Hungarian Opening: Catalan Formation
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Statistics from Lichess
2,010,891 games: White 49.7% / Draw 5.4% / Black 44.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 395,561396K | ||
| 389,073389K | ||
| 322,609323K | ||
| 248,693249K | ||
| 185,188185K | ||
| 168,420168K | ||
| 110,645111K | ||
| 56,13956K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.13 The position is about equal
Best play: 3. Nf3 c5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d4 cxd4 6. Nxd4 e5 7. Nb3 Be6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the worse this line does for Black: Black scores 47% under 1400, 44% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 723K | |
| 1400–1799 | 1.7M | |
| 1800–2199 | 971K | |
| 2200 and up | 80K | |
| Masters, over the board | 108 |
Master games
- Vachier Lagrave, M. – Dominguez Perez, L.
- Artemiev, V. – So, W.
- Mamedov, R. – Bruzon Batista, L.
- Petrosian, T. – Petrosyan, M.
- Petrosian, T. – Petrosyan, M.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 26, 2026
Overview
Hungarian Opening: Catalan Formation (ECO A00, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Hungarian Opening, reached after 1. g3 d5 2. Bg2 e6 (2 moves).
In 2,010,891 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.7%, Black 44.9% and 5.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. Nf3, in 20% 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 Hungarian Opening: Catalan Formation
3. c4 scores best for White: 54.1%, with White winning 51.4% and Black 43.2% of 168K games. The most played, 3. Nf3, scores 53.9% in 396K games, and 3. c3 scores lowest: 50.1%. Stockfish's first choice is 3. 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
Popularity by year
The Hungarian Opening: Catalan Formation has gained ground since 2016: 0.083% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.067%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.067% | 24,064 |
| 2017 | 0.069% | 37,765 |
| 2018 | 0.069% | 54,133 |
| 2019 | 0.072% | 89,478 |
| 2020 | 0.075% | 218,191 |
| 2021 | 0.075% | 292,669 |
| 2022 | 0.077% | 289,465 |
| 2023 | 0.079% | 297,253 |
| 2024 | 0.083% | 297,282 |
| 2025 | 0.083% | 288,868 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.081% | 88,696 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Hungarian Opening: Catalan Formation (A00)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/hungarian-opening-catalan-formation