Catalan Opening
You play White · 17 variations
Mixed practice
The machine picks a different variation every time.
Take a quiz
10 positions: find the next theory move in each. No take-backs, no hints.
Main variations · 14
- Open DefenseE041. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 c6 5. Bg2 dxc45 moves
- Open Defense, Alekhine VariationE031. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Qa4+ Nbd7 6. Qxc4 a6 7. Qc27 moves
- Open Defense, Classical LineE051. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O dxc46 moves
- Open Defense, Modern Sharp VariationE041. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Qa4 Bb4+6 moves
- Open Defense, Classical LineE051. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Nf3 Be75 moves
- ClosedE061. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O c6 7. Qc2 b6 8. Nbd2 Bb7 9. e4 Na69 moves
- ClosedE081. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O c6 7. Qc2 b6 8. Rd1 Nbd7 9. Bf49 moves
- ClosedE061. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 8. Bf4 b68 moves
- Closed, Main LineE091. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Qc2 c6 8. Bf4 b6 9. Nbd2 Bb7 10. e4 dxe4 11. Nxe4 Nxe4 12. Qxe412 moves
- Closed, Main LineE091. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O c6 7. Qc2 b6 8. Nbd2 Bb7 9. e4 Nbd79 moves
- Closed, Sokolsky VariationE091. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Qc2 c6 8. Nbd2 b6 9. b3 a5 10. Bb2 Ba610 moves
- Closed, Spassky GambitE081. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 Be7 4. Bg2 d5 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Qc2 c6 8. b3 b6 9. Rd1 Bb7 10. Nc3 b510 moves
- Closed, Zagoryansky VariationE081. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Qc2 c6 8. Rd1 b6 9. a49 moves
- Closed, Botvinnik VariationE071. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Nc3 c6 8. Qd38 moves
Other variations · 3
What is the Catalan Opening?
The Catalan Opening combines the Queen's Gambit with a kingside fianchetto: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2. The bishop on g2 looks down the long diagonal at Black's queenside, especially b7 and a8, and supports pressure on d5 and c6. It is a positional opening that is very popular at top level, and it often involves a temporary pawn sacrifice on c4 in return for long-lasting pressure.
Main ideas and plans
In the Open Defense Black takes the pawn on c4, and you usually do not hurry to win it back. In the Classical Line, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Nf3 Be7 6.O-O O-O 7.Qc2 a6 8.Qxc4 b5 9.Qc2 Bb7, Black has developed the queenside with ...b5 and ...Bb7, and you try to exploit the loosened c5 and c6 squares with moves such as Bf4, Rd1 and a4. Other lines regain the pawn quickly with a queen check, as in the Alekhine Variation, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Qa4+ Nbd7 6.Qxc4. Black's main freeing ideas are ...c5, and ...b5 with ...Bb7 to neutralise your g2 bishop.
In the Closed Catalan Black keeps the pawn on d5, for example with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.O-O Nbd7 7.Qc2 c6, followed by ...b6 and ...Bb7 or by ...b5. Your plan is to play Nbd2 and prepare e4, or b3 and Bb2, keeping a space advantage and long-term pressure, while Black hopes to free the position with ...c5 or ...e5. Against the Tarrasch-style reply with an early ...c5, you often reach positions where Black has an isolated pawn on d5, and your Catalan bishop is ideally placed to press against it.
Who is it for?
The Catalan suits positional players who enjoy slow, lasting pressure, good endgames and positions where small advantages are converted with technique. It is less suited to players who want immediate tactics, and it demands patience: Black's position is solid, and if you play too slowly the pressure evaporates. Know first how to handle the c4 pawn in the Open Defense, when to regain it with Qa4+ or Qc2 and when to play for compensation instead, and get used to treating the long diagonal as the core of your play.