
OpeningCraft teaches 27, in blocks of 5. They come from real Lichess games at each rating band, and the traps and opponent mistakes most common at your level come first.