Réti Opening

Keep Black guessing with 1.Nf3. Clear pawn breaks and 4 traps for careless replies.

1.Nf3 keeps your opponent guessing and builds your games around a few recurring ideas, from bishops on g2 or b2 to pawn pushes with b4 or d4. Against ...d4 and ...Bg4, learn how h3 and g4 break the pin before Nxd4. Practice with 4 traps, 8 model games and 27 puzzles.

What you'll learn

Advance Variation (2...d4, after 1...d5 2.c4)

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4

Black's 2...d4 push leads into the Advance Variation, where 3.e3 c5 4.exd4 cxd4 trade pawns and 5.b4 grabs queenside space. After 5...Bg4 pins your knight, 6.h3 Bh5 7.Bb2 sets up g4 to break the pin and Nxd4 to win the pawn back. You finish with Bg2, aiming your pieces at Black's undefended b7 pawn.

Réti Accepted (2...dxc4, after 1...d5 2.c4)

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 dxc4

After 3...Nc6 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.e3 Bd7 6.Bxc4 e6, you reach 7.Qc2, ready to castle and jump a knight to b5 while using the half-open c-file. Avoid 7.Qb3, since 7...Na5 wins a bishop.

Gurevich System (3.e3, after 1...d5 2.c4)

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6

Against 2...c6, you meet the solid setup with 3.e3 and 4.Nc3. When 4...Bg4 pins your knight, 5.Qb3 attacks b7 and frees it, and after 5...Qb6 6.d4 e6 7.Bd2 you're ready to push e4 and land a knight on e5.

Other 2nd moves after 1...d5 2.c4 (2...e6)

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6

Against 2...e6, you develop naturally with 3.e3, 4.Nc3, and a queenside fianchetto with 5.b3 and 6.Bb2. After Black mirrors with 6...b6 and 7...exd5, you open the center with 8.d4, develop with 9.Bd3, and castle on 10.O-O, ready to push b4 and bring a rook to c1.

Symmetrical Defense (2...g6)

1.Nf3 Nf6

When Black mirrors with 2...g6 and fianchettoes, you fianchetto too with 3.Bg2 and castle. A central clash follows with 7...e5 8.e4 exd4 9.Nxd4, and after 9...Re8 10.h3 Nc5 11.Re1 you're ready to meet Black's knight threats while planning f3, Be3, and Nc2 to meet ...d5 with cxd5.

Sicilian Invitation (1...c5)

1.Nf3 c5

Against 1...c5, you fianchetto with 2.g3 and 3.Bg2, then strike the center with 6.d4. After 6...cxd4 7.Nxd4 O-O 8.Nc3 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 d6, your queen steps back with 10.Qd3, ready to develop with Bg5, Be3 and Qd2.

Chigorin Variation (2...d5)

1.Nf3 Nc6

After 1...Nc6, you take the center with 2.d4 d5 3.c4, reaching a Queen's Gambit Declined structure. Black's setup continues with 3...e6 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bg5 Be7 6.e3 O-O 7.Rc1 h6, and 8.Bf4 keeps your bishop active, ready to later trade on f6, reroute it to d3, and castle.

Other 1st moves (1...e6, 1...d6, 1...c6, 1...g6, 1...b6, 1...e5, 1...f5)

1.Nf3 e6

Against other first moves like 1...e6, you set up a King's Indian Attack with 2.g3, 3.Bg2, and 4.O-O. After 5.c4 O-O 6.b3 b6 7.Bb2 Bb7 8.e3 c5, you finish development with 9.Nc3, ready to recapture on c4, play Qe2 and d3, and bring a rook to d1.

What's inside

• 4 traps featured as priority lines, so you learn the tricks that win games first.
• 8 master games played in these lines, linked from the moves where they leave the course.
• 27 puzzles from real games of this opening.

Why this repertoire?

• Built for club players. 1.Nf3 steers into calm, flexible positions that suit players rated 1600 to 2200.
• Light on memorization. The repertoire relies on a few recurring setups rather than long forced sequences, so deep memorizing isn't required.
• Recurring plans. You fianchetto a bishop to g2 or b2, push b4 or d4 for space, and target weak pawns like b7 or c4 again and again.
• Understanding over memorizing. Each chapter ends with a clear follow-up plan, such as g4 to break a pin or Nc2 to recapture on d5, so you can find the right idea even when the opponent deviates.
• Learn from real games and traps. Master games and trap lines show these plans working in actual play.