Catalan Opening: Closed 8. Bf4 b6
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Statistics from Lichess
2,624 games: White 48.7% / Draw 8.3% / Black 42.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 751751 | ||
| 728728 | ||
| 533533 | ||
| 178178 | ||
| 172172 | ||
| 6565 | ||
| 3030 | ||
| 3030 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.23 The position is about equal
Best play: 9. Ne5 Bb7 10. Nd2 Na6 11. Rc1 c5 12. a3 Rc8 13. e3 Nb8
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Catalan Opening: Closed (ECO E06, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 8. Bf4 b6 (8 moves).
In 2,624 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.7%, Black 42.9% and 8.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 9. Nbd2, in 29% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 8…b6
9. Nc3 scores best for White: 55.6%, with White winning 51.1% and Black 39.8% of 728 games. The most played, 9. Nbd2, scores 50.8% in 751 games, and 9. cxd5 scores lowest: 47.2%. Stockfish's first choice is 9. Ne5.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Catalan Opening: Closed (E06)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/catalan-opening-closed-6