In 7,339 Lichess games from September 2026, rated 900 to 1700, you score 54.5% with the Catalan Opening. After 1. 2. , you play 3. to put your bishop on g2, on the long diagonal aimed at d5 and, further along, b7. If your opponent grabs the c4 pawn, that diagonal opens up and your queen goes to win the pawn back.
Lichess games from September 2026 (30,577,162 rated 900 to 1700) and 31,791 over-the-board games rated 2300+ from the last 12 months. Data updated: October 14, 2026.
15 named lines in this family; 1 with their own page.
The opening's share in each Lichess rating band.
After 3., 1 in 2 opponents at your level reply , which is also what strong players prefer. Of the rest, comes in 22 in 100 games and makes you block the check on c3 or d2; comes in 12. After 4. you part ways with strong players: they pick in 40 in 100 games, while at your level , , and turn up about equally, each in 14 to 20 in 100. And once both sides have castled, only 16 in 100 opponents at your level take on c4 with , against 55 in 100 among strong players.
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49.7% | 50.0% | 55.0% | 62.6% | |
| 22.1% | 52.0% | 24.1% | 22.3% | |
| 11.8% | 52.3% | 15.6% | 15.1% | |
| 6.5% | 63.9% | 1.7% | no data | |
| 4.6% | 39.8% | 1.9% | no data | |
| 3.1% | 62.5% | 0.4% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 83.8% | 53.2% | 72.3% | 80.1% | |
| 12.5% | 47.5% | 27.3% | 19.9% | |
| 2.4% | 56.9% | 0.2% | no data | |
| 1.2% | 60.7% | 0.2% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20.4% | 53.6% | 18.1% | 35.2% | |
| 18.7% | 54.7% | 9.8% | no data | |
| 16.6% | 52.0% | 3.4% | no data | |
| 14.4% | 52.3% | 39.6% | 41.0% | |
| 10.2% | 55.8% | 21.2% | 23.8% | |
| 9.7% | 50.6% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 2.1% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 86.2% | 53.1% | 98.2% | 100.0% | |
| 13.8% | 34.6% | 1.8% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 79.0% | 54.1% | 95.6% | 100.0% | |
| 5.5% | 44.5% | 1.4% | no data | |
| 4.0% | 59.6% | 0.9% | no data | |
| 3.8% | 55.6% | 0.3% | no data | |
| 3.2% | 56.8% | 0.6% | no data | |
| 2.3% | 57.4% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 1.2% | no data |
The strong players' line is 4. 5. , you castle, 7.. Everything revolves around one diagonal, the one from h1 to a8. Your light-squared bishop settles on g2 and from there leans on d5 and, further along, b7. The c4 pawn is bait: if your opponent takes it, they clear that diagonal, and then your queen goes after the pawn.
3. makes room for the bishop on g2. This is the plan of the structure: 99 in 100 strong players put the bishop there. plants a pawn right on the diagonal, which is why 4. comes before the knight: from g2 the bishop hits d5 together with your c4 pawn. At your level 4. is played in 84 in 100 games and you score 53 in 100 with it; play 4. first and that drops to 47.5.
develops and gets your opponent ready to castle. 5. blocks the diagonal for a moment, since the knight now stands in front of the bishop, but with the bishop off f1 and the knight off g1 you can castle. After , you castle too. Strong players make both moves almost without exception: 5. in 98 in 100 games and in 96.
Then comes your opponent's big decision. wins a pawn, but it takes their own d5 pawn off the diagonal. The squares e4, d5 and c6 are now empty all the way to b7, which only the c8 bishop defends. As soon as your f3 knight moves, your g2 bishop hits b7, and that black bishop is tied to guarding it. On top of that, the c4 pawn has no defender, and 7. attacks it. That is the choice of 61 in 100 strong players.
At your level this sequence rarely runs its full course: only 16 in 100 opponents take on c4 at that moment. Usually the pawn stays on d5. Then you keep the bishop on g2 and the pressure on d5, and wait for your opponent to take on c4 or move that pawn.
Plan played in 99% of the 767 over-the-board games rated 2300+ with this structure.
Online, 2200+: 98.9% of 15,534. Over the board, 2300+: 99.0% of 767; the alternative, : 0.0% and 0.0%; the alternative, : 0.0% and 0.0%; the alternative, : 0.0% and 0.0%; the alternative, : 0.1% and 0.0%.
| Move | Strong games | Chosen by |
|---|---|---|
| 6,546 | 55.3% | |
| 4,390 | 72.6% | |
| 3,277 | 39.6% | |
| 1,290 | 98.3% | |
| 5,924 | 95.8% | |
| 5,451 | 92.1% | |
| 7,332 | 54.5% | |
| 3,580 | 61.3% |
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 6,062 | ||
| Not castled | 550 | |
| Not castled | 311 | |
| Not castled | Not castled | 218 |
| 116 | ||
| 56 |
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 699 | ||
| Not castled | 33 | |
| 12 | ||
| Not castled | 10 | |
| Not castled | Not castled | 4 |
| Not castled | 4 |
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · 3,434 amateur games · 272 over the board
After 5., the d5 pawn keeps blocking your g2 bishop: you score 53 in 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. · E01
2,523 amateur games · White's score: 56.9%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · E05
541 amateur games · White's score: 58.6%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. · E09
25 amateur games · White's score: 64.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · E04
18 amateur games · White's score: 36.1%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. · E09
4 amateur games · White's score: 50.0%
1. 2. 3. · E00
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. · E03
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · E01
The numbers say yes, especially from 1100 up. Rated 900 to 1100 you score 50 in 100, and from 1100 to 1700 you never drop below 54. Players rated 2200 or more online also score 54 in 100 with it. And the plan fits in one idea: bishop to g2, then pressure down the diagonal on d5 and b7.
After 1. 2. , play 3. and, if comes, bring the bishop out with 4. before the knight. Then 5. and castle short. If your opponent takes on c4 with , 7. hits the pawn, which has been left without a defender. If the pawn stays on d5, keep pressing it.
Your bishop goes to g2 and works along the long diagonal, first against d5 and then against b7. Your c4 pawn is bait: if your opponent takes it with , the diagonal opens and the c8 bishop has to keep b7 covered. Only 16 in 100 opponents at your level make that capture, so expect to keep pressing a pawn on d5.