ECO A13 · English Opening

English Opening: Neo-Catalan

1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. g3 Nf6

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White to move. The arrow shows Stockfish’s best move.
Best move

4. d4+0.27

The position is roughly equal. Stockfish 18, depth 18.

Analyze this position

In the English Opening: Neo-Catalan (A13), reached after 1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. g3 Nf6, Stockfish 18 recommends 4. d4 for White. The position is roughly equal (+0.27).

Top engine moves

  1. +0.274. d4 dxc4 5. Bg2 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 a5 7. Qc2 Bxd2+ 8. Nbxd2 b5
  2. +0.184. Bg2 d4 5. e3 c5 6. exd4 cxd4 7. d3 Nc6 8. O-O Bd6
  3. −0.044. a3 dxc4 5. Qa4+ Qd7 6. Qxc4 b5 7. Qb3 Bb7 8. Bg2 a6

Frequently asked questions

What is the best move in the English Opening: Neo-Catalan?
After 1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. g3 Nf6, Stockfish 18 at depth 18 recommends 4. d4 for White, continuing dxc4 5. Bg2 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 a5 7. Qc2 Bxd2+ 8. Nbxd2 b5. The position is roughly equal (+0.27). The next best moves are 4. Bg2 (+0.18) and 4. a3 (−0.04).
Is the English Opening: Neo-Catalan a good opening?
Stockfish rates the position at +0.27: the position is roughly equal. Evaluations this early in the game are small, so practical results depend far more on knowing the plans and typical structures than on the engine's number.
What is the ECO code of the English Opening: Neo-Catalan?
A13. ECO codes classify chess openings from A00 to E99; A is the volume for flank openings.

Opening names from the Lichess opening book (CC0). Pieces by Colin M.L. Burnett (GPLv2+).