The Powerful Catalan: A Complete Repertoire for White

by Victor Bologan

Overview

The Catalan is a solid yet flexible chess opening system that is popular on all levels. Both amateurs and top-level strategists such as Vladimir Kramnik and Vishy Anand employ this opening to put a lot of unpleasant pressure on Black.

In The Powerful Catalan grandmaster Victor Bologan presents a complete repertoire for White that covers all of Black’s responses. Also included are those variations where Black tries to steer the game into other openings like the Queen’s Indian or the Tarrasch Defence.

The book is classically structured (starting with the rarest variations before moving on to the most popular ones) and contains original analysis of many recent tournament games. Bologan’s clearly formulated verbal explanations are essential for a good understanding of the strategic plans and the tactical themes of the Catalan.
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Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789056915230
Publisher:	Continental Sales, Inc.
Publication date:	04/28/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	17 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Victor Bologan is a world-class grandmaster. He has won many tournaments, including the Aeroflot Open in Moscow and the Dortmund super-tournament. He has written critically acclaimed opening books like The Chebanenko Slav and The Rossolimo Sicilian.

Table of Contents

From the author 7

Chapter 1 Queen's Indian Style 11

1.d2-d4 g8-f6 2.c2-c4 e7-e6 3.g1-f3 d7-d5 4.g2-g3 b7-b6

Chapter 2 Tarrasch Style 17

1.d2-d4 g8-f6 2.c2-c4 e7-e6 3.g1-f3 d7-d5 4.g2-g3 c7-c5

Chapter 3 The Triangle Set-Up 29

1.d2-d4 g8-f6 2.c2-c4 e7-e6 3.g1-f3 d7-d5 4.g2-g3 c7-c6 5.f1-g2 b8-d7 6.0-0 f8-d6

Chapter 4 The Bishop Check 35

1.d2-d4 g8-f6 2.c2-c4 e7-e6 3.g1-f3 d7-d5 4.g2-g3 f8-b4+

Chapter 5 The Bishop Check with 5…e7 43

1.d2-d4 g8-f6 2.c2-c4 e7-e6 3.g1-f3 d7-d5 4.g2-g3 f8-b4+ 5.c1-d2 b4-e7

Chapter 6 Opposing the Catalan Bishop 67

1.d2-d4 g8-f6 2.c2-c4 e7-e6 3.g1-f3 d7-d5 4.g2-g3 d5xc4 5.f1-g2 c8-d7

Chapter 7 Playing for the Pawn 75

1.d2-d4 g8-f6 2.c2-c4 e7-e6 3.g1-f3 d7-d5 4.g2-g3 d5xc4 5.f1-g2 b7-b5

Chapter 8 Indirectly Defending the Pawn 83

1.d2-d4 g8-f6 2.c2-c4 e7-e6 3.g1-f3 d7-d5 4.g2-g3 d5xc4 5.f1-g2 c7-c6

Chapter 9 Attacking White's Centre 91

1.d2-d4 g8-f6 2.c2-c4 e7-e6 3.g1-f3 d7-d5 4.g2-g3 d5xc4 5.f1-g2 c7-c5

Chapter 10 Combining Defence and Attack 103

1.d2-d4 g8-f6 2.c2-c4 e7-e6 3.g1-f3 d7-d5 4.g2-g3 d5xc4 5.f1-g2 a7-a6

Chapter 11 Bishop Check after 4…dxc4 115

1.d2-d4 g8-f6 2.c2-c4 e7-e6 3.g1-f3 d7-d5 4.g2-g3 d5xc4 5.f1-g2 f8-b4+

Chapter 12 Developing the Knight 137

1.d2-d4 g8-f6 2.c2-c4 e7-e6 3.g1-f3 d7-d5 4.g2-g3 d5xc4 5.f1-g2 b8-c6

Chapter 13 Keeping the Position Closed 147

1.d2-d4 g8-f6 2.c2-c4 e7-e6 3.g1-f3 d7-d5 4.g2-g3 f8-e7 5.f1-g2 0-0 6.0-0 b8-d7

Chapter 14 Classical Variation 165

1.d2-d4 g8-f6 2.c2-c4 e7-e6 3.g1-f3 d7-d5 4.g2-g3 f8-e7 5.f1-g2 0-0 6.0-0 d5xc4

Chapter 15 Classical Variation 10…a7 177

1.d2-d4 g8-f6 2.c2-c4 e7-e6 3.g1-f3 d7-d5 4.g2-g3 f8-e7 5.f1-g2 0-0 6.0-0 d5xc4 7.d1-c2 a7-a6 8.c2xc4 b7-b5 9.c4-c2 c8-b7 10.c1-d2 a8-a7

Chapter 16 Classical Variation 10…e4 197

1.d2-d4 g8-f6 2.c2-c4 e7-e6 3.g1-f3 d7-d5 4.g2-g3 f8-e7 5.f1-g2 0-0 6.0-0 d5xc4 7. d1-c2 a7-a6 8.c2xc4 b7-b5 9.c4-c2c8-b7 10.c1-d2 b7-e4

Chapter 17 Classical Variation 11…c8 217

1.d2-d4 g8-f6 2.c2-c4 e7-e6 3.g1-f3 d7-d5 4.g2-g3 f8-e7 5.f1-g2 0-0 6.0-0 d5xc4 7.d1-c2 a7-a6 8.c2xc4 b7-b5 9.c4-c2 c8-b7 10.c1-d2 b7-e4 11.c2-cl d8-c8

Chapter 18 Classical Variation 11…b7 227

1.d2-d4 g8-f6 2.c2-c4 e7-e6 3.g1-f3 d7-d5 4.g2-g3 f8-e7 5.f1-g2 0-0 6.0-0 d5xc4 7.d1-c2 a7-a6 8.c2xc4 b7-b5 9.c4-c2 c8-b7 10.c1-d2 b7-e4 11.c2-c1 e4-b7

Index of Names 245

Index of Variations 251

Editorial Reviews

The author has again demonstrated his ability to advance theory, whilst still explaining what is going on in a manner that everyone can understand. The easiest Catalan book to find your way around. Even the most complex and theoretical lines are granted textual explanation.

Yearbook of Comparative and General Literature - Grandmaster Glenn Flear

An excellent book to begin with when you want to start playing the Catalan.

Schakers.info - Richard Vedder

Bologan writes very instructively and the material is presented in a very tidy manner, making it admirably accessible. He keeps things very clear and doesn't bog the reader down in complex variations. The explanations are good and the conclusions at the end of each chapter are particularly welcome.

Marshtower Chess Reviews

Bologans explanation of what White is trying to accomplish will be just as valuable to the layman as the concrete lines he offers. An excellent and up-to-date work. Bologan, with his clear explanation of the aims of both players, has written something that will continue to be useful even after some of his analytical suggestions are inevitably refuted.

Chess Today - John Donaldson

Where else is this system dealt with so well?

British Chess Magazine

The author has again demonstrated his ability to advance theory, whilst still explaining what is going on in a manner that everyone can understand. The easiest Catalan book to find your way around. Even the most complex and theoretical lines are granted textual explanation.

Yearbook of Comparative and General Literature - Glenn Flear

Bologan writes very instructively and the material is presented in a very tidy manner, making it admirably accessible. He keeps things very clear and doesn't bog the reader down in complex variations. The explanations are good and the conclusions at the end of each chapter are particularly welcome.
--Marshtower Chess Reviews

An excellent book to begin with when you want to start playing the Catalan.
--Richard Vedder; Schakers.info

Bologans explanation of what White is trying to accomplish will be just as valuable to the layman as the concrete lines he offers. An excellent and up-to-date work. Bologan, with his clear explanation of the aims of both players, has written something that will continue to be useful even after some of his analytical suggestions are inevitably refuted.
--John Donaldson; Chess Today

The author has again demonstrated his ability to advance theory, whilst still explaining what is going on in a manner that everyone can understand. The easiest Catalan book to find your way around. Even the most complex and theoretical lines are granted textual explanation.
--Glenn Flear; Yearbook 105

Where else is this system dealt with so well?
--British Chess Magazine

From the Publisher