Catalan Opening
ECO E00 · Catalan Opening · positional · advanced
The Catalan Opening (E00) is a positional chess opening in the Catalan Opening family, played by White. It arises after the moves 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5. Fianchetto with pressure on d5. Grandmaster favorite. Recommended for advanced players.
Moves: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5
About this opening
The Catalan Opening blends the Queen's Gambit with a g3 fianchetto: the g2 bishop exerts lasting pressure along the long diagonal and on the d5 pawn. White often lets the c4 pawn go for a while to develop a long-term positional initiative. The Open Catalan and the Closed Catalan are its two faces. Vladimir Kramnik and Garry Kasparov refined its strategy at the highest level.