ecocodes
Volume E · Indian defenses‹ E01E03 ›
a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8
Reference position · White to move

E02 Catalan Opening: Open Defense

E02 holds a single named line. It leaves E01, a position of the same name, with 4...dxc4. White, to move in that position, has 36 legal moves, the most of the 10 Catalan Opening codes. When the reference line ends, Black is one pawn up on material. At eight plies, its reference line is the third-shortest of the 10 Catalan Opening codes.

Score sheet
#WhiteBlack
1d4Nf6
2c4e6
3g3d5
4Bg2dxc4

The move that completes E02

The reference line of E03 plays all of these moves and continues beyond them; E02 is the position reached at 4...dxc4.

  1. 4...dxc4 The d-pawn takes the pawn on c4, covering b3 and d3, opening a line for the queen on d8.

The road to E02

  1. 1.d4 … 3.g3four earlier stops: A40, A45, A50, E00
  2. 3...d5E00 Catalan Opening
  3. 4.Bg2E01 Open Defense
  4. 4...dxc4E02

The position after 4...dxc4

White has brought out the bishop on g2; Black the knight on f6. White has a half-open c-file; Black a half-open d-file. White could capture with Bxb7.

WhiteBlackMaterial (pawn units)3839Minor pieces developed11Moves spent on pawns33Pawns on d4, e4, d5, e510Squares attacked in the other half77Doubled pawns01not castlednot castled

Codes that branch off from E02

The reference lines of two other codes leave E02 from the position after 4...dxc4, each with its own moves.

CodeMovesReference line
E035.Qa4+ Nbd7 6.Qxc4Catalan Opening: Open Defense
E045.Nf3Catalan Opening: Open Defense

Closest boards in other codes

CodeLineDiffers on
A90Dutch Defense: Classical Variationfour squares: c4, f5, d7, f7
E00Catalan Openingfour squares: f1, g2, c4, d7
E05Catalan Opening: Open Defense, Classical Linefour squares: g1, f3, e7, f8
A91Dutch Defense: Classical Variationsix squares: c4, f5, d7, e7, f7, f8
E06Catalan Opening: Closedsix squares: g1, f3, c4, d5, e7, f8
A50Indian Defense: Normal Variationseven squares: f1, g2, g3, c4, e6, d7, e7
A51Indian Defense: Budapest Gambitseven squares: f1, g2, g3, c4, e5, e6, d7

Where lines continue from here

Five named lines filed under other codes pass through the position after 4...dxc4. Besides the codes above, they belong to E05.

Volume E

  1. 00
  2. 01
  3. 02
  4. 03
  5. 04
  6. 05
  7. 06
  8. 07
  9. 08
  10. 09
  11. 10
  12. 11
  13. 12
  14. 13
  15. 14
  16. 15
  17. 16
  18. 17
  19. 18
  20. 19
  21. 20
  22. 21
  23. 22
  24. 23
  25. 24
  26. 25
  27. 26
  28. 27
  29. 28
  30. 29
  31. 30
  32. 31
  33. 32
  34. 33
  35. 34
  36. 35
  37. 36
  38. 37
  39. 38
  40. 39
  41. 40
  42. 41
  43. 42
  44. 43
  45. 44
  46. 45
  47. 46
  48. 47
  49. 48
  50. 49
  51. 50
  52. 51
  53. 52
  54. 53
  55. 54
  56. 55
  57. 56
  58. 57
  59. 58
  60. 59
  61. 60
  62. 61
  63. 62
  64. 63
  65. 64
  66. 65
  67. 66
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  70. 69
  71. 70
  72. 71
  73. 72
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  90. 89
  91. 90
  92. 91
  93. 92
  94. 93
  95. 94
  96. 95
  97. 96
  98. 97
  99. 98
  100. 99

Open this line in the finderAll Catalan Opening codes