1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3
Shown from White's side. ECO E00.
Opening guide · an opening for White
Catalan Opening
The Catalan Opening starts 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3. White combines the pawn structure of the Queen's Gambit with a bishop on g2 that presses down the long diagonal toward Black's queenside. Black can take the c4 pawn, the Open Catalan, or keep the centre closed. It is a favourite at the top level.
- Games in our sample
- 3,289
- White wins
- 50.7%
- Draws
- 8.4%
- Black wins
- 40.9%
How the Catalan Opening scores at each rating
Each row is one rating band. The share is how much of all the games in that band started with this opening.
| Rating | Games | Share | White wins | Draws | Black wins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| under 1000 | 6 | 0.0% | 50.0% | 0.0% | 50.0% | |
| 1000 to 1199 | 25 | 0.0% | 56.0% | 0.0% | 44.0% | |
| 1200 to 1399 | 80 | 0.0% | 57.5% | 1.3% | 41.3% | |
| 1400 to 1599 | 187 | 0.0% | 57.2% | 4.3% | 38.5% | |
| 1600 to 1799 | 391 | 0.1% | 50.9% | 4.6% | 44.5% | |
| 1800 to 1999 | 683 | 0.1% | 53.7% | 5.9% | 40.4% | |
| 2000 to 2199 | 853 | 0.3% | 49.8% | 6.2% | 44.0% | |
| 2200 and over | 1,064 | 0.9% | 47.7% | 14.7% | 37.7% | |
| All ratings | 3,289 | 0.1% | 50.7% | 8.4% | 40.9% |
Counted from 3,156,949 rated blitz, rapid and classical games played on Lichess from 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-02 (the first 5,000,000 games of the month's public file; bullet and unrated games left out). The rating is the average of the two players' Lichess ratings. Source: the Lichess open database (public domain).
Main lines
The named lines of the Catalan Opening that were played most in our sample, each with the position it reaches.
Closed
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3
1,298 games · White 51.4% · draws 7.2% · Black 41.4%
Analyse this positionOpen Defense
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2
683 games · White 50.4% · draws 7.8% · Black 41.9%
Analyse this positionOpen Defense, Classical Line
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Nf3 Be7
574 games · White 47.9% · draws 11.8% · Black 40.2%
Analyse this position
Ideas for White
- The bishop on g2 is the key piece: open its diagonal and aim at b7 and d5.
Ideas for Black
- In the Open Catalan, taking on c4 wins a pawn for the moment. Give it back in exchange for easy development.
Questions
- What are the moves of the Catalan Opening?
- 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3. In the ECO classification it is filed under E00.
- How does the Catalan Opening score?
- In 3,289 games with it in our sample, White won 50.7%, 8.4% were drawn and Black won 40.9%.
- At which ratings is the Catalan Opening played most?
- Among players rated 2200 and over it is 0.9% of all games in our sample, its highest share. Its lowest share, 0.0%, is among players rated under 1000.
- Which line of the Catalan Opening is played most?
- Catalan Opening: Closed (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3), with 1,298 games in our sample.