Answers.Body: <p>The Catalan is defined as having played d4+c4 against d5 (the Queen's Gambit) and then fianchetto'ing the kingside bishop with g3+Bg2. Some people play a Reti with c4+g3+Bg2 and avoid committing to d4 - this is known as the Neo-Catalan. Others play d4+g3+Bg2 and avoid committing to c4 - this is known as the Pseudo-Catalan.</p>
  <p>The most common move order for arriving at the Catalan proper, however, is:</p>
  <pre><code>[FEN &quot;&quot;]
  1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 {Now that white is committing to fianchetto'ing the bishop, this is officially the Catalan} Be7!? (4... dxc4!? 5. Bg2 {The open Catalan - usually black looks to blast open the position before white can comfortably regain the c4 pawn}) (4... Bb4+!? 5. Bd2 {The Bb4+ Catalan (I don't think it has another name) - usually black looks to take advantage of white's misplaced d2 bishop and play in a normal QID manner}) 5. Bg2 O-O {The closed Catalan - usually black plays c6 and looks to place the LSB on b7 with b6+Bb7.}
  </code></pre>
  <p>Through this move order, notice that black did not get a chance to get their LSB outside the pawn chain, as they did in your example.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-11-19T14:10:36.350Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2024-11-19T14:10:36.350Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: NoseKnowsAll
Answers.Body: <p>I think, like what the other people have said, that it comes down to pushing c4. This pressures the center, and this is key to Catalan strategy. All of the pieces try to conquer the center. Remember that in Catalan, you squeeze slowly, then strike in the center, then destroy black. That's why I would prefer to use it in rapid or classical because it's very very positional.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-11-28T11:31:50.603Z
Answers.Text: No. White can open with c4 and play the English. White can White can open with d4, c4 and fianchetto the f1 bishop and it can still not be a Catalan if black plays the Dutch.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Brian Towers
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-11-30T06:22:16.893Z
Answers.Text: True. I stand corrected.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Midnightakatsukireborn
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-11-28T07:27:29.807Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2024-11-28T07:27:29.807Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Midnightakatsukireborn
Body: <p>Fianchettoing of the King's bishop in a Queen pawn game suggests the Catalan Opening.</p>
  <p>But I did that and ended up with a pseudo-Catalan.</p>
  <pre><code>[FEN &quot;&quot;]
  [Event &quot;Rated bullet game&quot;]
  [Site &quot;https://lichess.org/pqxRVhmX&quot;]
  [Date &quot;2024.11.19&quot;]
  [White &quot;healLan&quot;]
  [Black &quot;suavecitomax&quot;]
  [Result &quot;1-0&quot;]
  [UTCDate &quot;2024.11.19&quot;]
  [UTCTime &quot;00:58:40&quot;]
  [WhiteElo &quot;1405&quot;]
  [BlackElo &quot;1257&quot;]
  [WhiteRatingDiff &quot;+4&quot;]
  [BlackRatingDiff &quot;-3&quot;]
  [Variant &quot;Standard&quot;]
  [TimeControl &quot;120+0&quot;]
  [ECO &quot;D02&quot;]
  [Opening &quot;Queen's Pawn Game: Symmetrical Variation, Pseudo-Catalan&quot;]
  [Termination &quot;Time forfeit&quot;]
  [Annotator &quot;lichess.org&quot;]
  
  1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. g3 { D02 Queen's Pawn Game: Symmetrical Variation, Pseudo-Catalan } Bg4 4. Bg2 Bxf3 5. Bxf3 c6 6. e3 e6 7. Bd2 Bd6 8. Nc3 Qc7 9. O-O Nbd7 10. Be1 h5 11. Bg2 h4 12. f4 hxg3 13. Bxg3 O-O-O 14. Ne2 Rdg8 15. Rf3 g5 16. c3 gxf4 17. Nxf4 Ne4 18. Qe1 Nxg3 19. hxg3 Bxf4 20. exf4 Nf6 21. Kf2 Ng4+ 22. Ke2 Rh2 23. Qg1 Rgh8 24. Kd3 f6 25. Raf1 { White wins on time. } 1-0
  </code></pre>
  <p>What do I need for the final product?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-11-19T01:08:10.357Z
Comments.Text: Game illustrative example here: https://lichess.org/pqxRVhmXvg3K
Comments.UserDisplayName: Harry
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-11-19T10:45:50.370Z
Comments.Text: A Catalan needs c4.
Comments.UserDisplayName: RicardoMM
Tags: <opening><catalan>
Title: What qualifies as a fully fledged Catalan?
ThreadText: # What qualifies as a fully fledged Catalan?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2024-11-19)
  
  Fianchettoing of the King's bishop in a Queen pawn game suggests the Catalan Opening.
  
  But I did that and ended up with a pseudo-Catalan.
  
  ```
  [FEN ""]
  [Event "Rated bullet game"]
  [Site "https://lichess.org/pqxRVhmX"]
  [Date "2024.11.19"]
  [White "healLan"]
  [Black "suavecitomax"]
  [Result "1-0"]
  [UTCDate "2024.11.19"]
  [UTCTime "00:58:40"]
  [WhiteElo "1405"]
  [BlackElo "1257"]
  [WhiteRatingDiff "+4"]
  [BlackRatingDiff "-3"]
  [Variant "Standard"]
  [TimeControl "120+0"]
  [ECO "D02"]
  [Opening "Queen's Pawn Game: Symmetrical Variation, Pseudo-Catalan"]
  [Termination "Time forfeit"]
  [Annotator "lichess.org"]
  
  1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. g3 { D02 Queen's Pawn Game: Symmetrical Variation, Pseudo-Catalan } Bg4 4. Bg2 Bxf3 5. Bxf3 c6 6. e3 e6 7. Bd2 Bd6 8. Nc3 Qc7 9. O-O Nbd7 10. Be1 h5 11. Bg2 h4 12. f4 hxg3 13. Bxg3 O-O-O 14. Ne2 Rdg8 15. Rf3 g5 16. c3 gxf4 17. Nxf4 Ne4 18. Qe1 Nxg3 19. hxg3 Bxf4 20. exf4 Nf6 21. Kf2 Ng4+ 22. Ke2 Rh2 23. Qg1 Rgh8 24. Kd3 f6 25. Raf1 { White wins on time. } 1-0
  
  ```
  
  What do I need for the final product?
  
  **Tags:** opening, catalan
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Game illustrative example here: https://lichess.org/pqxRVhmXvg3K  
  > **username_1**: A Catalan needs c4.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2024-11-19. Score: 2
  
  The Catalan is defined as having played d4+c4 against d5 (the Queen's Gambit) and then fianchetto'ing the kingside bishop with g3+Bg2. Some people play a Reti with c4+g3+Bg2 and avoid committing to d4 - this is known as the Neo-Catalan. Others play d4+g3+Bg2 and avoid committing to c4 - this is known as the Pseudo-Catalan.
  
  The most common move order for arriving at the Catalan proper, however, is:
  
  ```
  [FEN ""]
  1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 {Now that white is committing to fianchetto'ing the bishop, this is officially the Catalan} Be7!? (4... dxc4!? 5. Bg2 {The open Catalan - usually black looks to blast open the position before white can comfortably regain the c4 pawn}) (4... Bb4+!? 5. Bd2 {The Bb4+ Catalan (I don't think it has another name) - usually black looks to take advantage of white's misplaced d2 bishop and play in a normal QID manner}) 5. Bg2 O-O {The closed Catalan - usually black plays c6 and looks to place the LSB on b7 with b6+Bb7.}
  
  ```
  
  Through this move order, notice that black did not get a chance to get their LSB outside the pawn chain, as they did in your example.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2024-11-28. Score: 0
  
  I think, like what the other people have said, that it comes down to pushing c4. This pressures the center, and this is key to Catalan strategy. All of the pieces try to conquer the center. Remember that in Catalan, you squeeze slowly, then strike in the center, then destroy black. That's why I would prefer to use it in rapid or classical because it's very very positional.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_4**: No. White can open with c4 and play the English. White can White can open with d4, c4 and fianchetto the f1 bishop and it can still not be a Catalan if black plays the Dutch.  
  > **username_3**: True. I stand corrected.  
  
  ---
  
  