The Catalan with ...Nbd7: A Modern Repertoire for Black
One Knight Move Against Three Openings
Every player who meets 1.d4, 1.Nf3 and 1.c4 knows the problem. Against a strong, well-prepared opponent, Black rarely gets the opening he prepared for. White can choose the Catalan, slip into a Neo-Catalan move order to sidestep the main theory, or stay in Réti territory altogether.
Each choice normally demands its own repertoire, its own files and its own hours of study.
GM Abdulla Gadimbayli's answer is a single move: ...Nbd7. In The Catalan with ...Nbd7: A Modern Repertoire for Black, the knight goes to d7 in every line, against the Catalan, the Neo-Catalan and the Réti alike.
Why the Knight Belongs on d7
The strength of the idea lies in flexibility. From d7 the knight does not commit Black's structure. It supports ...b6 and ...Bb7 ideas, prepares the ...c5 break, and keeps every option open until White shows his plan.
Against the Catalan proper, Black reaches the starting position after 6.O-O Nbd7 and keeps the central tension. In the main line, 7.Qc2 a5 gains space on the queenside before 8.Rd1 dxc4, releasing the tension in the center at the right moment.
The critical test is 9.Na3, where White aims to open the queenside and put maximum pressure on Black's position. Gadimbayli treats it as the most challenging continuation and gives it a dedicated chapter.
The Author's Reasoning
Gadimbayli built the course around a practical question: what if one variation could cover all of these move orders? His aim was to reduce the preparation burden without giving up soundness, so that Black meets the Catalan, Neo-Catalan and Réti with the same pieces on the same squares.
When White starts with 1.c4 and keeps the d-pawn back with 6.d3, the repertoire offers straightforward ways to meet these lines. Against the positional tries like 7.Nc3 and 7.b3, it shows how Black handles the quiet problems White tries to set.
Map of Variations
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nd7
- 3.Bg2 → Chapter 1
- 3.c4 and rare moves (lines not transposing to 3.d4) → Chapter 2
1.c4 e6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 Nf6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.O-O O-O
- 6.d3 and rare moves → Chapter 3
- 6.b3 → Chapter 4
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 O-O
- 6.Qc2 and other rare possibilities → Chapter 5
- 6.O-O Nbd7
- 7.Nbd2 and rare options → Chapter 6
- 7.Qd3 → Chapter 7
- 7.Nc3 and 7.b3 → Chapter 8
- 7.Qc2 a5
- 8.Nbd2 and other options → Chapter 9
- 8.Rd1 dxc4
- 9.Qxc4 and other deviations → Chapter 10
- 9.Na3 → Chapter 11
Course Features
- 11 chapters
- 20 test positions
- Memory Booster
- To-Go version of every chapter
- Video instruction
- Multilingual PGN availability (English, German, French, Spanish)
When White Chooses 3.Nc3
The course begins after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3. White can also go 3.Nc3, steering the game away from Catalan territory altogether.
GM Mitrabha Guha's The Complete Nimzo-Indian Repertoire answers that move order with 3...Bb4. With White's knight already on c3, Black has a natural target for the pin.
One Setup, Fewer Surprises
If preparing against the Catalan, the Neo-Catalan and the Réti has meant three separate repertoires, this course offers one coherent alternative. Add The Catalan with ...Nbd7: A Modern Repertoire for Black to your repertoire and meet White's g3 systems with a single, flexible plan.