Catalan Opening: Open Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
160,290 games: White 51.2% / Draw 6.5% / Black 42.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| E04 | 104,421104K | |
| 28,87429K | ||
| 14,73415K | ||
| 3,1623,162 | ||
| 2,4612,461 | ||
| 1,7601,760 | ||
| 1,6971,697 | ||
| 1,1861,186 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.22 The position is about equal
Best play: 5. Nf3 c5 6. O-O Nc6 7. dxc5 Qxd1 8. Rxd1 Bxc5 9. Nbd2 c3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Catalan Opening: Open Defense (ECO E02, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Catalan Opening: Closed, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 (4 moves).
In 160,290 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.2%, Black 42.3% and 6.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Nf3, in 65% of those games.
It branches into 2 named variations. In all, 5 named lines continue from it.
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How to play against the Catalan Opening: Open Defense
The most played answer, 5. Nf3, also scores best for White: 54.9%, with White winning 51.5% and Black 41.6% of 104K games. Of the main answers, 5. Qa4+ scores lowest: 54.1%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5. Nf3.
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
Variations (2)
All 5 named lines that continue from here
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Catalan Opening: Open Defense (E02)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/catalan-opening-open-defense