Catalan Opening
What is the Catalan Opening?
The Catalan Opening is a chess opening that begins with 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3. It is classified under ECO E00–E09 and has 32 named variations. White chooses it with the move g3.
Moves: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3
ECO: E00–E09
Chosen by: White
Main variations
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 e5
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Nf3
All 32 variations
| ECO | Variation | Moves |
|---|---|---|
| E00 | Main line | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 |
| E00 | Main line | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 |
| E00 | Hungarian Gambit | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 e5 |
| E01 | Open Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 |
| E02 | Open Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 |
| E06 | Closed | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 |
| E04 | Open Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Nf3 |
| E04 | Open Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 c6 5. Bg2 dxc4 |
| E05 | Open Defense, Classical Line | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Nf3 Be7 |
| E01 | Tarrasch Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 c5 5. Nf3 Nc6 |
| E03 | Open Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Qa4+ Nbd7 6. Qxc4 |
| E06 | Closed | 1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. d4 O-O 6. O-O c6 |
| E07 | Closed | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 |
| E05 | Open Defense, Classical Line | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O dxc4 |
| E04 | Open Defense, Modern Sharp Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Qa4 Bb4+ |
| E08 | Closed | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Qc2 |
| E03 | Open Defense, Alekhine Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Qa4+ Nbd7 6. Qxc4 a6 7. Qc2 |
| E08 | Closed | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Qc2 c6 8. b3 |
| E07 | Closed, Botvinnik Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Nc3 c6 8. Qd3 |
| E09 | Closed, Main Line | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Qc2 c6 8. Nbd2 |
| E06 | Closed | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 8. Bf4 b6 |
| E08 | Closed | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Qc2 c6 8. b3 b6 |
| E09 | Closed Variation, Rabinovich Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Qc2 e6 5. Nbd2 Be7 6. g3 Nbd7 7. Bg2 O-O 8. O-O b5 |
| E09 | Closed Variation, Traditional Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Qc2 c6 8. Nbd2 b6 |
| E08 | Closed | 1. 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. Bf4 |
| E08 | Closed, Zagoryansky Variation | 1. 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. a4 |
| E06 | Closed | 1. 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 Na6 |
| E09 | Closed, Main Line | 1. 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 Nbd7 |
| E08 | Closed | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Qc2 c6 8. Bf4 b6 9. Nbd2 Bb7 10. e4 |
| E09 | Closed, Sokolsky Variation | 1. 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 Ba6 |
| E08 | Closed, Spassky Gambit | 1. 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 b5 |
| E09 | Closed, Main Line | 1. 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. Qxe4 |
How to learn an opening
Learn the ideas before the moves: where the pieces go, which pawn breaks matter and what the typical middlegame plans are. Then play it, and after each game look up the point where you or your opponent left the known moves. MentoChess shows that point automatically for every game you import.
Opening lessons: Three golden opening rules · Scholar’s mate and how to stop it · Italian Game: plans, not just moves · Answering 1.d4: the Queen’s Gambit Declined · Meeting the Sicilian with 2.c3 · From moves to structures