Yusupov Colle-Zukertort system (d4,Bd3,Bb2)

Hello

Here is my first post regarding openings. I recently came across a Nakamura-Firouzja blitz game won in 21 moves by Hikaru. He used a line similar to what GM Arthur Jusupov has played for a long time.

Here's my opening recap. It is more a system than a move by move guide  as this is what is most useful when playing blitz and bullet games. great quick repertoire.

Colle-Zukertort with b3,Bb2 - "Yusupov system"

Pretty straightforward. You start with d4,Nf3, then you do not do London Bf4,c3 but instead play b3,Bb2. the Queen goes to e2 and you castle short.

For the rest, it depends on what Black decides to do. I will give 2 examples

in the first example, Black is fairly inexperienced and Yusupov finishes with the classic (Zukertort) combo with Bh7+. Note that Bb2 and Bd3 target the black king and Black did not even try to defend that

Example 2 

Here Black developed by b6,Bb7 and delays Castle. Note that Yusupov plays Qf3,g3, then brings Nd2-f3 to finish the attack.

Now the animated Nakamura 2020 miniature , featuring dxc5 idea for White.  Black is Firoujza, who is extremely strong in blitz but still lost in 21 moves against this system. wondering if Hikaru studied Yusupov games. if someone is a Hikaru fan and follows him when he streams, please ask him !

Posted a full game analysis other here if you are interested: https://www.chess.com/forum/view/game-analysis/another-blitz-tournament-miniature-nakamura-vs-firouzja-21-moves

_______________________________________________________________

finally, I hope this is allowed but I posted more games on this blog here: top10chess.blogspot.com

thanks all, happy to hear your thoughts on this "blitz system for White ". pretty basic but seems effective !

good post about a good blitz weapon

Thanks. Apparently this works as well King's Indian , at least judging by Nakamura experiments !

double fianchetto system by Black. Full game here

and also simple king's indian set-up with quick c7-c5 here

again Nakamura managed to win this blitz game in Leuven 2018. Full game here

Interesting - I always understood that the C-Z and the Colle were no good against King's Indian setups, but I never knew why. Anyone know the logic behind that statement?

Hi.
I think that Colle with c3,Bd3 does not promise much for White as Bishop in d3 is limited by g6, and typically the Bishop in c1 usually goes to e1 and g3 or h4 which makes sense against e6,d5,c5,Be7. But against g6,Bg7 this is not threatening anything. I don't think that King's Indian players fear that set-up.

But b3,Bb2 set-up is much more active and in this system, White can keep the other bishop in d3 or e2-f3 . basically challenging the a1-h8 diagonal.

I think Nakamura might be #2 in Blitz/Rapid behind Magnus, he's a beast behind his computer screen. he seems to make this opening set-up work almost every time !

Think about what the Colle is all about.

The Koltanowski is all about attacking h7.

The Zukertort is all about g7 and h7.

Also, think about the Black Light Squared Bishop.  If it is outside the Pawn Chain, the Colle is also ineffective and White has to play c4, usually transposing to the Slow Slav.

With an early e6 (1.d5 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 OR 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6), the Bishop is blocked by the e6-pawn, and with e6 pushed, now g6 is ineffective because the dark squares are too weak, so White would love to see 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 g6? Because of the attack for White on the dark squares.  You are no longer playing a Colle.  You are going for an outright attack on the dark squares.  So once e6 is played, g6 is no good.

So this is why for the Colle to work, you need e6 to be played with Black's Light Squared Bishop blocked and behind the pawn chain.  This Bishop is not blocked in the Kings Indian.  In fact, this is Black's good Bishop.  Therefore, the Colle is useless here.  The Zukertort is also useless.

Aaron Summerscale's repertoire book from 1999 that was rewritten 10 years later acknowledges this and recommends the Barry Attack if Nf6/g6/d5 and the 150 attack (Pirc) if Nf6/g6/d6.

interesting thoughts. thanks for sharing. Note that Hikaru plays b3,Bb2,e3 and not d4,c3,e3.

for what it's worth, here's a bullet game I played today using this set-up

and here is a blitz game from GM David Anton (2019 World Blitz Championship) against g6,Bg7 King's Indian set=up  (https://www.chess.com/games/view/14477677)

that's a fairly convincing example !