E00-E09

Catalan Opening

32 named lines in this family, ECO E00-E09. Under each line you get its moves and the sentences it adds that this page has not already printed. A line's own page carries up to its first 4 per-move notes in full.

Main line, through 3. g3E00

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

The g2 bishop plus c4 squeeze d5 from a distance: White plays a risk-free positional game where the long diagonal quietly wins endgames.

• 1. d4 Stakes a claim in the centre, controlling e5, and frees the bishop and queen.
• 1... Nf6 Develops the knight to f6, eyeing d5 and e4.
• 2. c4 Fights for d5 from the flank - contesting the centre without committing a centre pawn.
• 2... e6 Supports the centre, adding control of d5.

Hungarian GambitE00

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 e5

The pawns on d4 and e5 stand in direct tension - the first player to resolve it chooses the structure.

Main line, after 3... d5E00

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5

Open Defense, after 3. g3, through 4. Bg2E01

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2

White's kingside bishop takes the long diagonal.

Tarrasch DefenseE01

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 c5 5. Nf3 Nc6

Open Defense, after 3. g3, through 4... dxc4E02

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4

An early pawn trade leaves the c-file as White's avenue and the d-file as Black's - both sides get real winning chances down their own file. Black comes out ahead on material - White needs concrete play to justify it.

Open Defense, after 3. g3, through 6. Qxc4E03

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Qa4+ Nbd7 6. Qxc4

Open Defense, Alekhine VariationE03

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Qa4+ Nbd7 6. Qxc4 a6 7. Qc2

Open Defense, after 3. g3, through 5. Nf3E04

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Nf3

Open Defense, after 3. Nf3, through 5... dxc4E04

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 c6 5. Bg2 dxc4

Open Defense, Modern Sharp VariationE04

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Qa4 Bb4+

Black's knight on c6 is pinned against the king.

Open Defense, Classical Line, after 3. g3E05

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Nf3 Be7

Open Defense, Classical Line, after 3. Nf3E05

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O dxc4

Closed, after 1. d4, through 5. Nf3, line 1E06

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3

Closed, after 1. c4, through 6... c6, line 2E06

1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. d4 O-O 6. O-O c6

• 1. c4 Theory calls this the English Opening.
• 1... e6 Theory calls this the Agincourt Defense.
• 2. Nf3 Develops the knight to f3, eyeing d4 and e5.
• 2... d5 Stakes a claim in the centre, controlling e4, and frees the bishop and queen.

Closed, after 1. d4, through 8... b6, line 3E06

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 8. Bf4 b6

Closed, after 1. d4, through 9... Na6, line 4E06

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O c6 7. Qc2 b6 8. Nbd2 Bb7 9. e4 Na6

The pawns on d5 and e4 stand in direct tension - the first player to resolve it chooses the structure. White's kingside bishop takes the long diagonal and Black's queenside bishop takes the long diagonal.

Closed, after 1. d4, through 6... Nbd7, line 5E07

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7

Closed, Botvinnik VariationE07

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Nc3 c6 8. Qd3

Closed, after 1. d4, through 7. Qc2, line 6E08

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Qc2

Closed, after 1. d4, through 8. b3, line 7E08

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Qc2 c6 8. b3

Closed, after 1. d4, through 8... b6, line 8E08

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Qc2 c6 8. b3 b6

Closed, after 1. d4, through 9. Bf4, line 9E08

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O c6 7. Qc2 b6 8. Rd1 Nbd7 9. Bf4

Closed, Zagoryansky VariationE08

1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Qc2 c6 8. Rd1 b6 9. a4

• 1... e6 Theory calls this the Horwitz Defense.

Closed, after 1. d4, through 10. e4, line 10E08

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Qc2 c6 8. Bf4 b6 9. Nbd2 Bb7 10. e4

Closed, Spassky GambitE08

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 Be7 4. Bg2 d5 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Qc2 c6 8. b3 b6 9. Rd1 Bb7 10. Nc3 b5

Closed, Main Line, after 6... Nbd7, through 8. Nbd2E09

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Qc2 c6 8. Nbd2

Closed Variation, Rabinovich VariationE09

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Qc2 e6 5. Nbd2 Be7 6. g3 Nbd7 7. Bg2 O-O 8. O-O b5

• 2. c4 Challenges the pawn on d5 - the central tension has to resolve. The pawn is genuinely on offer - this is the Queen's Gambit: development and initiative over material.
• 2... c6 Theory calls this the Slav Defense.

Closed Variation, Traditional VariationE09

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Qc2 c6 8. Nbd2 b6

Closed, Main Line, after 6... c6, through 9... Nbd7E09

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O c6 7. Qc2 b6 8. Nbd2 Bb7 9. e4 Nbd7

Closed, Sokolsky VariationE09

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Qc2 c6 8. Nbd2 b6 9. b3 a5 10. Bb2 Ba6

White's kingside bishop takes the long diagonal and White's queenside bishop takes the long diagonal.

Closed, Main Line, after 6... Nbd7, through 12. Qxe4E09

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Qc2 c6 8. Bf4 b6 9. Nbd2 Bb7 10. e4 dxe4 11. Nxe4 Nxe4 12. Qxe4

An early pawn trade leaves the d-file as Black's avenue and the e-file as White's - both sides get real winning chances down their own file.

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