Oddly enough, 7...b6 has also appeared on the opening-theory website "Chess Publishing" (incl. more recently than in the Yearbook, as far as I know). 

You mentioned you didn't like the Classical lines with ...Be7, ...0-0, ...dxc4 and ...a6 (or rather, liked them for White!). I would suggest maybe taking a look at the modern twist 7...b6!?. If White plays "normally", Black gets ...c5 in more easily than in the adjacent ...a6/...b5 lines, whereas the Exchange Sac line after 8 Ne5 gives Black dynamic play in return for the invested material.

ErictheRed wrote on 09/22/18 at 22:58:50:


Are you referring to this line ¿:



I have analysed a little bit of this line. Black has to be aware of tactics on the queenside, as well as when expanding on kingside. From my experience, but on White side 

IsaVulpes wrote on 09/22/18 at 13:53:35:


I generally follow Awrukh's 2th version of the GM Repertoire Catalán. Besides my one game as Black in 4...Ae7 a decade ago, with White also the positions somehow feel more comfortable. I feel that it is similar to the line 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Cc3 Cf6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Ag5 c6 6. e3 Af5 7. Df3 Ag6 8. Axf6 Dxf6 9. Dxf6 gxf6 that elites like to play so much. It is like they saying, «I know I probably would not win, but I try to draw here». Unless of course the opponent is much lower rated. That is my personal feeling with 4...Ae7. Even if it has a good theoretical reputation, in practical game White always has that little pressure that can get bigger after small inaccuracies.

In correspondence of course, is much easier togo down long theoretical lines to strive for equality, more than in OTB where you probably would forget at least half of such long analyses. I would play a lot of things in correspondence that I would never play in OTB, maybe even 4...Ae7. Except I play only OTB and never correspondence 

ErictheRed wrote on 09/22/18 at 18:01:55:


I have to look more into that 3...c5. My reasoning is that although the Fianchetto Benoni is quite sharper than both Nimzo and QID (and a bit more than Ragozin), it is either that or Catalán.

Tony Rotella's You Tube video and Lichess study are excellent and supplement the Bb4+ / Bd6 line recommended by Pert and King.
Many thanks Tony !

CanadianClub wrote on 09/11/18 at 16:43:48:


I know this from playing White. The worst result I have in Catalán so far is drawing a 2150, and I was slightly better in the opening anyway.

I still wonder why some White players choose to face the Nimzo and then complain that Black keeps equalising. Why not just try Catalán instead where the chance for suffering is much higher ¿   

TonyRo wrote on 09/11/18 at 14:17:51:


Why not make a Black repertoire book on Catalán ¿ If you cover 4...Ab4+ 5. Ad2 Ad6 I would buy ¡

I see a lot of elite games with 4...Ae7 line. I still ask me, why play this line ¿ From White perspective, this type of positions is exactly what I would like to play against

Yeah, it's true, that's a real line that I would need to take a look at it. I might have time to take a look at it - one of the weaknesses of YouTube videos, but one of the strengths of attaching an updated lichess study! 

Leon_Trotsky wrote on 09/11/18 at 05:18:50:

No I don't - I think if you're looking for more active tries the logical choices are those where Black chooses an early conflict in the center with ...dxc4 and/or ...c5 instead of bolstering the d5-point with ...c6.

A while back I did some work on 4...Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Bd6!? and uploaded it to YouTube here: TonyRo vs. the Catalan

There's more analysis in the YouTube study linked in the video description, though it's likely somewhat dated by now!

Leon_Trotsky wrote on 09/06/18 at 06:53:32:


Yes, me too, without any great success

I would play the 10...Ab7 line, but then there is Awrukh's 11. Ce5. I usually play this as White, not sure how it is going with Black recently.

If the entire complex is problematic for Black, I would have to revert to 4...Ab4+ 5. Ad2 Ad6.

I still find it strange that so many Catalán lines for Black seem so terse (?) and not fun to play, but with White I find that even playing the equal positions feel more comfortable. What would happen if the players who play 3. Cc3 or 3. Cf3 switched to 3. g3 ¿ 

Black won't lose by getting squeezed after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 c5 4.Nf3 cd 5.Nxd4 d5 nor 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 b5, that's for sure.

As I'd like to play 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 as Black (no QID for me), allowing 4.g3 (when c5 5.cxd5 does not transpose while 5.Bg2 cxd4 would), I have a similar problem. Perhaps the simplest solution would be following IM Cox' recommendation in Declining the Queen's Gambit: 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Nf3 Bb4+
a) 6.Bd2 a5
b) 6.Nd2 O-O
c) 6.Nc3 Nc6.

It's convenient for me that the latter is a good way to meet 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.g3 (or 4.Nf3 d5 5.g3 dxc4 6.Bg2 Nc6) as d5 5.Bg2 Nc6 6.Nf3 dxc4 just transposes.

In case of the Closed Catalan I agree that 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7 is more precise than 4...Be7. How is 6.Nf3 O-O 7.O-O c6 8.Qc2 b6 with the idea ...Ba6 doing? If numbers mean something the main line is 9.Rd1 Ba6 10.b3 Nbd7 11.Bf4 Rc8, which looks pretty straightforward to me. After 12.Nc3 dxc4 Black is doing fine in practice and after 12.Nbd2 c5 excellent. Has White anything more promising?

Which line do you play as White / hate as Black in the "classic mainline" of 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 CK 6.CK dc4:?

I hugely lack experience in the Catalan as almost nobody plays it at my rating level, but when I do get this position on the board in the occasional online Blitz game, I've never really felt too concerned.
Most people go for that Ne5 stuff, but those variations always looked more fun for *Black* to me..

Would be curious what bothers you so much. 7.Qc2 a6 8.a4? That's always looked like the most critical try to me, but perhaps I missed something altogether.

Sidenote // Obviously not exactly proving anything, but this was my most notable encounter in the Catalan, in an OTB Rapid Game against a 2100  :

Thanks, looks interesting. I also saw that Modern Chess have a database on a Black repertoire for Nimzo/Ragozin/Catalán, with Catalán first released based on 4...dxc4 and both 5...c5 and 5...Ad7. Might consider that one too..

Stigma wrote on 09/07/18 at 02:26:10:


I was definitely thinking about this since it was covered in Pert's Ragozin book by Quality Chess. It looks interesting and as White I find it quite annoying. Maybe other who play White find it annoying too (?)

Stigma wrote on 09/07/18 at 02:26:10:


I have never heard of this one. Which publisher has this course ¿ I think that is objectively one of Black's best equalising options. I searched in database for some games, and noticed a few Roïz games with this line. Was a reason I was wondering about what would be recommended for Catalán in the upcoming QID book.


I have some own analyses on the 10...Ab7 system after 4...Ab4+ 5. Ad2 Ae7, but obviously if my analyses gets busted then I need to get a different system 

Leon_Trotsky wrote on 09/06/18 at 18:45:44:


Nah, this is a different line, Black gets to stick his pawn on d4.

3...c5 4.Nf3 cd 5.Nxd4 d5 6.Bg2 e5 is not fun for you?

I have the same feeling on the Catalan. Haven't found any line for black I like. The very main line seems currently the most comfortable.

Benoni  with -Bf5 ideas is a line I consider for black. 3.-c5 4.Nf3 is fine for me.