Catalan Opening: Closed Variation, Rabinovich Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code E09, part of the Catalan Opening family. It goes 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Qc2 e6 5. Nbd2 Be7 6. g3 Nbd7 7. Bg2 O-O 8. O-O b5. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... d5. After 16 moves it is White to move. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.
The moves
1. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
1... d5 – Black plays the pawn to d5
2. c4 – White plays the pawn to c4
2... c6 – Black plays the pawn to c6
3. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
3... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
4. Qc2 – White plays the queen to c2
4... e6 – Black plays the pawn to e6
5. Nbd2 – White plays the knight to d2
5... Be7 – Black plays the bishop to e7
6. g3 – White plays the pawn to g3
6... Nbd7 – Black plays the knight to d7
The line goes on for 4 more moves; the lesson shows them all.
About the Catalan Opening
White combines d4 and c4 with g3 and Bg2. The bishop on the long diagonal puts long-term pressure on Black's queenside.
The Bg2 bishop aims at b7 and a8; it is White's key piece.
If Black takes ...dxc4, White often gives the pawn for a while, then wins it back with Qc2 or Qa4.
Black wants ...c5 or ...e5 to free the position and the c8 bishop.
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