Hello! I've been playing the Reti Opening for some time already. I once read that there is no gambit, since white can bring the queen out to check and recover the pawn on c4. Yet later I found noone actually reccomends playing Qa4.

Furthermore, reading reviews for the book Easy Guide to the Reti Opening I found it appears that Angus Dunnington (the author) here "analyzes only one repertoire choice: 3 Na3". That would mean he didn't even consider necessary to study the line Qa4.

I myself felt uncomfortable when playing that line, and that's why I've started my search, in the first place. I've searched the forums here, as well as the internet, but haven't been succesful in finding lines to refute that move.

So, in short: Here's the diagram.
Can you show me a line to refute Qa4, or a line to support Na1?
Are there any other playable options?

Thanks in advance. :)

I don't think there is a line that refutes Qa4+ followed by Qxc4. Its not recommended since White will waste time placing the Queen out of harm's way and on a more productive square. Hence, Na3 is the next most reasonable way to regain the pawn quickly.

You could play 3.e3 hitting the pawn and preparing to go into a QGA.  McDonald handles this in Starting Out: The Reti.  One problem I see however, is if you're going to play the Reti, why try learning theory.  One of its selling points to me is that there isn't as much theory as other openings, and certainly this sort line of qualifies. 

Davies in The Dynamic Reti even stated that black equalizes easily in this line, that's probably why you're having a hard time finding coverage for it.

I don't think you should give up on theory that easily. It's true that the Reti is quite flexible, but I might want to know to what openings I can transpose, and there might also be openings I'd like to avoid. For all that, I'd still need to know some theory...

I just found another thread with a few ideas,

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/the-confusing-reti

I think I had read it before, but somehow missed some of it.

One of the ideas is 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Na3 Be6 4.e3

I think I'll start trying 3.Na3, then.

Thank you mnag and wango!