The Catalan Opening arises after 1. d4 ♞f6 2. c4 e6 3. g3, when White fianchettoes the king's bishop and aims it along the long diagonal at the queenside. The name refers to Catalonia, where the opening was popularized at a tournament in Barcelona in 1929.
1. d4 ♞f6 2. c4 e6 3. g3
The opening combines the central space of the Queen's Gambit with the pressure of a fianchetto bishop. White does not hurry to occupy the center with e2-e4; instead the bishop on g2 puts steady pressure on the d5-square and on the queenside. Black's most common reply is 3... d5, and after 4. ♗g2 the position covered on this page arises. Black can also play 3... ♝b4+ or 3... c5, and these are covered at the end.
A typical development in the Closed Catalan looks like this. White castles quickly and then builds the center with ♕c2, ♘bd2 and e4. Black develops with ... ♞bd7, ... c6 and ... b6, and places the bishop on b7 to meet the bishop on g2.
1. d4 ♞f6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. ♗g2 ♝e7 5. ♘f3 O-O 6. O-O ♞bd7 7. ♕c2 c6 8. ♘bd2 b6 9. e4 ♝b7
The bishop on g2 presses against d5 and, if that pawn disappears, against b7 and the rook on a8. This is why the long diagonal decides so much in the Catalan: Black must keep d5 protected, or answer the pressure with ... c6 or ... ♝b7. When Black captures on c4, the bishop attacks b7 at once.
In the Open Catalan Black takes the pawn on c4 and tries to keep it with ... b5. White does not need to hurry: the pawn is difficult to hold, because ♕c2 or ♕a4+ attacks it and the bishop on g2 weakens the queenside. White usually regains the pawn and keeps the pressure.
White's main break is e2-e4, prepared by ♘bd2 and ♕c2. c4-c5 gains space on the queenside, and b2-b3 with ♗b2 puts a second bishop on the long diagonal. Black's freeing moves are ... c5 and ... e5, and ... b5 when the pawn on c4 can be defended. In the Closed Catalan Black usually completes development first and waits for White to commit.
After 3... d5 4. ♗g2 Black has three main choices. 4... dxc4 is the Open Catalan; 4... ♝e7 is the Closed Catalan; and 4... ♝b4+ leads to lines with the bishop check. Black can also play 4... c6, which gives a solid Slav-like setup.
1. d4 ♞f6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. ♗g2
Black takes the pawn and gives up the center for the moment. White plays 5. ♘f3 ♝e7 and then 6. ♕c2, preparing to recapture on c4. Black defends the pawn with 6... a6, but White takes it anyway with 7. ♕xc4, and Black plays 7... b5 with tempo against the queen. After 8. ♕c2 ♝b7 9. ♗d2 White has the center and Black has a pawn majority on the queenside.
1. d4 ♞f6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. ♗g2 dxc4 5. ♘f3 ♝e7 6. ♕c2 a6 7. ♕xc4 b5 8. ♕c2 ♝b7 9. ♗d2
The bishop on d2 prepares ♗c3 and ♖c1 to attack the queenside, and Black usually continues 9... ♞c6 to develop and challenge the center. The game is double-edged: White has the better pawn center and the long diagonal, Black has extra space on the queenside and the chance to trade pieces.
White can regain the pawn at once with 5. ♕a4+. Black blocks with 5... c6, and after 6. ♕xc4 b5 the queen has to move again. 7. ♕c2 ♝b7 8. ♘f3 ♞bd7 9. O-O follows, and Black has a solid setup and has gained time on the queen. 5... ♞bd7 is also possible and leads to similar play after 6. ♕xc4 a6.
1. d4 ♞f6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. ♗g2 dxc4 5. ♕a4+ c6 6. ♕xc4 b5 7. ♕c2 ♝b7 8. ♘f3 ♞bd7 9. O-O
Black can also strike at the center and give the pawn back. After 5. ♘f3 c5 6. O-O ♞c6 7. ♕a4 ♝d7 8. ♕xc4 cxd4 9. ♘xd4 ♜c8 the rook attacks the queen on c4, and Black has an active setup with pressure on the c-file. White has the better center and the bishop on g2, and the queen must find a good square.
1. d4 ♞f6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. ♗g2 dxc4 5. ♘f3 c5 6. O-O ♞c6 7. ♕a4 ♝d7 8. ♕xc4 cxd4 9. ♘xd4 ♜c8
Black checks first and then prepares to hold the pawn. After 5. ♘f3 ♝b4+ 6. ♗d2 a5 7. ♕c2 ♝xd2+ 8. ♘bxd2 b5 Black has exchanged the dark-squared bishops and has the pawn on c4 supported by ... b5. White has the bishop on g2 and the center, and plays 9. a4 to undermine the support of the pawn.
1. d4 ♞f6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. ♗g2 dxc4 5. ♘f3 ♝b4+ 6. ♗d2 a5 7. ♕c2 ♝xd2+ 8. ♘bxd2 b5
Black does not take the pawn. 4... ♝e7 keeps the center solid and prepares castling, and Black defends d5 with pieces and waits. After 5. ♘f3 O-O 6. O-O White has the ideal setup: the bishop on g2 presses along the diagonal, the knight on f3 controls the center, and the king is safe. Black must now choose a plan. 6... ♞bd7 develops the knight, 6... dxc4 takes the pawn, and 6... c6 reinforces the d5-pawn.
1. d4 ♞f6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. ♗g2 ♝e7 5. ♘f3 O-O 6. O-O
Black develops the knight and prepares ... c6. After 7. ♕c2 c6 8. ♘bd2 b6 White plays 9. e4, and 9... dxe4 10. ♘xe4 ♝b7 opens the center. White has active pieces and pressure on the d-file, and 11. ♗f4 attacks the pawn on c7. Black can also play 9... ♝b7, keeping the tension and avoiding the exchange on e4.
1. d4 ♞f6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. ♗g2 ♝e7 5. ♘f3 O-O 6. O-O ♞bd7 7. ♕c2 c6 8. ♘bd2 b6 9. e4 dxe4 10. ♘xe4 ♝b7 11. ♗f4
Black takes the pawn after castling. White replies 7. ♕c2 a6 8. a4 ♝d7 9. ♕xc4 ♝c6, and the bishop on c6 challenges the bishop on g2. After 10. ♗g5 ♝d5 11. ♕d3 White has regained the pawn and has pressure against the knight on f6. Black has a solid position and trades pieces to reduce White's space advantage.
1. d4 ♞f6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. ♗g2 ♝e7 5. ♘f3 O-O 6. O-O dxc4 7. ♕c2 a6 8. a4 ♝d7 9. ♕xc4 ♝c6 10. ♗g5 ♝d5 11. ♕d3
Black can also reinforce the d5-pawn at once. After 7. ♕c2 ♞bd7 the play often transposes into the 6... ♞bd7 lines, but Black can keep the choice of ... b6 or ... dxc4 for later. White continues with 8. ♘bd2 and 9. e4, or with 8. ♖d1 and 9. ♘c3.
1. d4 ♞f6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. ♗g2 ♝e7 5. ♘f3 O-O 6. O-O c6 7. ♕c2 ♞bd7
Black can check at once with 3... ♝b4+. White meets it with 4. ♗d2, and after 4... ♝e7 5. ♗g2 d5 6. ♘f3 O-O 7. O-O c6 8. ♕c2 b6 Black has a setup similar to the Closed Catalan, with the difference that the bishop on d2 stands where the knight usually goes. White plays 9. ♗f4 or 9. ♖d1. The structure is solid for both sides, and White keeps a small space advantage.
1. d4 ♞f6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 ♝b4+ 4. ♗d2 ♝e7 5. ♗g2 d5 6. ♘f3 O-O 7. O-O c6 8. ♕c2 b6
Black can also avoid the center structure of the Queen's Gambit and strike with a pawn immediately.
3... c5 attacks the center at once. After 4. ♗g2 cxd4 5. ♘f3 ♞c6 6. ♘xd4 ♝c5 7. ♘xc6 bxc6 8. O-O White has recaptured the pawn and has the bishop on g2 aimed at c6. Black has an open b-file and active pieces, but the pawn structure on the queenside is damaged, and White keeps a small space advantage.
1. d4 ♞f6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 c5 4. ♗g2 cxd4 5. ♘f3 ♞c6 6. ♘xd4 ♝c5 7. ♘xc6 bxc6 8. O-O