Openings 1.d4 Nf6: Indian defenses
Catalan Opening: Open and Closed Lines, Plans and Stats by Rating
The Catalan puts a bishop on g2 behind a Queen’s Gambit center. Its target is the long diagonal toward b7 and Black’s queenside. It is a positional opening: White often gives a pawn on c4 for pressure that lasts deep into the middlegame.
E00Catalan Opening
Games from this position (1600–1999): 1,373
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
| Move | Played | Games | White · Draw · Black |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53% | 730 | ||
| 21% | 289 | ||
| 12% | 162 | ||
| 5% | 62 | ||
| 4% | 56 | ||
| 3% | 47 | ||
| 1% | 15 | ||
| 0.9% | 12 |
Plans for both sides
White
- g3, Bg2, Nf3 and O-O first; the c4 pawn can be won back later with Qc2, Qa4+ or Ne5.
- Against the Open Catalan (...dxc4), do not rush to regain the pawn: development and the g2 bishop matter more.
- In the Closed Catalan, play Qc2, Nbd2 and e4 to open the center for your pieces.
Black
- 4...dxc4 takes the pawn; ...a6 and ...b5 can hold it, or Black gives it back for easy development.
- 4...Be7 with ...O-O and ...c6 is the Closed Catalan: solid but passive.
- The c8 bishop is Black’s problem piece; plan ...b6 and ...Bb7, or ...c5, to free it.
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Catalan Opening at each rating
How often the position after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 comes up in rated Lichess games, how it scores and what players answer next.
| Rating | Games (Share of games) | White · Draw · Black | Top next move |
|---|---|---|---|
| <1200 | 36<0.1% | 3...d542% | |
| 1200–1599 | 246<0.1% | 3...d548% | |
| 1600–1999 | 1,373<0.1% | 3...d553% | |
| 2000+ | 3,5320.2% | 3...d558% | |
| All | 5,187<0.1% | 3...d556% |
What usually comes next
The most played moves from here, all ratings together. Thicker line = played more often.
Main variations
Black takes on c4 and tries to keep the pawn with ...a6 and ...b5. White has long-term pressure on the queenside.
Too rare in our data for numbers.
Show on the board: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Nf3 a6 6.O-O b5Black takes on c4 only after castling; White answers Qc2 and wins the pawn back with a4 and Qxc4.
195 games from this position (all ratings, any move order). White won 43%, 16% were drawn, Black won 41%.
Show on the board: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.O-O dxc4 7.Qc2 a6Black holds d5 with ...c6 and waits; White prepares e4 with Nbd2 or Rd1.
Too rare in our data for numbers.
Show on the board: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.O-O c6 7.Qc2 Nbd7Black checks first to lure the bishop to d2, where it gets in the way of the knight, then drops back.
86 games from this position (all ratings, any move order). White won 41%, 26% were drawn, Black won 34%.
Show on the board: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Be7 5.Bg2 d5
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At club level
The Catalan is mostly an expert’s opening here: about two in three games with 3.g3 are played at 2000+. White scores about 54% overall, with draws near 13% at 2000+, and after 4.Bg2 Black there chooses 4...Be7 most often (about 39%), with 4...dxc4 and 4...c6 near 17% each.
Practice it
The trainer answers with the replies people at your rating choose, in the same proportions, and brings back your mistakes on a schedule.
Related openings
- Indian Defense: 1.d4 Nf6
1.d4 Nf6
- King’s Indian Defense
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6
- Nimzo-Indian Defense
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4
- Old Indian Defense
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6
- Trompowsky Attack
1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5
- Budapest Gambit
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5