The Catalan

Certainly the Catalan qualifies as an opening in which the ideas are paramount. It sidesteps the Nimzo-Indian, which has given me trouble in the past. Here are some games.

chessart(1573)-Rayjean(1621), 4/2/08, 2,10

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 Be7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. O-O b6 7. Re1 Bb7 8. e4 d6 9. e5 Nd7 10. exd6 cxd6 11. b3 Bf6 12. Bb2 Rc8 13. Nbd2 Nb4 14. Ne4 Bxe4 15. Rxe4 Nc5 16. dxc5 Bxb2 17. Rb1 d5 18. Re2 Bf6 19. cxb6 Qxb6 20. a3 Na2 21. Rxa2 dxc4 22. bxc4 Qc5 23. Qb3 Qxc4 24. Qxc4 Rxc4 25. h4 Rfc8 26. a4 a5 27. Rb5 Rc1+ 28. Kh2 Bc3 29. Rb7 h6 30. Ra3 Bb4 31. Rd3 Ra1 32. Rdd7 Rf8 33. Ne5 Bc3 34. Nxf7 Rxa4 35. Bh3 Ra2 36. Kg2 Re2 37. Bg4 Re1 38. Nd8 Re8 39. Nxe6 R1xe6 40. Bxe6+ Rxe6 41. h5 Re5 42. g4 Rg5 43. f3 Bb4 44. Rd8+ Bf8 45. Rbb8 Kf7 46. Rxf8+ Ke7 47. Kg3 Kd6 48. Rg8 Kc7 49. Ra8 Kb6 50. f4 Rc5 51. Rxg7 Kb5 52. Rga7 Kb4 53. f5 Rc3+ 54. Kf4 Rc4+ 55. Ke5 Rxg4 56. Rxa5 Rg5 57. Ke6 Rxh5 58. f6 Rxa5 59. Rxa5 Kxa5 60. f7 {Black resigns} 1-0

chessart(1606)-THODORIS(1544), 4/1/08, 2,10
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Qe7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. e3 Bxd2+ 8. Nbxd2 d6 9. O-O e5 10. d5 Nb8 11. b3 Bg4 12. Qc2 Nbd7 13. e4 a5 14. Rae1 Bxf3 15. Nxf3 g6 16. Qd2 Ne8 17. Qh6 f6 18. Bh3 Ng7 19. Nh4 Rf7 20. f4 exf4 21. gxf4 Nf8 22. Re2 Re8 23. Kh1 Nh5 24. Rg1 Rg7 25. Bg4 f5 26. exf5 Qf7 27. Rxe8 Qxe8 28. Bxh5 Qe4+ 29. Bf3 {Black resigns} 1-0