Catalan Opening: Closed, Sokolsky Variation

An entry in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO E09), reached after 20 half-moves: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Qc2 c6 8. Nbd2 b6 9. b3 a5 10. Bb2 Ba6.

Black rook — Use ← → arrows or click moves to step through.

Black queen — Use ← → arrows or click moves to step through.

End of this line

No further variations branch from this position in our database. To explore neighbouring ideas:

About this opening

Catalan Opening: Closed, Sokolsky Variation is an opening in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, classified under code E09. ECO group E (E00–E99) covers Indian defences against 1.d4, covering the Nimzo-Indian, Queen's Indian, King's Indian and Catalan systems. This particular variation is reached after 20 half-moves from the starting position, with the move sequence 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Qc2 c6 8. Nbd2 b6 9. b3 a5 10. Bb2 Ba6.

It belongs to the Catalan Opening family. Within that family this is a level-2 branch (the Closed → Sokolsky Variation line). The immediate parent line is Catalan Opening: Closed, transitioned via 10…Ba6.

The opening sequence in prose form: 1.d4 Nf6, 2.c4 e6, 3.g3 d5, 4.Bg2 Be7, 5.Nf3 O-O, 6.O-O Nbd7. From this position the encyclopaedia records no further canonical continuations — practical play branches into unnamed transpositions or returns to the parent line for alternative ideas.