Expert: Len Molden - 12/3/2007

Question
Hi Mr.Molden:
           Thank you in advance for your time and expertise.
          I took up chess two years ago and it has become quite a personal and very rewarding challenge (I am now 52 years old).
          With White I like to play the Colle System and have experienced some nice wins with it,however many times Black opts for a King's Indian defense and then I run into difficulties in finding a plan of attack.
          Do you have any suggestions or am I being too general in my question?
          Thank you.
                   Ed.


Answer
Hi Ed,

As I too play the Colle System on occasion, I've also faced this problem.  Black's setup of g6 stops the Bd3/Qc2 or Qe4 attack as well as an e5 pawn push by Black also exposes the Bishop's weakness at d3.

The King's Indian defense is one system where the Colle is not very effective and another plan has to be undertaken.  One fairly good Anti-Indian system is this line sometimes played by Capablanca, Alekhine, Keres, Smyslov, Spassky, Kamsky and others as soon as Black plays g6:

1. d4 Nf6
2. Nf3 g6
3. Bf4 Bg7
4. e3 0-0
5. Be2 d6
6. h3 to preserve the bishop from being captured by the knight

This is a flexible setup which allows White to hold up the e5 advance for a while and the b1 knight can be developed to either d2, or c3 if the pawn goes to c4.  When e5 is eventually played, White will play the bishop back to h2 to keep pressure on the h2-b8 diagonal.  White has good practical chances as the game rarely gets simplified early.

There's not a lot of material on this opening.  Some information is contained in a 1991 book titled "Play Anti-Indian Systems" by Egon Varnusz, Macmillan Chess.  Despite this, as you play this line, you'll learn the main themes and ideas.  Most King's Indian players have little experience facing this, which is also to your advantage.

Regards,

Len Molden