Réti Opening - 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.
Let's learn the Sicilian Invitation and Chigorin Variation! Black plays c5 or brings a knight to c6, challenging our center. We follow our own system plan, striking in the center and fianchettoing our bishop. Let's begin with 1.Nf3.
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Key lines
The free lines of this chapter, each one trainable move by move.
- Main Line
… 7... O-O 8. Nc3 Nxd4 9. Qxd4 d6 10. Qd3
- 1...Nc6
1. Nf3 Nc6 2. d4 d5 3. c4 dxc4 4. d5 Nb4 5. Qa4+ Qd7 6. Qxb4 Qxd5 7. Nc3
- 1...Nc6
1. Nf3 Nc6 2. d4 d5 3. c4 dxc4 4. d5 Nb8 5. Bg5
- 1...Nc6
1. Nf3 Nc6 2. d4 d5 3. c4 Bg4 4. cxd5 Bxf3 5. gxf3 Qxd5 6. e3 e5 7. Nc3 Bb4 8. Bd2 Bxc3 9. bxc3 Qd6 10. Be2 Nge7 11. Qb3
- 1...Nc6
1. Nf3 Nc6 2. d4 d5 3. c4 Bg4 4. cxd5 Qxd5 5. Nc3 Qd8 6. d5 Nb4 7. Qa4+ Nc6 8. dxc6 b5 9. Qxg4 Nf6 10. Qf5
- 1...Nc6
1. Nf3 Nc6 2. d4 d5 3. c4 Bg4 4. cxd5 Qxd5 5. Nc3 Qa5 6. d5 O-O-O 7. Bd2 Rxd5 8. Nxd5 Qxd5 9. e3
- 1...Nc6
1. Nf3 Nc6 2. d4 d5 3. c4 Nf6 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Bg4 7. d5 Ne5 8. Nxe5 Bxd1 9. Bb5+ c6 10. dxc6 a6 11. c7+ axb5 12. cxd8=N Rxd8 13. Nxd1 Nxe4 14. Nc3 Nxc3 15. bxc3 h5 16. Be3
- 1...Nc6
1. Nf3 Nc6 2. d4 d5 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 O-O 7. Rc1 h6 8. Bf4
- 2...d5
… 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Nf6
- 2...d5
… 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Nc6 4. d4 Nf6 5. O-O
- 2...d5
… 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Nc6 4. d4 e6
- 2...d5
… 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 e5 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. c4 Be6 8. Qa4 Qd7 9. cxd5 cxd5 10. Qxd7+ Kxd7 11. Nc3
- 3...d5
… 3. Bg2 d5 4. d4 Nf6 5. O-O
- 5...e6
… 5. c4 e6 6. Nc3 Nge7 7. d4 cxd4 8. Nb5 d5 9. cxd5 Nxd5 10. Nbxd4 Nxd4 11. Nxd4 O-O 12. e4
- 5...d6
… 5. c4 d6 6. Nc3 Nf6 7. d4 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bd7 9. Nc2
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 e6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. O-O Be7 5. c4 O-O 6. b3 b6 7. Bb2 Bb7 8. e3 c5 9. Nc3
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.
17 lines
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