Catalan Opening: Open Defense 5…Nbd7 6. Qxc4
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Statistics from Lichess
5,527 games: White 41.6% / Draw 7.4% / Black 51.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 2,2342,234 | ||
| 1,2431,243 | ||
| 747747 | ||
| 631631 | ||
| 341341 | ||
| 186186 | ||
| 9090 | ||
| 1919 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.09 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... a6 7. Qb3 Rb8 8. Nf3 b5 9. O-O Bb7 10. Ne5 Bxg2 11. Kxg2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Catalan Opening: Open Defense (ECO E03, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Catalan Opening: Open Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Qa4+ Nbd7 6. Qxc4 (6 moves).
In 5,527 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 41.6%, Black 51.0% and 7.4% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…a6, in 40% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Catalan Opening: Open Defense, Alekhine Variation.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 6. Qxc4
6…c5 scores best for Black: 58.7%, with Black winning 54.7% and White 37.3% of 1,243 games. The most played, 6…a6, scores 57.9% in 2,234 games, and 6…Nb6 scores lowest: 45.5%. Stockfish's first choice is 6…a6.
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
Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Catalan Opening: Open Defense (E03)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/catalan-opening-open-defense-4