Réti Opening - Other 1st moves (1...e6, 1...d6, 1...c6, 1...g6, 1...b6, 1...e5, 1...f5)
Black meets 1.Nf3 with other first moves like 1...e6, 1...g6, or 1...b6. Fianchetto with g3 and Bg2, castle, then expand with c4 and b3. Against 1...e6 lines, after 9.Nc3 aim to recapture on c4, play Qe2 and d3, then bring a rook to d1. You get a safe, flexible setup with central control and smooth development.
Let's learn the rarer 1st moves! Black plays an early e6 to support a quick d5 in the center. We fianchetto our bishop to g2 and expand on the queenside with c4 and b3. Let's begin with 1.Nf3.
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Scroll the moves: the board follows.
Key lines
The free lines of this chapter, each one trainable move by move.
- Main Line
… 6... b6 7. Bb2 Bb7 8. e3 c5 9. Nc3
- 1...d6
1. Nf3 d6 2. d4 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. e4 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 9. b4 a5 10. bxa5 Rxa5 11. a4
- 1...d6
1. Nf3 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 Nbd7 4. Nc3 e5 5. e4 Be7 6. Be2 O-O 7. O-O
- 1...d6
1. Nf3 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 g6 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. e4 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 9. b4 a5 10. bxa5 Rxa5 11. a4
- 1...c6
1. Nf3 c6 2. c4 d5
- 1...g6
1. Nf3 g6 2. g3 Bg7 3. Bg2 d6 4. d4 Nc6 5. O-O
- 1...g6
1. Nf3 g6 2. g3 Bg7 3. Bg2 d6 4. d4 Nf6 5. O-O O-O
- 1...g6
1. Nf3 g6 2. g3 Bg7 3. Bg2 Nf6
- 1...b6
1. Nf3 b6 2. g3 Bb7 3. Bg2 g6 4. d4 Bg7 5. c4 e6 6. Nc3
- 1...b6
1. Nf3 b6 2. g3 Bb7 3. Bg2 e6 4. c4 Nf6 5. O-O
- 1...e5
1. Nf3 e5 2. Nxe5 Nc6 3. Nxc6 dxc6 4. e4 Nf6 5. d3 Bc5 6. Be2 Ng4 7. Bxg4 Qh4 8. Qf3 Bxg4 9. Qg3 Qxg3 10. hxg3 Bd7 11. f3
- 1...f5
1. Nf3 f5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 g6 4. O-O Bg7 5. c4 O-O 6. d4 d6 7. d5 e5 8. dxe6 Bxe6 9. Nc3
- 1...f5
1. Nf3 f5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 d6 4. d4 g6 5. O-O Bg7 6. b3
- 1...f5
1. Nf3 f5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. c4 Be7 5. b3
- 3...c5
… 3. Bg2 c5 4. d4 Nc6 5. O-O Nf6 6. c4 dxc4 7. dxc5 Qxd1 8. Rxd1 Bxc5 9. Nbd2 c3 10. bxc3 O-O 11. Nb3 Be7 12. Nfd4
- 4...c5
… 4. O-O c5 5. c4 Nc6 6. d4 dxc4 7. dxc5 Qxd1 8. Rxd1 Bxc5 9. Nbd2 c3 10. bxc3 O-O 11. Nb3 Be7 12. Nfd4
- 4...Bd6
… 4. O-O Bd6 5. c4 O-O 6. d4 Nc6 7. b3 dxc4 8. bxc4 e5 9. c5 Be7 10. dxe5 Qxd1 11. Rxd1 Ne4 12. Be3 Bxc5 13. Bxc5 Nxc5 14. Na3
Other chapters
1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 d4 3. e3 c5 4. exd4 cxd4 5. b4 Bg4 6. h3 Bh5 7. Bb2
2...d4 and 2...e6 Lines (after 1...d5 2.c4)
Black meets 2.c4 with 2...d4, then pins your knight with 5...Bg4. Chase the bishop with 6.h3 Bh5, play 7.Bb2, then break the pin with g4 and grab the pawn on d4 with Nxd4. After Bg2, you target Black's undefended b7 pawn. Aim for a slightly better position with a queenside pawn majority.
11 lines1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Qa4+ Nc6 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. e3 Bd7 6. Bxc4 e6 7. Qc2
Réti Accepted and Gurevich System (after 1...d5 2.c4)
Black grabs your c-pawn with 2...dxc4, entering the Réti Accepted. Answer with Qa4+, Nc3, e3, and Bxc4, then castle and jump a knight to b5. Watch out: after 7.Qb3?, Black's ...Na5 wins a bishop. You're aiming for a position with the half-open c-file, while Black holds a queenside pawn majority.
15 lines1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. O-O O-O 5. d4 d6 6. c4 Nbd7 7. Nc3 e5 8. e4 exd4 9. Nxd4 Re8 10. h3 Nc5 11. Re1
Symmetrical Defense (2...g6)
Black meets your fianchetto with ...g6, building a King's Indian setup with ...d6, ...Nbd7, and ...e5. You answer with d4, c4, Nc3, and e4, then play h3 and Re1, planning f3 and Be3. Watch for ...Nc5, which threatens to win your e4 pawn. Meet ...d5 with cxd5, aiming to recapture on d5.
14 lines1. Nf3 c5 2. g3 Nc6 3. Bg2 g6 4. O-O Bg7 5. c4 Nf6 6. d4 cxd4 7. Nxd4 O-O 8. Nc3 Nxd4 9. Qxd4 d6 10. Qd3
Sicilian Invitation and Chigorin Variation (1...c5, 1...Nc6)
Black meets 1.Nf3 c5 with a fianchetto setup, playing ...Nc6, ...g6 and ...Bg7. You fianchetto too with g3, Bg2 and O-O, then strike with d4 and recapture Nxd4. After trades on d4 you centralize with Qxd4, then settle the queen on d3, ready to develop with Bg5. Aim for a position where your queenside pawn majority gives you long-term chances.
15 lines
Learn Other 1st moves (1...e6, 1...d6, 1...c6, 1...g6, 1...b6, 1...e5, 1...f5) on the board
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