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Catalan Opening: 3 quick facts

  • The Catalan derives its name from a region in Spain called Catalonia and is a grandmaster favorite, frequently seen in top-level tournaments and world championship matches.
  • It’s a very solid, positional, and technical opening that can be reached by various move orders. It often leads to small advantages that accumulate over time.
  • This opening is usually better suited to more advanced players, since it often requires subtle play and endgame knowledge rather than sharp tactics and wild attacks.

Catalan Opening: The moves

Here are the moves for the Catalan Opening:

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1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

A gif showing the opening moves for the Catalan Opening: 1. White’s d-pawn moves to d4 and Black’s knight moves to f6. 2. White’s c-pawn moves to c4 and Black’s e-pawn moves to e6. 3. White’s g-pawn moves to g3.

A strong positional choice

Learn this top-level setup if you want to up your game!

If you’re looking for more openings, check out our guide featuring over 30 options for every skill level!