Recommendations on learning the Colle System

I would like to learn more about the Colle system for the White side and looking for any of your recommendations on books or other media?

There is The Colle: Move by Move.  The book is ok.  It mainly recommends the Koltanowski.

If you would rather play the Zukertort, A Killer Chess Opening Repertoire is also ok, but more complex than the Move by Move book.

Keep in mind that the Colle cannot be used as a catch-all system.  The Colle relies on Black's Light-Square Bishop being behind the pawn chain.  For example:

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3, if 3...e6, then 4.Bd3 and the Colle is perfectly fine.

But what about 3...Bg4 or 3...Bf5, specifically called the "Anti-Colle"?  You have to play 4.c4 or you get nothing, and far more often than not, Black will play 4...c6, leading to what is known as the Slow Slav.

Also, the Colle does not work against Fianchetto defenses.  The Move by Move book recommends some weird line that it calls "An Ostrich in the Sand", and recommends 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nd2.  The Killer Chess Opening Repertoire book recommends the Barry Attack.

You also need answers to the Dutch, Modern, etc.  The books cover it, but it's not Colle System.

So if you reason for learning it is simplicity and thinking you can play it against everything, think again!  There is not a single system that works against everything.  For a while, I played both the Torre and Colle, depending on Black's responses:

Colle - Only works when e6 is played with the Bishop behind the pawn chain.  Lines like 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 or 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3

Torre - Only works against Nf6/g6 or Nf6/e6 by Black.  Early d5-lines give Black an advantage (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bg5?! Ne4!)

London - Does not work against the Modern Defense (1...g6)

Veresov - Does not work against the Modern Defense or Old Benoni Lines (1...c5)

Trompowsky - The 2.Bg5 line of the Dutch is ok, and this works against 1...Nf6 of course, but 1...d5 2.Bg5 is slightly dubious due to 2...f6! and Black might even get a slight advantage (see "Playing the Trompowsky" by Pert).

A very helpful reply and a good summary @ThrillerFan.

I started looking at some games earlier today of players who exclusively play the Colle and noticed as you pointed out that in the majority of cases they do not get their desired setup. To be honest I am not looking to become a full-time Colle player but I would like to learn it and play it sometimes.

When White has to play c2-c4, are there any similarities or transpositions to some Meran?

Are there any recent surprise novelties against the basic Colle setup i.e. not the Zuckertort? In other words, how can one surprise the typical Colle player, assuming that he is an older man, somewhat weak tactically, prefers the status quo and hates surprises. Are they any surprises to speak of against the Colle or is the system solid as can be?

Hope you don't mind me picking your brain seeing as you have a lot of experience with the Colle!

You would almost never end up in a Meran.  The Semi-Slav Defense sees the Bishop inside the pawn chain.  The Slav sees the Bishop outside the pawn chain.  When the Bishop stays inside the pawn chain, White, if he's a Colle player, will play the Colle.

It's only the lines where the Bishop is outside the pawn chain that you'll see transpositions, and more specifically, since Nf3 and e3 are played, the Slow Slav, normally reached via 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Bf5 (or 4...Bg4, though the former is more common), would come in this case via 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Bf5 4.c4 c6.  The Bishop is already out, so you wouldn't see a Meran.

There may be some novelty that I'm not aware of in the teens, but in terms of opening moves, like moves 1 thru 10, if a player is looking for something sharp, they are likely to play some kind of Kingside Fianchetto (King's Indian setup, Grunfeld setup with ...d5 instead of ...d6, Leningrad Dutch setup, etc, all of which see the Colle System as completely ineffective because the Bishop is biting on granite.

If you're looking for a quiet opening with white, is there a specific reason why you prefer the Colle over the London?

David rudel: the colle zukertort
David rudel: the koltanowski Phoenix attack

There is no particular reason.

I was curious who the author was. Here is an interesting article:
http://www.kenilworthchessclub.org/kenilworthian/2009/12/interview-with-david-rudel-author-of.html

For the 2 I mentioned:

Cyrus Lakadawala wrote the Move by Move book.

Aaron Summerscale wrote the original book from 1999 or 2000 on the Killer Chess Opening Repertoire (he also did the "d4-specials" section of chesspublishing.com back then).

I do not recall for certain who wrote the second edition in 2010.  The core of the repertoire is still the same.  There are some additional games and perhaps some assessments have changed.

I have the second edition myself, just not recalling at the moment who wrote the rewrite.

NotYourAveragePlayer, There is book from George Koltanowski : Colle System 12th edition. However, it is a very expensive material.  Here is the link: https://www.amazon.com/Colle-System-George-Koltanowski/dp/0931462983  

Here is another material: Startig out: The Colle by Richard Palliser

https://www.chesscentral.com/starting-out-the-colle-system-chess-opening-e-book-download/

People seem to have different opinions about Cyrus Lakadwala, however I listened to an interview with him and found him quite sympathetic with interesting views on chess. The Move by Move series are usually good in terms of clarity of presenting ideas.

It seems it was the same author for the updated edition of "A killer chess opening repertoire" and it seems to have great reviews:

https://www.amazon.com/Killer-Chess-Opening-Repertoire-enlarged/dp/1906454183/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=A+Killer+Chess+Opening+Repertoire&qid=1593458650&s=books&sr=1-1

I'll probably get both books and start exploring the Colle system!

Great stuff, thank you @eminmammadzada. Have you played the Colle?

You can message @Giraffe_Chess he plays the colle.

The reason you hear mixed reviews about Lakdawala is for 2 reasons.

1) He makes a lot of tongue in cheek kind of joking or satirical remarks.  Nothing offensive, but some view it is not being serious.  You have to get past that and pay attention to the chess.

2) He is like James Patterson - producing a book a month practically.  That often leads to the argument of Quality vs Quantity.  I can tell you that some of his books are better than others.  His Caro Kann book is excellent.  His Colle book is good.  His 1...d6 book is weak IMHO with lots of errors in assessment of positions.  What he thinks is equal or slightly better for Black is strong for White.  Only chapter that I think was well written was the No Name Defense (1.d4 d6 2.c4?! e5)

I suggest you go to thrifty books on line and buy a used book!

they will be in descriptive notation. . .

when you log on put George Koltanowski and all his books will show up.

@ Not Your Average Player

I would also suggest to join the club I'm in . . .

https://www.chess.com/club/colle-system

You might find help with the opening . . .

Joined @DENVERHIGH

I just received the Colle System book by George Koltanowski Eight version reprint . . .

It even has a game between Korchnoi vs Bobby Fischer 1962 . . . 

Korchnoi won as white . . .