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Edgar Colle
Number of games in database: 355
Years covered: 1921 to 1931
Overall record: +134 -131 =88 (50.4%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games
      Based on games in the database; may be incomplete.
      2 exhibition games, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Queen's Pawn Game (86) 
    D05 A46 D04 D02 D00
 King's Indian (12) 
    E60 E91 E67 E62 E76
 Slav (9) 
    D12 D11 D10
 Orthodox Defense (7) 
    D67 D69 D50 D58 D66
 Queen's Gambit Declined (6) 
    D37 D30 D31 D06 D38
 Semi-Slav (5) 
    D48 D45 D46 D49
With the Black pieces:
 Alekhine's Defense (33) 
    B02 B03 B05
 Nimzo Indian (25) 
    E34 E32 E23 E22 E38
 Sicilian (22) 
    B83 B20 B30 B25 B29
 Queen's Indian (18) 
    E16 E12 E14 E18 E17
 Queen's Pawn Game (16) 
    D02 A46 A45 A50 D01
 Chigorin Defense (10) 
    D07
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   Colle vs Delvaux, 1929 1-0
   Colle vs J O'Hanlon, 1930 1-0
   Colle vs Gruenfeld, 1926 1-0
   Colle vs V Berger, 1928 1-0
   Colle vs Bogoljubov, 1930 1-0
   Colle vs Euwe, 1923 1-0
   Spielmann vs Colle, 1928 0-1
   Colle vs Stoltz, 1931 1-0
   Colle vs Rubinstein, 1931 1-0
   Colle vs Gruenfeld, 1929 1-0

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   Colle's chess masterpieces by Fred Reinfeld by nikolaas
   Homage to Colle by chocobonbon
   colle & related systems by gmlisowitz
   Zort's Edgard Colle collection by Zorts
   Bled 1931 international tournament part 2 by cuendillar
   99_Scarborough 1930 by whiteshark
   ninja007's favorite games by ninja007
   Frankfurt 1930 by suenteus po 147
   Liege 1930 by suenteus po 147
   rookington's Colle by rookington
   Hastings 1928/29 by suenteus po 147
   Hastings 1926/27 by suenteus po 147

Search Sacrifice Explorer for Edgar Colle
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EDGAR COLLE
(born May-18-1897, died Apr-18-1932) Belgium

[what is this?]
Edgar(d) Colle was born in Ghent, Belgium. He won the Belgian championship in 1922, 1924 and 1926-1929. His international breakthrough was in Scheveningen 1923 before a.o. Euwe. In 1924, he came third in the unofficial Paris Olympiad.

1926 was perhaps his best year. He won in Amsterdam (ahead of Tartakower and Euwe) and in Merano (ahead of Spielmann, Tartakower, Yates). Apart of these successes, he also managed to finish second in Weston Super-Mare. Afterwards, he participated in many international tournaments. This resulted in a victory in Scarborough 1927, Hastings 1928/29, Scarborough 1930.

His health was not as good as his results; he survived three difficult operations, only to die as a result of the fourth. He is most known for the Colle-opening: 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 c5.

Wikipedia article: Edgard Colle


 page 1 of 15; games 1-25 of 355  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves Year Event/LocaleOpening
1. Colle vs N Borukhovich 1-030 1921 Belgium chD02 Queen's Pawn Game
2. Koltanowski vs Colle 1-030 1922 ch BELA03 Bird's Opening
3. W Fick vs Colle  1-043 1923 NEDB84 Sicilian, Scheveningen
4. Colle vs R P Michell  1-065 1923 Hastings 2324D64 Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox, Rubinstein Attack
5. Colle vs Maroczy  ½-½35 1923 Hastings 2324D26 Queen's Gambit Accepted
6. Colle vs Euwe 1-029 1923 Scheveningen ,HCL 39A48 King's Indian
7. Colle vs Koltanowski 0-171 1923 ch BELE60 King's Indian Defense
8. J A Seitz vs Colle  1-051 1923 Hastings 2324B41 Sicilian, Kan
9. G Oskam vs Colle 0-124 1923 International amateur tournamentB20 Sicilian
10. Colle vs Olland 1-024 1923 ScheveningenA22 English
11. H E Price vs Colle  0-129 1923 Hastings 2324A46 Queen's Pawn Game
12. Colle vs Euwe 1-025 1923 Hastings2324 ,HCL 24D12 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
13. Koltanowski vs Colle  1-050 1923 ch BELA10 English
14. Colle vs G Oskam  1-026 1923 Scheveningen NEDD12 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
15. J Blake vs Colle  1-038 1923 Hastings 2324B41 Sicilian, Kan
16. G Fontein vs Colle 0-142 1923 ScheveningenA53 Old Indian
17. Colle vs Yates ½-½46 1923 Hastings 2324E76 King's Indian, Four Pawns Attack
18. Colle vs Weenink 1-022 1923 ScheveningenA22 English
19. Koltanowski vs Colle  ½-½29 1923 rapid playA01 Nimzovich-Larsen Attack
20. A Speijer vs Colle ½-½52 1923 Scheveningen NEDE61 King's Indian
21. Colle vs Mieses  1-049 1923 Hastings 2324A25 English
22. J Davidson vs Colle  0-154 1923 ScheveningenA53 Old Indian
23. Colle vs Loman  ½-½20 1923 NEDD05 Queen's Pawn Game
24. Koltanowski vs Colle 1-041 1923 rapid playA01 Nimzovich-Larsen Attack
25. G Norman vs Colle  0-149 1923 Hastings 2324A53 Old Indian
 page 1 of 15; games 1-25 of 355  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Colle wins | Colle loses  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing>
May-18-07  MaxxLange: square dance - that's why I stopped playing the KIA. It just felt like I was giving up my White after a while. I started playing 2.d4 against the French .

As for 3.Bc4, even then kids have the same problem, but they get into a symmetrical Italian Game, they don't know the Greco lines with 4.c3 or the Evans Gambit.

Pandolfini had a great article about this in his "ABC of Chess" anthology - how to play the Very Quiet Game as White right, if you must play it - and the old Exeter Chess Club site had some nice handouts on the question of getting beginners out of that stage in their openings.

Jan-17-08  2021: I believe that baton de colle means glue stick in french.
Jan-18-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Calli: http://pedagosite.nexenservices.com...
Jan-18-08  2021: And colle, in French, means tough question, I believe.
May-26-08  Sem: As for pronunciation of Colle's name: it is as EmperorAtahualpa says (Jan-10-06).
May-18-09  Cees Verhagen: Thank you for your legacy.
May-18-09  YoungEd: <GrandpatzerSCL> asked this a couple of years ago, but does anyone know what specific ailment(s) Colle had? I used to have Reinfeld's book of Colle's best games, but it had no details--just a remembrance by Hans Kmoch saying that Colle was always wracked with pain.
May-18-09  myschkin: . . .

<@Ed> He had the operations because of <gastric ulcer>.

Addendum: Isn't his name Edgar<d> Colle?

May-18-09  YoungEd: Thanks, <myschkin>!
Jan-02-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  speedmerchant 49: Any opening can be deadly if played right. As a sportsman, you don't need the biggest gun to kill your opponent. All you need to perfect aim.
Jan-02-10  gezafan: The Colle is a good opening, especially at the club level.

There is nothing wrong with beginners using it but I do agree that at some point beginners should experiment with open games.

Jan-03-10  PierreTheLion: I adopted it specifically to get closed game experience. In my early stages, I might as well have had 1.e4 tattooed on my forehead. A book I saw advertised on this site linked to a cute youtube video where a girl tries to sell a lion sock puppet on the tactical chances afforded in the Colle. Through the looking glass we go!
May-18-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Phony Benoni: In response to earlier questions about Colle's death: he suffered from a gastric ulcer and died after undergoing a fourth operation for the condition.
Aug-03-10  mrandersson: What do people use the most on here. either c3 or b3 with the bishop on b2? I like either system and i think the colle is a good opening my self.
Aug-03-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Eric Schiller: b3 always! My book The Rubinstein Attack is filled with exciting games. Many strong players use it, few use c3.
Jan-14-12  einherjar: Colle is a fine opening indeed.
Dec-30-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: Isn't his first name Edgard?
Dec-30-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Phony Benoni: Could be. Jeremy Gaige's "Chess Personalia", generally considered accurate for this sort of information, uses <Edgar>, but Edward Winter uses <Edgard>. I don't think Winter would deviate from Gaige without good reason..

It might be an English vs. European difference. Any Colle or Belgian experts out there?

Dec-30-12  Karpova: I don't have the book but whoever does - Winter's <A Chess Omnibus> (Russell Enterprises, 2003) and look up <348> - with more information on the forename.
Dec-30-12  IndigoViolet: <Although virtually all chess reference books put Edgar, almost all contemporary sources had Edgard. The latter was also the spelling on his gravestone (see page 37 of <Histoire des maitres belges> by M.Wasnair and M.Jadoul). It was, moreover, the way he signed his name alongside the photograph in the booklet <Le match Colle-Koltanowski>, published in Brussels in 1926.>

From C.N. 2382.

Dec-30-12  thomastonk: There is a chess academy "Edgard Colle" in his hometome Ghent.

He is probably not the only Edgard who lost here and there the final letter. Another one is the composer Varèse. BTW, who knows Varèse's relation to chess?

May-18-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  brankat: R.I.P. master Colle.
May-18-13  backrank: Reinfeld's book on Colle is rather good:

Game Collection: Colle's chess masterpieces by Fred Reinfeld

Maybe it's still the only book on this remarkable attacking player?

May-18-13  dark.horse: Chernev's book "Logical Chess Move by Move" has a number of Colle System games. The potential of the Colle System is well explained in it.
May-18-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  waustad: I had a dedicated chess computer board many years ago and could draw it consistently by playing the Colle system. It probably had a Z80 as the CPU to give a notion of how long ago it was.
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