Catalan Opening: Closed 8…Nbd7 9. Bf4
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Statistics from Lichess
14,328 games: White 48.1% / Draw 10.8% / Black 41.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 8,5988,598 | ||
| 4,4464,446 | ||
| 706706 | ||
| 376376 | ||
| 7676 | ||
| 6464 | ||
| 2626 | ||
| 1717 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.06 The position is about equal
Best play: 9... Bb7 10. Nc3 dxc4 11. Nd2 Nd5 12. Nxc4 Nxf4 13. gxf4 Qc7 14. e3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Catalan Opening: Closed (ECO E08, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Catalan Opening: Closed, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O c6 7. Qc2 b6 8. Rd1 Nbd7 9. Bf4 (9 moves).
In 14,328 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.1%, Black 41.1% and 10.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 9…Bb7, in 60% 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 9. Bf4
9…Ba6 scores best for Black: 47.9%, with Black winning 42.7% and White 46.9% of 4,446 games. The most played answer, 9…Bb7, scores lowest: 46.1% in 8,598 games. Stockfish's first choice is 9…Bb7.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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 (E08)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/catalan-opening-closed-8