Viva La Catalan Opening: A Grandmaster Favorite

One of the wonderful things about chess is the ability to observe the games of elite players, and then try to implement the same ideas in our own games. If you are looking for a chess opening for White favored by grandmasters, then the Catalan Opening could be for you.

The Catalan Opening is simple enough for club players to learn. However, it is also strategically rich enough to be used at the very highest levels. The Catalan is truly a chess opening for everyone.

In this article, we cover everything you need to get started with the Catalan, including:

• The origins of the Catalan Opening.
• Thematic middlegame ideas for White.
• How to take your understanding of the Catalan to the next level.

The Catalan Opening Origins

Most chess openings derive their names organically, slowly entering the lexicon through common usage. The Catalan Opening is an exception. The Catalan opening was named very deliberately, at a very specific point in time.

In 1929, an elite-level chess tournament took place in Barcelona. Which is the capital of the Catalonia region of Spain. To help commemorate the event, the organizers decided to name a chess opening after it. Savielly Tartakower, who came 2nd in the tournament, came up with the moves now known as the “Catalan” - which the opening has been called ever since.

Following the Catalan Opening’s contrived invention, it came to grow in respectability in the following decades as world champions such as Capablanca, Alekhine, and Botvinnik all used it in top-level play.

Related: How Do World Chess Champions Prepare For Matches?

The starting position of the Catalan Opening can be reached via many different move orders. One example is 1. d4 Nf6, 2. c4 e6, 3. g3.

The above position shows the hallmarks of the Catalan Opening setup:

• White pawns on c4 and d4
• White going for a kingside fianchetto via g3, with Bg2 to follow.

From here, the opening most commonly continues 3. …d5 and 4. Bg2 (shown below). Note that the same position could arise from the Queen’s Gambit Declined.

From g2, White’s light-squared bishop exerts pressure against Black’s d5 pawn. The placement of this bishop on the long diagonal also supports White’s potential future queenside play.

Why Play The Catalan Opening?

Games beginning with the Catalan Opening tend to be more positional in nature. This means they are more likely to be decided by whichever player possesses superior strategic understanding, rather than by move-by-move opening memorization, or through tactics early in the game. This makes it a favorite of players who like to outplay their opponent slowly.

Related: Level up your chess strategy with Mastering Chess Strategy by GM Johan Hellsten, available from the USCF store.

Let’s say you are about to face an opponent who is well-known for their deep opening preparation. It is hard for such players to use this facet of their game against the Catalan Opening. It is always a good thing when you can nullify one of your opponent’s key strengths!

Having said that, there are still certain ideas in the Catalan Opening which occur repeatedly. By studying these, you will be more prepared to spot them if and when they occur in your own games.

Thematic Ideas In The Catalan Opening

Allowing …dxc4, Recovering The Pawn Later

At first glance, playing the light-squared bishop to g2 seems to come with a significant drawback for White, in that it leaves the c4 pawn without its natural defender. In many Queen’s Gambit positions White often does not mind the prospect of Black capturing …dxc4, because White’s light-squared bishop from f1 will usually be able to recapture Bxc4 in short order.

However, in a position such as that shown below (with Black to move), White should still not fear Black capturing …dxc4.

The point is: despite the alternative placement of White’s light-squared bishop, Black will still find it difficult to hold on to their extra pawn. After …dxc4, White can play Qc2 (a move White often wants to make anyway), with Qxc4 to follow.

Trying to “insist” on keeping the extra pawn with …b5, would be extremely risky for Black, given that White’s fianchettoed light-squared bishop naturally points at Black’s rook on a8 on the long diagonal. This becomes especially salient whenever the Black b-pawn leaves its starting square. In practice, very few players with the Black pieces are brave enough (or foolish enough) to play this way.

Remember though that every position is different! There may be cases where Black can, in fact, capture …dxc4 and keep the extra pawn successfully. Do not rely entirely on rules of thumb - always back it up with careful calculation!

Related: The Ultimate Guide To Chess Tactics

Undermining b5 with a4

In a similar-looking position to the one just shown, Black has again gone for b5 to support c4.

With White to move, it may be tempting to try to unleash a discovered attack with the light-squared bishop against the a8 rook with a move such as Ne5 - but Black is able to block the threat with …Nd5.

Instead, White can look to undermine Black’s b5 pawn with a4. An idea that is also often seen in the Queen’s Gambit Accepted.

After a4 Black cannot really keep the extra pawn gained with their earlier …dxc4:

• Capturing …bxa4 would leave Black’s queenside pawn structure in tatters, allowing White to regain the material at their leisure.
• Supporting the b5 pawn with …a6 fails tactically due to the simple axb5 (where …axb5 is impossible, because Black’s rook on a8 would be lost with Rxa8).
• The alternative way of supporting b5 with c6 is no better - White can attack c6 twice with Ne5 - revealing the light-squared bishop’s threat on the long diagonal.

The e4 Pawn Break

Once White has developed sensibly with moves such as 0-0, Qc2 and developing their queenside knight, the main middlegame pawn break White should often look for is e4. 

This central pawn advance looks to open the position.

Note the role that White’s queen on c2 and knight on d2 play in supporting the e4 pawn break.

The e4 pawn leaves Black with a difficult choice. Capturing …dxe4 leaves Black without their important central pawn on d5 and allows White to improve their awkward queenside knight after recapturing Nxe4. However, ignoring the e-pawn will allow White to play e5 the next move. Here, White gains even more space, and Black’s knight on f6 is forced to move.

Getting Started With The Catalan Opening

Like any chess opening, the best way to learn the Catalan Opening is through a combination of theory and practice.

Beyond this article, we have a couple of recommended resources to help supercharge your understanding of the Catalan Opening.

If you prefer to learn chess openings from books, then you can’t do any better than The Catalan - Move by Move by Neil McDonald.

This smartly-presented paperback is the perfect guide to learning the Catalan Opening. It covers the main plans for both sides in all of the major setups that Black can go for. In addition, throughout the book the reader will be asked questions designed to test their understanding of the Catalan. By comparing their answers with the author’s, the reader’s assimilation of the opening knowledge is dramatically enhanced. Click here to check it out.

However, if video instruction is your preferred learning method, then acclaimed instructor Victor Bologan has you covered with The Catalan: A Complete Repertoire For White.

Across 5 hours 29 minutes of expert video instruction, all of Black’s main replies to the Catalan Opening are covered - including Black’s attempts to transpose into other opening systems such as the Tarrasch Defense and the Queen’s Indian. Armed with this information, you will be ready for whatever Black throws at you. Click here to check it out.

Whichever one of these you choose, make sure to review your games in the Catalan Opening after you have finished playing them. Experience is the best teacher. Go back to the book or to the videos in the relevant line within the Catalan from the game you just played, and compare the model games presented by the author to how your own game turned out. In this way, your understanding of the Catalan Opening will continually grow.

Related: What You Can Do To Improve Your Chess Training

Summary: Is The Catalan Opening Right For You?

The Catalan Opening could be a wonderful addition to your White opening repertoire if you:

• Are strong in chess strategy: Many Catalan games are won deep into the middlegame, or in the endgame. While tactics are always possible, your overall chess understanding will tend to be more of a deciding factor.
• Don’t have time for a lot of opening memorization: The Catalan Opening is ideal for the chess player who prefers to showcase their strength in middlegame understanding, rather than rote learning of opening lines.
• Like to keep your king safe: You rarely need to worry about king safety in the Catalan Opening. Both sides tend to castle kingside, with most of the play happening in the queenside and in the center.

If that sounds like a good match for your style as a chess player, join the scores of chess players of all levels - club players and grandmasters alike - who have played the Catalan Opening with great success!