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Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) English Catalan (Read 11818 times)
JonHecht
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Re: English Catalan
Reply #22 - 12/28/07 at 20:10:21
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*sigh* I remember this thread. Nearly a year later, I came back to this repertoire and it has once again become my mainstay, likely forever. I had flings with other repertoires, but this one served me best. Well enough to have FMs  and IMs (and one GM) compliment me on my positional play, which they were surprised by, as most people my level are weak at it. Of course, my tactics were horrible, or I would have been higher rated, but the compliment was nice.  Grin
  
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nyoke
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Re: English Catalan
Reply #21 - 12/27/07 at 20:31:35
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There is some loose thread in here that is worth picking up perhaps : the idea of transposing to a Sicilian, to be more precise the positional king's fianchetto system against the Dragon. Something to look into one of these days...
  
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Re: English Catalan
Reply #20 - 03/01/07 at 05:33:07
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I know what you mean about having a bishop always on g2 and how that can get tiresome.   Tongue I can relate:  in the Catalan, my favorite memories are from the times when I was able to shift my bishop to e4 and start a raging attack with Qg4(h5), Ng5, Kg2, Rh1, h4, h5, etc...

Actually, I had similar feelings with black after having played so many Grunfelds, Closed Sicilians, GP Attacks, etc.  In the Modern Benoni, I always had an eye out for the moment when I could point my bishop at the white king with Bd4(+) after a weakening f3 or f4. 

When I started playing the QGA and Meran systems, I almost wept for joy  Smiley Cry Smileywhen I realised how often I could point BOTH bishops at the white king by Bb7 and Bd6(c5). Of course this was the result of inaccurate play by white, but it happens more often than one might think!

Good luck pointing your bishops at your opponent's king (in whatever way you can!)  Wink
  
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Re: English Catalan
Reply #19 - 02/28/07 at 07:34:19
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A new edition of "Strategic Opening Repertoire" will be interesting. The first edition (by Donaldson alone) was based on complete games, while Hansen prefes the presentation based on lines. We'll see what format they choose and if they just update or modify the repertoire. Since the point of many lines is to reach advantageous endgames, the complete game format maybe isn't so bad.

Meanwhile, I'm enjoying not playing every white game with the bishop on g2. It's nice to once in a while put it on d3 or c4 for a kingside attack. I'm also very much enjoying the Bb5 sicilians.

In my previous post, it should be reversed closed sicilian. Not reversed dragon.
  
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JonHecht
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Re: English Catalan
Reply #18 - 02/28/07 at 04:49:00
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Yeah, pretty much. It turned out well at first and I always gained a slight advantage, but the middle-game play just wasn't to my style I realized all my wins come from sharp attacks, so why not play an opening that will enable me to focus on my strength. I still thought it was a good opening though. Maybe in a few years I will come back to it, after I mature a bit.

Edit: Plus it will always be useful to have if I am not in the mood for a sharp tactical struggle.
  
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Re: English Catalan
Reply #17 - 02/28/07 at 04:10:13
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Jon, have you given up on the idea of the Nf3/Catalan repertoire?  I see your posts in the e4 e5 section about playing the KG.  Just curious.
  
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JonHecht
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Re: English Catalan
Reply #16 - 02/28/07 at 02:35:46
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Oh yeah, I forgot to post that here. I emailed Donaldson about a month ago on it and he confirmed.
  
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Re: English Catalan
Reply #15 - 02/27/07 at 14:15:13
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Good news indeed, I also saw that on Carsten Hansen's bio and am looking forward to the book.  I'm hoping it will complement my copy of The Dynamic English somewhat, or at least provide me with some new ways to play that fit me stylistically.  Of course it's always possible that we can persuade Mr Kosten to get that second edition of the aforementioned title written, too....
  
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Re: English Catalan
Reply #14 - 02/27/07 at 13:57:58
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So the rumours are true. The Hansen bio up on the Chesspub site has official confirmation that Hansen and Donaldson will in fact be updating "Strategic Opening Repertoire for White".

Great news!
  
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Re: English Catalan
Reply #13 - 01/28/07 at 21:32:15
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Congratulations. Don't hesitate to post this game here. It is good to boost ones ego now and then.
  
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JonHecht
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Re: English Catalan
Reply #12 - 01/28/07 at 05:30:49
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Smiley:) Thank you everyone, I picked up the book. My first OTB tourny using the opening was today, and my first round pairing was against a 2596(!)... and I won!!
  
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Re: English Catalan
Reply #11 - 01/25/07 at 17:53:11
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Looking at the  games of late GM Wojtkiewicz will help, I think.
  
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Re: English Catalan
Reply #10 - 01/22/07 at 12:40:44
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I have the book. It has some severe drawbacks. It focus far too much on the reverse dragon and is very light on important systems. If I remember correctly, it calls 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 'almost to be out of scope of the book' or something like that. It's also light on 2...dxc4, 1...c6 and on the Tarrasch. Probably the list can be expanded further.

Download the (main) games from the link from Antillan and see for yourself. Many important lines are just briefly covered in the notes so you will not find them in the game scores.
  
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JonHecht
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Re: English Catalan
Reply #9 - 01/21/07 at 04:27:52
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Thanks for your suggestions. My extremely kind (and wealthy) grandfather offered to buy me the book.
  
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HgMan
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Re: English Catalan
Reply #8 - 01/20/07 at 03:02:24
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IMJohnCox wrote on 01/18/07 at 16:57:58:
I agree, if you want to play the Catalan I don't understand why you would start with 1 c4, unless maybe you want to play the Samisch against the KID. Why let Black go 1 c4 e5? It means you have to learn a whole new system and position-type for nothing (unless you fervently believe it's good for White, I suppose). It's got to be better to go 1 Nf3, surely? You cut out 1...e5 and make it harder for them to go 1...c5, just in case you do go 2 e4 (no-one does of course, but it's a nasty moment for Black).

I suppose another reason might be to make it harder for them to go 1...c6, since you might go 1 c4 c6 2 e4. If Black plays the Slav but not the Caro he won't be so keen on that - in fact I knew a few Black Slavers who go 1...c6 against anything bar 1 c4 or 1 e4.

Overall though I'd have thought 1 Nf3 made a lot more sense.

Don't know about the Catalan itself, but if you want the neo-Catalan (ie b3, delaying d4) then get the fourth volume of Watson's English series. I think Harding Simpole may have reprinted it, but otherwise I'm sure you can get it second-hand. Old but miles the best coverage of this opening I know of. There's something in Dunnington's Reti book, but as you'd expect it doesn't compare.


My thoughts exactly.  I still need to find something against 1...c5 (maybe it's time to try to Sicilian again, but isn't that what Black is hoping for?).

As someone who plays the Caro and (occasionally) the Slav, 1...c6 is always on the cards, especially against nonsense like 1.Nc3.  I do seem to think twice against 1.Nf3, though I'm not entirely sure why...
  
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