Chess openings – Catalan Opening

50 Comments

1. (1/2) Thank you for the comments and the kind words! It's hard for me to say for sure about the points you raised but I'm really suspect about …Bd7 🙂 Be careful when you say it is "an option as white is supposed to play bg2". It could definitely be true that there are multiple ways for Black to proceed without getting into much trouble because of White's inaccuracy.

2. (2/2) Still, it may also be true that one move leads to better coordination for the pieces in the long run. After …Nbd7, the knight occupies a square it was going to occupy anyway, and the bishop is able to make it to a diagonal with more scope. This is the basis for calling …Nbd7 superior to …Bd7.

3. this is great to avoid the nimzo indian. this is almost equal as playing the kings indian attack barca system (according to chesscube lol). btw my move would be knight b to d2 after black captures the gambit pawn.. although its better for whites attack when black plays an early Nc6

4. Ah, this could be. The Catalan is loaded with subtleties!

5. The Catalan is definitely a good alternative (if White wants one) to the Nimzo-Indian, I agree!

6. Cool vids.. Totally gonna subscribe to your channel :thumbup:

7. Thank you!

8. Thanks for all the great vids, this one in particular at the moment. I am about to start a Catalan themed tourney in the 1600-1800 grouping and this is an opening that I'm not that familiar with. I just needed to get those points drilled into my mind and the problems for which to watch and avoid. Thanks again!

9. You bet! Thank you 🙂

10. Wonderful! Thank you

11. If MIT supported Chess, you would be the proper teacher,Dereque =)

12. Lol! Thank you 🙂

13. Awesome video! Excellent explanation of the move options and the ideas behind them. For beginners like me it is extremely important to understand the concepts, ideas and motifs and you did a great job in a short time. I wonder though how things would turn out to be if white played Bg2 before Nf3.

14. Glad you enjoyed the video! There is nothing special for the bishop to do right away even if it is temporarily unhindered. In the Catalan, White can usually use either move order (Bg2 or Nf3 first) but it usually always leads to the same positions since both moves are always played together.

15. Thanks Dereque! Appreciate the feedback! May I request a video for Tarrasch Defense if possible. From a beginners perspective, I really like it as I can universally play it against almost all of whites openings except E4.

16. You mean Queen's Gambit Declined Tarrasch I'm assuming? Very interesting opening indeed. I actually have big plans for this one!

17. That's correct Sir! QGD Tarrasch defense. I do believe it is possible for the Catalan to transpose into QGD Tarrasch defense if black can play C5 early and challenge white for Center Control.

18. Nice channel. I'd like to see some videos for the Reti and Bird openings.

19. Thank you for the suggestions and kind words

20. Fantatsic Dereque, I just love your way of explanation of any position. I have seen most of your opening videos, All are good, so do u have any videos on middle game? If yes then where can I look for those? Please let me know, I will be grateful, thanks again and God bless u Tc

21. Really glad you're enjoying the videos! No midgame videos at this time 🙂

22. Taimanov sicilian please, Its giving me a major headache whenever I see it.

23. Thank you for the suggestion!

24. When are you going to upload a new video?

25. The future is a mystery (to me) … ! Nevertheless, a video may be coming soon 😉

26. who decides what you are going to put up???

27. This is a truly fascinating question. Perhaps -you- decide? 🙂 It appears that I determine based on where my interest is leading me. But this is influenced (I imagine) a lot by suggestions from others, recent events in my chess life, what I ate for breakfast, and what Obama had for lunch 😉

28. great video! very instructive, and precise. thank you very much! 🙂

29. Thank you!

30. Mr. Kelley, are you going to be posting any famous games? Or are you based strictly on openings?

31. I'm not sure 🙂

32. Hi there is some doubt on video on catalan. After d4-Nf6, c4-e6, g2-d5, Nf3-dxc, Bg2-c5 here you have shown the next move as 0-0 and in further explaining video the kings castled move was kept as it is and again white played d4xc5????? How could white moved twice? I think there is one more move from black. Please explain.

33. Ah, Around 4:45 I suggest, "let's imagine the rules of chess changed and White has an opportunity to move a second time…" this Is the moment at which the dxc5 move is introduced even though we just showed O-O. The idea is to demonstrate White's plan in this way.

34. Me ha gustado mucho. Muy ilustrativa profundización en la apertura catalana. ¡Gracias!

35. Glad you enjoyed the video!

36. Thank you so much for all the excellent explanations of openings Dereque! You are the first person I consult when learning a new opening. Your teaching is very very good.

37. grt video…hope u'll help us with ur further videos

38. Thank you very much! Glad to hear you're enjoying the videos

39. That is my intent! Thank you

40. I love the Catalan. Thank you Mr. Kelley. Perhaps you can do a tutorial on the London System in the near future. 🙂

41. Thank you sir!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

42. je m'abonne

43. New videos please

44. Nice video. Nice to see the opneings one after another and also your way of exploring the important aspects from an opening is really good ..Please keep this work up^^

45. What program? 

46. I was searching for a Caro-Kann Defence video yesterday, and suddenly I got into your channel.
    At the end of the video, I was fascinated and went to watch all of the other videos.
    Congratulations, it is really helping me become a better player in the openings 🙂
    And, of course, there is no way I could leavy without asking for something… A Bird Opening would be nice :v

    (forgive me for my bad English, it is not my first language)

47. so don't panic on the dxc capture…..will Carlsen play the Catalan against Anand in game 6…..

48. Exceptionally clear video – thank you!

49. At 2:30, why not  Q c6 ?

50. Would you consider the catalan more tactical, positional, or in-between? I'm an in-between tactical and positional player myself. Great video btw; very easy to understand and its clear.

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