Kramnik, Anand, Carlsen … they all played it in the World Championship Matches with White. Combining the space-gaining moves of the Queen’s Gambit and King’s Bishop Fianchetto of the Reti… Catalan offers the best of both worlds. You get plenty of attacking chances AND you keep your King safe. If you are a club player… it gets even better! Because most players under 2200 Elo are not well prepared for the Catalan! Dutch Grandmaster Sipke Ernst [2606 FIDE] played Catalan for over 20 years, and now he finally agreed to reveal his entire opening preparation! GM Ernst holds nothing back and lays out his tried-and-tested plans, winning novelties, and strategic ideas. Previously, this was only available to a handful of his private students, who proved it to be VERY effective at under 2200 level!
Here is what you’ll learn:
- The Mainline – GM Ernst brings to the table over 20 years of experience playing the Catalan mainline and scoring top points against GM competition. He will show you all the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ of this opening and provide you with a battle-tested repertoire for White.
- The Alternative Mainline – Want to keep your opponent guessing? GM Ernst provides a powerful alternative to the mainline which was successfully tested on all levels from 1800 to 2600+.
- The “Catalan Bishop” – Quickly exchanged off into the endgame? Relax, you still have the advantage. Catalan Bishop is a monster in the endgame making it nearly impossible for Black to develop the King’s side without weakening their position.
- Dodge the Mainstream Theory – GM Ernst shows how to eliminate at least 75% of opening preparation by playing 6.Nc3!?, a perfectly sound move that has been tested by some of the top players, yet is nearly never seen at the club level.
- Beating the Transpositions – What is Black decides to transition into Queen’s Indian, Benoni, or some other setup? No worries, GM Ernst shows a neat way to counter this, without memorizing the theory.
GM Sipke Ernst has recoded 7+ hours of HD training, annotated PGNs Vault, complimentary practicum access, and 10-Task Video Exam to make sure you grasp all the important strategies and concepts.
Want an opening preparation where you keep everything under control and decide how to win?
If so, Catalan is the opening for you.