- ECO code
- E01
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2
- Family
- Catalan Opening
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 480
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1937–2026
Catalan Opening: Open Defense is the opening filed under ECO code E01, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2. It belongs to the Catalan Opening family and is known as the Open Defense; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 480 games on this line — the 219th 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 2020s, with 151 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 26% of those games, 52% end in a draw, and Black wins 22%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 6 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 17 points.
From this position the most popular move is 4...Be7, played in 205 games, followed by 4...dxc4 (161) and 4...Bb4+ (97). After 4...Be7 White scores 25% and Black 19%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Ding Liren (37 games); on the Black side, Karpov, Anatoly (36).
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Results in master games
- White 26% (127)
- Draws 52% (247)
- Black 22% (106)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4...Be7 | 205 | 25/56/19 | — |
| 4...dxc4 | 161 | 25/50/25 | — |
| 4...Bb4+ | 97 | 29/44/27 | — |
| 4...c5 | 8 | 38/62/0 | — |
| 4...a6 | 2 | 0/100/0 | — |
| 4...Bd6 | 2 | 0/100/0 | — |
| 4...Nbd7 | 2 | 50/0/50 | — |
| 4...Nc6 | 2 | 50/50/0 | — |
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
- Catalan Opening · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 · 630 games
Played most often by
As White
- Ding Liren 37
- Smyslov, Vassily 18
- Kortschnoj, Viktor 17
As Black
- Karpov, Anatoly 36
- Karjakin,Sergey 23
- So,W 21
Games per decade
- 1930s 6
- 1940s 16
- 1950s 14
- 1960s 4
- 1970s 16
- 1980s 54
- 1990s 26
- 2000s 59
- 2010s 134
- 2020s 151
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 |
| Hakobyan,Aram | Praggnanandhaa,R | 0-1 | 2025 | Stepan Avagyan Mem 2025 |
| Ding Liren | Niemann,Hans Moke | 1/2-1/2 | 2025 | chess.com SpeedChess 2025 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Catalan Opening: Open Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code E01, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2. It belongs to the Catalan Opening family.
Is the Catalan Opening: Open Defense good for White or for Black?
In 480 master games on this line White wins 26%, 52% are drawn and Black wins 22%. 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: Open Defense?
4...Be7 — played in 205 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Catalan Opening: Open Defense?
On the White side Ding Liren (37), Smyslov, Vassily (18), Kortschnoj, Viktor (17); on the Black side Karpov, Anatoly (36), Karjakin,Sergey (23), So,W (21).
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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