In this 60-Minute course, Dutch IM Nico Zwirs presents his first and longest-standing weapon against the Catalan. Instead of allowing White to build long-term pressure with the powerful bishop on g2, Zwirs immediately accepts the pawn and aims for an imbalanced fight from the very beginning.
The core idea is simple and ambitious: capture on c4 and consolidate with …c6, preparing …b5 to hold the extra pawn. While White enjoys active piece play and strong diagonal pressure, Black gains a tangible material advantage and dynamic counterplay. The resulting positions are sharp, double-edged, and full of practical chances.
After years of playing the King’s Indian, Zwirs shifted to the more classical 1…d5 setups in search of greater stability against strong opposition. The 5…c6 system became his first choice against the Catalan and remains one of his most trusted weapons, bringing him important victories, including a memorable win against his own coach.