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Catalan Opening

Queen's Gambit plus a fianchetto: the bishop on g2 presses along the long diagonal toward b7 and the queenside. A favourite of Kramnik and Carlsen.

Advanced · Queen's pawn openings · 16 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

Catalan Opening (E05). You play White. Queen's Gambit plus a fianchetto: the bishop on g2 presses along the long diagonal toward b7 and the queenside. A favourite of Kramnik and Carlsen.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.d4

White plays pawn to d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It opens a line for the bishop on c1. It opens a line for the queen on d1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 35% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...Nf6

Black plays knight to f6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 60% of 1.4 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.c4

White plays pawn to c4. It controls the centre (d5). It opens a line for the queen on d1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 67% of 805k games.

Step 5

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...e6

Black plays pawn to e6. It controls the centre (d5). It opens a line for the bishop on f8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 49% of 537k games.

Step 6

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.g3

White plays pawn to g3. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 12% of 273k games.

Step 7

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...d5

Black plays pawn to d5. It takes a centre square (d5). It opens a line for the queen on d8. It challenges the opponent's pawns. It attacks the pawn on c4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 55% of 32k games.

Step 8

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.Bg2

White plays bishop to g2. It develops the bishop into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Fianchetto: the bishop aims along the long diagonal. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 55% of 19k games.

Step 9

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...Be7

Black plays bishop to e7. It develops the bishop into the game. Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 37% of 11k games.

Step 10

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.Nf3

White plays knight to f3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 98% of 4322 games.

Step 11

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...O-O

Black castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 96% of 21k games.

Step 12

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.O-O

White castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 83% of 22k games.

Step 13

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6...dxc4

Black plays pawn takes c4. It captures the pawn on c4. It gains space. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 62% of 25k games.

Step 14

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7.Qc2

White plays queen to c2. It controls the centre (e4). It attacks the pawn on c4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 69% of 17k games.

Step 15

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♜︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7...a6

Black plays pawn to a6. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 81% of 11k games.

Step 16

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♜︎♚︎
The position

This is the main position of the Catalan Opening. Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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More lessons in Queen's pawn openings

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