- ECO code
- E00
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5
- Family
- Catalan Opening
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 630
- Average game length
- 43 moves
- Years covered
- 1937–2026
Catalan Opening is the opening filed under ECO code E00, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5. It belongs to the Catalan Opening family; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 630 games on this line — the 177th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1937 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2010s, with 201 games. An average game here lasts 43 moves.
White wins 25% of those games, 52% end in a draw, and Black wins 23%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 5 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 17 points.
From this position the most popular move is 4.Bg2, played in 480 games, followed by 4.Nf3 (150). 4.Bg2 leads into Catalan Opening: Open Defense. After 4.Bg2 White scores 26% and Black 22%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Ding Liren (37 games); on the Black side, Karpov, Anatoly (41).
1 named variation branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Catalan Opening: Open Defense.
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Results in master games
- White 25% (156)
- Draws 52% (326)
- Black 23% (148)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.Bg2 | 480 | 26/52/22 | Catalan Opening: Open Defense |
| 4.Nf3 | 150 | 19/53/28 | — |
Variations from this position
- Open Defense · 4.Bg2 · 480 games
How the position is reached
- Queen's Pawn Game · 1.d4 · 45,810 games
- Indian Defense · 1.d4 Nf6 · 29,631 games
- Indian Defense: Normal Variation · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 · 22,243 games
- Catalan Opening · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 · 991 games
Played most often by
As White
- Ding Liren 37
- Caruana,F 29
- Erigaisi,Arjun 19
As Black
- Karpov, Anatoly 41
- Karjakin,Sergey 37
- Anand,V 31
Games per decade
- 1930s 7
- 1940s 16
- 1950s 14
- 1960s 4
- 1970s 19
- 1980s 60
- 1990s 33
- 2000s 112
- 2010s 201
- 2020s 164
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ilkhomi,Jaloliddin | Shirov,A | 0-1 | 2026 | V Menorca Open A 2026 |
| Gukesh,D | Niemann,Hans Moke | 0-1 | 2026 | GCT Super Rapid Poland |
| So,W | Robson,R | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | American Cup Champ |
| Jaidambareesh N R | Nepomniachtchi,I | 0-1 | 2026 | Sardinia World Open A |
| Nakamura,Hi | Wei Yi | 1/2-1/2 | 2025 | Esports World Cup C 2025 |
| Hakobyan,Aram | Praggnanandhaa,R | 0-1 | 2025 | Stepan Avagyan Mem 2025 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Catalan Opening?
It is the opening with ECO code E00, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5. It belongs to the Catalan Opening family.
Is the Catalan Opening good for White or for Black?
In 630 master games on this line White wins 25%, 52% are drawn and Black wins 23%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Catalan Opening?
4.Bg2 — played in 480 of the master games on this line, which leads into Catalan Opening: Open Defense.
Which grandmasters play the Catalan Opening?
On the White side Ding Liren (37), Caruana,F (29), Erigaisi,Arjun (19); on the Black side Karpov, Anatoly (41), Karjakin,Sergey (37), Anand,V (31).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
Try this line on the board
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