Opening Overview

Catalan Opening

30 lines
white repertoire

About This Opening

White combines Queen's Pawn ideas with a long-diagonal fianchetto and lasting pressure.

The opening's main value is its characteristic move order, which helps steer the game toward familiar structures and plans.

When studying it, focus on the first forcing decisions, the main branching points, and the kind of middlegames the opening is designed to reach.

Key ideas
  • Typical theme: recognize the key move order early.
  • Learn the first critical branching decisions.
  • Best for players who want a repeatable repertoire line.
  • Understand the resulting pawn structure and piece placement.

Choose a variation

Catalan Opening
E00 5 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3
Catalan Opening
E00 6 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5
Catalan Opening: Hungarian Gambit
E00 6 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 e5
Catalan Opening: Closed
E01 7 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2
Catalan Opening: Open Defense
E02 8 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4
Catalan Opening: Open Defense
E03 11 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Qa4+ Nbd7 6. Qxc4
Catalan Opening: Open Defense, Alekhine Variation
E03 13 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Qa4+ Nbd7 6. Qxc4 a6 7. Qc2
Catalan Opening: Open Defense
E04 9 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Nf3
Catalan Opening: Open Defense
E04 10 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 c6 5. Bg2 dxc4
Catalan Opening: Open Defense, Modern Sharp Variation
E04 12 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Qa4 Bb4+
Catalan Opening: Open Defense, Classical Line
E05 10 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Nf3 Be7
Catalan Opening: Open Defense, Classical Line
E05 12 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O dxc4
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