The Catalan Opening reaches a named position after 3 moves: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3
In practical games, this line matters because the early pawn and piece choices decide which middlegame plans are natural. Use the board above to learn the move order, then complete Practice without hints before adding the opening to your regular queue.
If this exact branch does not appear in your games, study the related lines below. Openings often transpose, and recognizing the family pattern is more useful than memorizing one narrow sequence.
The idea behind this line
White combines Queen's Gambit pressure with a g2 bishop aimed along the long diagonal.
What to look for
- Use Bg2 to pressure b7 and d5.
- Recover c4 only when it improves development.
- Prepare e4 or Ne5 to increase central control.
Position details
The defining move is g3.
rnbqkb1r/pppp1ppp/4pn2/8/2PP4/6P1/PP2PP1P/RNBQKBNR b KQkq - 0 3