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1.Opening

Catalan Opening

You play WhiteE05PositionalAdvanced

A Queen's Gambit with a fianchettoed bishop. The g2 bishop rakes the long diagonal toward Black's queenside.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 O-O …

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Open Catalan: position after 10 moves8a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h
Open Catalan: position after 10 moves
2.Ideas

What the opening is about

Key ideas

  1. g3 + Bg2 aims at b7 and the queenside.
  2. White happily gives c4 for a while to win it back later.
  3. Qc2 and the c-file put long-term pressure on c7.
3.Main line

Main line · 19 moves

Open Catalan

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Your moves Opponent
No. White Black1
d4Claims the center.
Nf6Flexible development.
2
c4Gains queenside space and controls d5.
e6Prepares ...d5 or ...Bb4.
3
g3The Catalan: prepares to fianchetto the bishop on the long diagonal.
d5A solid center.
After 3…d5
After 3…d5
No. White Black4
Bg2The bishop on the long diagonal aims through the center at b7.
Be7Prepares to castle.
5
Nf3Develops.
O-OBlack castles.
6
O-OWhite castles.
dxc4Black takes on c4 and will try to hold it, or use the time.
After 6…dxc4
After 6…dxc4
No. White Black7
Qc2The queen will win c4 back.
a6Prepares ...b5 to try to keep the pawn.
8
Qxc4White recaptures right away.
b5Kicks the queen and gains queenside space.
9
Qc2The queen retreats, eyeing c7 down the c-file.
Bb7Black challenges the g2 bishop's long diagonal.
After 9…Bb7
After 9…Bb7
No. White Black10
Bf4Develops actively, also pointing at c7.
After 10.Bf4
After 10.Bf4
4.Play

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5.More

More 1.d4 openings