Catalan Opening: Closed Variation, Rabinovich Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
4,167 games: White 50.4% / Draw 8.3% / Black 41.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 2,0192,019 | ||
| 1,2151,215 | ||
| 499499 | ||
| 251251 | ||
| 136136 | ||
| 2222 | ||
| 2121 | ||
| 22 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.07 White is better
Best play: 9. c5 Qc7 10. Nb3 a5 11. Bf4 Qd8 12. Nc1 Ne4 13. Nd3 f6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Catalan Opening: Closed Variation, Rabinovich Variation (ECO E09, Indian Defenses) is a chess opening that starts 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.
In 4,167 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.4%, Black 41.3% and 8.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 9. b3, in 48% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Catalan Opening: Closed Variation, Rabinovich Variation
9. c5 scores best for White: 60.9%, with White winning 56.9% and Black 35.1% of 1,215 games. The most played, 9. b3, scores 53.1% in 2,019 games, and 9. cxb5 scores lowest: 47.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 9. c5.
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Catalan Opening: Closed Variation, Rabinovich Variation (E09)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/catalan-opening-closed-variation-rabinovich-variation