Not sure how to respond as Black when White starts with 1.d4 and plays The Catalan? 🤔 GM Gustafsson gives his recommendations to ensure you get a good game and avoid any tricks. Get 35% off the full course ►https://ichs.co/2EtTWZK
The Catalan is an extremely popular chess opening, especially since both Garry Kasparov and Viktor Korchnoi played it five times in eleven games during their Candidates Semifinal match in London in 1983. Since then, it has been revived and improved.
Nowadays, it is being played by most of the top grandmasters in the world, including Vladimir Kramnik, Vishy Anand and current World Chess Champion, Magnus Carlsen. It is important, therefore, to know how to deal with the Catalan Opening as Black, regardless of the plan White goes with, as it is very likely you’ll come across this opening during your chess career!
This chess opening begins with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 although there are some other move orders that can transpose into The Catalan. You can think of it as a sort of combination of two other openings: the Queen’s Gambit and the Reti Opening.
In this exclusive video preview, one of chess24’s most popular presenters, GM Jan Gustafsson, takes a look at how to play the Catalan from Black’s perspective, and more specifically how to play against the sidelines such as 6. Qc2. It’s quite possible to face off against this opening and get a good game as Black, so long as you know the main plans for both sides. GM Gustafsson will show you all the tricks and traps White may try to employ and the cunning move orders you need to know.
Black has two main approaches to choose between. Either the Open Catalan where Black plays …dxc4. Black can either try to hold on to the pawn or simply give it back in exchange for some extra time to free his own game. Alternatively, In the Closed Catalan, Black does not play …dxc4 – this can feel a bit cramped and awkward for some moves, but in general the arising positions are quite solid and tough for White to crack.
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