E09 Catalan Opening: Closed, Main Line
E09 holds six named lines, all under the name Catalan Opening. It leaves E08 (Catalan Opening: Closed) with 7...c6 8.Nbd2. White has three minor pieces off their first squares, the most of the 10 Catalan Opening codes. At 15 plies, its reference line is the longest of the 10 Catalan Opening codes. Its deepest line, Catalan Opening: Closed, Main Line, runs to 12.Qxe4, the longest of the 10 Catalan Opening codes.
| # | White | Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | d4 | Nf6 |
| 2 | c4 | e6 |
| 3 | Nf3 | d5 |
| 4 | g3 | Be7 |
| 5 | Bg2 | O-O |
| 6 | O-O | Nbd7 |
| 7 | Qc2 | c6 |
| 8 | Nbd2 |
Moves only E09 plays
Same as D37 up to 3...d5, then:
- 4.g3 The g-pawn advances to g3, covering f4 and h4, opening a line for the bishop on f1.
- 4...Be7 The bishop leaves f8 for e7, opening a line for the rook on h8.
- 5.Bg2 The bishop leaves f1 for g2, opening a line for the rook on h1, guarding the rook on h1.
- 5...O-O Black castles kingside, opening a line for the queen on d8, guarding the pawn on g7.
- 6.O-O White castles kingside, opening a line for the queen on d1, guarding the bishop on g2.
- 6...Nbd7 The knight leaves b8 for d7, opening a line for the rook on a8.
- 7.Qc2 The queen goes from d1 to c2, opening a line for the rook on f1, guarding the pawn on c4.
- 7...c6 The c-pawn advances to c6, covering b5 and d5, opening a line for the queen on d8.
- 8.Nbd2 The knight leaves b1 for d2, opening a line for the rook on a1.
Lines filed under E09
All six share the start 1.d4 and then split two ways at Black’s move 1.
| Name | After the shared start | Plies | At the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catalan Opening: Closed, Main Line | 1...Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 O-O 6.O-O Nbd7 7.Qc2 c6 8.Nbd2 | 15 | both castled |
| Catalan Opening: Closed Variation, Rabinovich Variation | 1...d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Qc2 e6 5.Nbd2 Be7 6.g3 Nbd7 7.Bg2 O-O 8.O-O b5 | 16 | both castled |
| Catalan Opening: Closed Variation, Traditional Variation | 1...Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 O-O 6.O-O Nbd7 7.Qc2 c6 8.Nbd2 b6 | 16 | both castled |
| Catalan Opening: Closed, Main Line | 1...Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 O-O 6.O-O c6 7.Qc2 b6 8.Nbd2 Bb7 9.e4 Nbd7 | 18 | both castled |
| Catalan Opening: Closed, Sokolsky Variation | 1...Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.O-O Nbd7 7.Qc2 c6 8.Nbd2 b6 9.b3 a5 10.Bb2 Ba6 | 20 | both castled |
| Catalan Opening: Closed, Main Line | 1...Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 O-O 6.O-O Nbd7 7.Qc2 c6 8.Bf4 b6 9.Nbd2 Bb7 10.e4 dxe4 11.Nxe4 Nxe4 12.Qxe4 | 23 | both castled |
The road to E09
Three of the seven named positions on the way are reached by a move order other than their own.
- 1.d4 … 6.O-Ofive earlier stops: A40, A45, A50, E06, E10
- 6...Nbd7E07 Closed by another order
- 7.Qc2E08 Closed by another order
- 8.Nbd2E09
The position after 8.Nbd2
White has brought out the knight on d2, knight on f3 and bishop on g2; Black the knight on d7, knight on f6 and bishop on e7. Black could capture with dxc4. Black is to move and has 30 legal moves.
Closest boards in other codes
| Code | Line | Differs on |
|---|---|---|
| E07 | Catalan Opening: Closed | six squares: b1, d1, c2, d2, c6, c7 |
| A95 | Dutch Defense: Stonewall Variation | eight squares: d1, c2, d2, c3, f5, d7, f7, b8 |
| D78 | Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Classical Variation, Original Defense | ten squares: b1, d1, c2, d2, e6, g6, d7, e7 … |
| A39 | English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Mecking Variation | 12 squares: d1, c2, d2, c3, c5, d5, c6, e6 … |
| A93 | Dutch Defense: Stonewall Variation, Botvinnik Variation | 12 squares: b1, d1, b2, c2, d2, b3, f5, c6 … |
| A94 | Dutch Defense: Stonewall Variation | 12 squares: b1, c1, d1, b2, c2, d2, a3, b3 … |
| A96 | Dutch Defense: Classical Variation | 12 squares: b1, d1, c2, d2, d5, f5, c6, d6 … |