12 Lines to Introduce You to the Opening of Champions
There’s a reason Magnus Carlsen chose the Catalan one of his main weapons against Ian Nepomniachtchi in their World Championship match…
In the Catalan, the pressure doesn’t stop.The Catalan sets a field of positional and tactical landmines at every turn, and one false step can mean Black’s doom.

This sophisticated opening is not for the casual player. But should you learn its intricacies, you will rack up the wins - playing positions that are much easier for White, and constantly forcing Black into difficult decisions.
Fortunately, you have the extraordinarily detailed explanations of
Grandmaster Àlvar Alonso Rosell to start you off on the right foot.
The
7-time Spanish and Catalonian Champion and author of
Lifetime Repertoires: Alonso’s Catalan gives you a complete guide to playing the Catalan like a champ in the main course, and you can try his course out for free in this
Short & Sweet version.
Here’s what you’ll learn this in this intro to the mighty Catalan:
♝The perks of the 1.d4 move order. Even from the beginning, there are move order subtleties! Learn the nuances and benefits of each move, from the very first one
♝How to handle dynamic structures. Broken pawn structures for dynamic compensation are the norm in the Catalan. You could be on either side - learn how to make your strengths outweigh your opponent’s…while minimizing your weaknesses
♝State-of-the-art theory. You’ll learn variations used as recently as the World Championship match between Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi - play like the World Champion himself!
GM Alonso - a long-time player and veritable expert in the Catalan - takes his time to thoroughly explain the finer points of each of the major positions in the opening. His balanced judgments will armor you up with both offensive and defensive plans, and you’ll start building up a feel for the complexities of the Catalan.
So if you’re ready to take up the gauntlet and start playing the opening of champions, this course is the right start. Get
Short & Sweet: Alonso’s Catalan today.
The complexities of the Catalan can't be understood with just 12 lines! If you want to master the opening, be sure to check out the full course: Lifetime Repertoires: Alonso's Catalan.