Réti Opening
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- This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.
| Réti Opening | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Moves | 1.Nf3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ECO | A04-A09 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Origin | Réti-Capablanca, World Championship Match 1924 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Named after | Richard Réti | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent | Flank opening | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Synonym(s) | Zukertort Opening | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chessgames.com opening explorer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Réti Opening (also called the Zukertort Opening, King's Indian Attack, or King's Knight Opening) is a chess opening characterized by the opening move 1. Nf3. It is named after Richard Réti, an untitled Grandmaster from Czechoslovakia who used it to defeat José Raúl Capablanca, the reigning World Chess Champion, in a 1924 match. In the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings (ECO) Réti Opening is classified A04-A09.
According to ChessBase, out of the twenty possible opening moves, 1. Nf3 ranks third in popularity. It develops the knight to a good square and prepares for a quick castling, blocks king's pawn game and restricts queen's pawn game. White maintains flexibility by not committing to a particular central pawn structure, while waiting to see what Black will do. The slight drawback to the move is that it blocks the f-pawn. This is not a problem if White does not intend to move it in the near future, but it rules out the possibility of playing systems with f3 and Nge2, which is a fairly popular setup against the King's Indian.
Usually 1. Nf3 will transpose into an opening with 1. … d5, such as the King's Indian or the Queen's Gambit. If White follows up with an early c4 a transposition to the English Opening may be reached. Even the Sicilian Defence may be reached if the game continues 1. … c5 2. e4.
When the game does not transpose to some other opening, the main lines to Réti Opening are
- 1 … Nf6 (ECO code A05)
- 1 … d5 (A06)
- 2. g3 (King's Indian Attack, A07) (modern method)
- 2. c4 (A09) (classic method)
- 1 … other (A04)
Traditionally, 1. Nf3 d5 (A06) has been the signature calling card of the Réti. The most common reply for white is 2. c4 (A09), known as the traditional or classic method. 2. g3 (A07) has become increasing popular in recent years and is referred to as the modern method, with white aiming for an early fianchetto of the king-side bishop, although this often transposes into a King's Indian.
[edit] Classic method
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Starting from the position of A09, the replies for black are:
- 2. … dxc4 - capture the pawn
- 2. … e6 - hold the point
- 2. … c6 - hold the point
- 2. … d4 - push the pawn
At some point white will play g3 and Bg2 to fianchetto the bishop prior to a king-side castle. This is in the spirit of the hypermodernism movement that Réti championed, with the center being dominated from the wings, rather than being occupied. White is also willing to sacrifice material for tempo and position, although the pawn is usually considered poison in modern grandmaster play because 3. Qa4+ immediately regains it, and also gives white undisputed dominance over the center after 4. Qxc4. Black's exchange also leaves his forces undeveloped while White has a Queen and a Knight exerting influence into enemy territory.
