Catalan Opening

The elite weapon of Kramnik, Carlsen and Ding Liren: combining the Queen's Gambit with the laser of the Bishop on g2.

The opening par excellence of the World Champions. White combines the central push d4-c4 with the powerful fianchetto on g2. It exerts an invisible but relentless positional pressure along the a8-h1 diagonal.

Chapter 1: Open Catalan (dxc4) & Recovery with Qa4+ / Ne5

When Black accepts the c4 pawn: how to use the ray of the g2 Bishop to dominate the c-file and the queenside.

1. Open Catalan: 5...a6 6.O-O Nc6 7.Qc2 b5 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Nf3 a6…
2. Classical Open Catalan: 7.Qc2 a6 8.Qxc4 b5 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Nf3 Be7…
3. Open Catalan with 7.Ne5 Nc6 8.Nxc6 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Nf3 Be7…
4. Open Catalan with 5.Qa4+ Nbd7 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Qa4+ Nbd7…
5. Open Catalan with 5...c5: the queenless endgame 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Nf3 c5…
6. Trap on the long diagonal: 6...b5 7.Ne5 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Nf3 a6…
7. Open Catalan with 5...Na6 and ...c5 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Nf3 Na6…

Chapter 2: Closed Catalan (...Be7 & ...c6) & Breakthrough Maneuvers

How to dismantle the Black fortress when the opponent keeps the d5 pawn with c6 and seeks solid development.

8. Closed Catalan: 6...c6 7.Qc2 Nbd7 8.Nbd2 b6 9.e4 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 O-O…
9. Closed Catalan with 7.b3 and the Ba3 exchange 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 O-O…
10. Closed Catalan with Rd1, Nc3 and the push e4 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 O-O…
11. Catalan against the Slav setup (2...c6, ...Bd6 and ...e5) 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 e6 5.Nf3 Nbd7…
12. Closed Catalan: 7...c5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.e4 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 O-O…
13. Closed Catalan with 7.b3 b6 8.Ne5 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 O-O…
14. Catalan by transposition (1...e6 2.g3) and the isolated d5 pawn 1.d4 e6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 Nf6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.O-O O-O…