Playing The Catalan System, Part 1: Basic Principles and Main Variations

The Catalan opening system is becoming one of the most popular setups for White in tournament play.

Used extensively by Vladimir Kramnik during the World Chess Championships of 2006, 2007, and 2008, along with Gerry Kasparov and Victor Korchnoi at the London Canidates Tournament in 1983, the Catalan is easily one of the most flexibe openings available; it can transpose from a Queen's Gambit (either accepted or declined), a Ruy Lopez, or even a King's Indian Attack, all of which aim to fianchetto the light-squared bishop and begin adding tremendous pressure on the quuenside.

But how do you play the Catalan? Well, like I said, the Catalan system can arise from many openings. However, in this article, we will be reviewing the main line, which transposes from the Queen's Gambit Declined.

The light-squared bishop is definitely the most powerful minor piece in this opening, so much to the extent that now this bishop is known as the Catalan bishop.

Let's review some basic principles for the Catalan. Obviously, because we are fianchttoing our bishop on the kingside, and naturally because we are playing the Queen's Gambit, we will usually focus on attacking the queenside. As for King safety, we will generally focus on castling kingside, mainly because the Catalan is sub-characterized by thematic pawn breaks from the queenside.

In the Catalan, White sidestepps several aggresive ideas by Black and instead focuses on development, where you can play for an edge for little risk. The safe bishop on g2 can carve along the board, which usually can frusterate Black and push him into making a mistake.

Keep in mind, though, that we are willingly sacrificing the c4 pawn for a small advantage. The Catalan diverges from the Queen's Gambit in the fact that the pawn on c4 becomes a sacrifice, instead of a gambit, because our bishop has been removed from the f1 square, and we will not be able to recapture using the traditional e3, assuming that White decides to leave the pawn in exchange for extra initiative, which is, of the two, the best option. However, Black will find it increasingly difficult to hold on to this material, and if he attempts to, White will gain a lead in development and a more connected pawn chain than that of Black's.

Before I continue, let's look at a game I played using the Catalan. Try to imagine why I played each move. Stuck? Look at the notes bar to see my commentary.

See how my light-squared bishop, my Catalan bishop, helped in the trap of the Black Queen? I chose this game in particular because it shows just how powerful a single minor piece can be in the right position.

Anyway, this concludes the first article in our Catalan series. In the second article, I will go deep into the analysis of a few GM games using the Catalan, as well as some other main lines and objectives for both Black and White. Hope to see you there!

Nice, I am a D4 player and need to learn this.

How does it transpose from the Ruy Lopez? I didn't read the rest though.

Uhm...He said it can arise from "many" openings, not "all" openings.  Basically it can arise from just about any "Classical Queen Pawn Opening" (meaning no fianchetto by Black) except for the Slav.  White can try to play it against the Slav, nothing stops him, but the idea itself is just horrible for White.

http://gyazo.com/d3f9527ae5fe4d507f82661407258cf6

Too bad that Kramnik and (recently) Avrukh, Tkachiev and Grischuk do not know how horrible it is for white, and employ it pretty frequently. Their 2700+ opponents should also be horrible, since they keep on losing as Black (Aronian actually drew against Grischuk).

Can't Black just play Bb4 anyway?

Yeah, if Black goes with the Slav, it makes White Bishop useless (show me otherwise) and a pawn is hung also.

Sorry to say you are totally clueless.

Here the 2800+ rated player did not even attempt to hang on his extra pawn, and had to play very carefully to maintain the balance.

Thanks, Pfren!

Your acerbic comments are, as usual, quite bitter. But also, as usual, you back it up with some interesting games and  insightful analysis. 

I hate the Catalan structure, and I play the Slav as Black. Sadly, the Slav isn't a panacea against the Catalan.

The Catalan is the only opening that gives me serious problems against 2000+ opponents.

I started playing it about a year ago as white, just so I could figure out its weaknesses to better face them as black. It's a tough opening to crack.

Generally I prefer the Closed Catalan when playing as black. Lots of delicate maneuvering involved. A very dynamic and fun opening to play with, or against.

I'm clueless cause I'm only rated 1350. I tried the opening after reading this artical and failed. Now, I'm going to look at the game your provided.

As someone who plays both sides of the Catalan pretty often this is a good article. The lines where blacks the c4 pawn and tries to keep it are certainly the sharpest ones in this opening.

What an exciting game! I never knew that white could create so much dynamic play in the Catalan on such a high level.

What are some good ways an intermediate player (around Class C or Class B) could handle the Catalan defense as Black?  

gundamv wrote:

What are some good ways an intermediate player (around Class C or Class B) could handle the Catalan defense as Black?  

Great question. I hate accidentally transposing into the Catalan and finding myself on the wrong side of it as black - which is precisely why I prefer it with white for a subtle, lasting, and very annoying edge. I recently looked at some wins by Carlsen with black, where he plays a Slav setup, exchanges dark squared bishops, then plays b6, eventually activates his bishop along the a6-f1 diagonal, and places pressure on white's center. The idea of playing a Slav setup to blunt white's bishop is interesting, but certainly white has a strong response: b4-b5 to break up black's fortress. Before white can do this, your best bet with black I'd say would probably be to play for the ...e5 break. You might want to trade you d pawn for white's c pawn before doing this, though, so that d5 does not become weakened by the advance (the Kramnik-Aronian blindfold game is a testament to that)! Another option is to simply copy white and fianchetto yourself...then white has to deal with the annoying diagonal. You'll likely be cramped and weak with a Dutch setup, and I love to break it up with a well timed e4! Good luck!

Btw, a well timed e4 is also a very powerful response to the Slav setup (as well as the b4-b5 break, which is slower). After a successful e4 break against really any black setup where his pawn is on d5, white can either get very strong central play or in many cases a kingside attack (possible e5 push or ne5 post, bishop swing to e4, rook lift, f4-f5 break, and the ideas go on).

Do you mean this by the slav setup?

No, that is a Closed Catalan setup.  Bring the Light Squared Bishop outside the pawn chain before e6.  That's the Slav Setup, and that's the ultimate problem with playing the Catalan against the Slav without Qc2.  If Black plays e6 after say, 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 and here 4...e6, you can thank Black!

The bishop will get outside the pawn chain via a6, when ready. But any bishop move weakens b7 so black often gets tied up. I play c4 first so I don't think I tend to get this move order where black can play an early Bb4. But I think that's why black goes for it - it seems to mess up white's smooth plan of Nbd2, Qc2, and an eventual e4. If white can get it in, though, black tends to get very cramped. Often black will play c6 and a timely c4-c5 can make the b7 bishop, which often needs to defend c6, bite granite. But this Bb4 system does seem to be very popular at top level play. Will have to find a strong response. This is a nice hame by Vishy: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1581335