Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System, Anti-Colle
The Anti-Colle is 3...Bf5, where Black develops the light bishop before playing ...e6 so it does not get locked in. White can no longer get a smooth Bd3 setup for free, so the choice is c4 and Nh4 to hunt the bishop, a bishop trade on d3, or a b3 plan.
- Moves
- 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Bf5
- ECO
- D04
- Engine
- +0.21 · level (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
- Played
- 2,656 games in our lichess sample
- White scores
- 51.2%
Key ideas for both sides
White
- 4.c4 pressures d5 and opens the queen's route to b3, where it hits b7 now that the bishop left c8.
- Nh4 chases the bishop, as in the main engine line, to win the bishop pair after Nxg6 hxg6.
- 4.Bd3 offers a trade. After ...e6 and Bxf5 exf5, White uses Qd3 to target the f5 pawn.
- A b3 and Bb2 setup keeps things quiet and fights for e5.
Black
- Support d5 with ...c6 and ...e6, the pawn triangle that makes Black solid.
- Retreat the bishop to g6 when Nh4 comes. After Nxg6 hxg6, the h-file is half open for Black's rook.
- Against Bd3, play ...e6. Recapturing on f5 with the e-pawn gives Black e4 control.
- Develop with ...Nbd7 and ...Bd6, then use ...Ne4 to plant a knight in the center.
Plans and pawn structure
Black's pawns go to c6, d5 and e6, a Slav-like triangle with the bishop already outside the chain. White's best plan is c4 and Nc3, hits on d5 and b7, and Nh4 to take the bishop pair. Black answers with ...Nbd7, ...Bd6 and short castling, and later ...dxc4 or ...c5 to free the game. If White plays slowly with Bd3 or b3, Black gets ...Ne4 and a comfortable middlegame.
Where the engine's main line heads: Black's pawn triangle: c6, d5, e6. Black's triangle of pawns on c6, d5 and e6: very solid, but it can shut in the c8 bishop.
What the engine plays from here
Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.21: level. Its three top choices for White:
- +0.21 4.c4 c6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Nh4 Bg6
- +0.07 4.Bd3 e6 5.Bxf5 exf5 6.Qd3 Qc8
- −0.11 4.b3 e6 5.Bd3 Ne4 6.O-O c6
Pawns, from White's side.
How it scores on lichess
2,656 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 51.2%.
Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.
How to play against it
As White, do not continue on autopilot with Bd3 and c3; the bishop on f5 trades off White's best attacker. Play 4.c4 and Nc3, and use Nh4 or a queen on b3 to hit the bishop and b7. Avoid letting Black keep a knight on e4.
Questions
What are the moves of the Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System, Anti-Colle?
The Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System, Anti-Colle starts 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Bf5. Its ECO code is D04.
Is the Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System, Anti-Colle good for Black?
Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.21 at depth 20, which is level. In 2,656 lichess games from our sample, White scored 51.2%. A sensible equalizing choice for Black players who dislike passive bishops; White players of the Colle need a plan with c4 ready.
What is the main idea of the Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System, Anti-Colle?
Black develops the light bishop to f5 before ...e6 so it is not stuck behind its own pawns. That also neutralizes White's Bd3, so White usually switches to c4 and Nh4 plans.
What should White play next?
The engine's first choice is c4, with Bd3 and b3 close behind. 4.c4 switches to a Queen's Gambit type of game, hitting d5 and preparing pressure on b7 now that the bishop left c8.
Related lines
Updated October 2026. Sources and method.