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CH02 - 1...d5 2.c4 d4 B) 3.g3 ----------------------------- 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4---------------------A) 3.e3B1) 3.g3 Nc6 B2) 3.g3 c5 C) 3.b4--------------------- B) 3.g3 B1) 3...Nc6 4.Bg2 e5 B) 3.g3 B1) 3...Nc6 4.Bg2 e5Gutman vs ZakharovEspig vs GrabczewskiGeller vs Bronstein 5.O-OAndersson vs Calvo MinguezPlachetka vs KupreichikVadasz vs VaganianPanno vs SosonkoSuetin vs Kupreichik 5..Nf6Kochyev vs VitolinshKovacevic vs Ree 6.d3Psakhis vs Zhuravliov 6...Nd7Ivkov vs TeschnerRogoff vs LigterinkBilek vs NaranjaLarsen vs GellerLarsen vs Simagin 7.e3Andersson vs BalashovLangeweg vs ReePolugaevsky vs Balashov 7...Be7 8.Na3Rukavina vs OstermanSpiridonov vs Westerinen 8...O-O 9.Nc2 ---------------------9 moves

CH02 - 1...d5 2.c4 d4 B) 3.g3 ----------------------------- 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4---------------------A) 3.e3 B1) 3.g3 Nc6B2) 3.g3 c5C) 3.b4--------------------- B) 3.g3B2) 3...c5 4.Bg2 --------------------- 4.e3 Nc6 5.exd4 a) 5...Nxd4Szabo vs FlohrKorchnoi vs MeckingPolugayevsky vs Portisch --------------------- b) 5...cxd4 reverse Modern BenoniShamkovich vs PoliakKnudsen vs HaritonovMochalov vs GodesSchroeder vs ZinnCapablanca vs JanowskyAndersson vs FernandezSpeelman vs Miles --------------------- c) 4.b4 reversed Volga (Benko) Gambit 4...cxb4 5.Bg2 Nc6 6.O-OZhidkov vs KapengutLarsen vs PortischGeller vs MikenasArbakov vs PalatnikLein vs RytovHerink vs FichtlDydyshko vs MikenasBouwmeester vs BhendRashkovsky vs GodesBarczay vs Savon --------------------- 4...Nc6Boyarinov vs SveshnikovLisitsin vs Simagin 5.d3Nikolaevsky vs Agzamov 5...e5Nezkar vs ZhuravliovNikolac vs Shinzel 6.O-O Nf6Matohin vs Kastarnov 7.e3 Be7Bilek vs KlugerDespotovic vs Buljovcic 8.exd4 exd4 ---------------------8 moves -------------------------------------------------------------------------

CH 10 2...e6

CH01 - 1...d5 2.c4 dxc4 1.f3 d5 2.c4 dxc4 A) 3.a4+B) 3.a3C) 3.e3-------------------------------------------------------------------------

CH02 - 1...d5 2.c4 d4 ----------------------------- 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4---------------------A) 3.e3B) 3.g3C) 3.b4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------

CH02 - 1...d5 2.c4 d4 C) 3.b4 ----------------------------- 1.f3 d5 2.c4 d4---------------------A) 3.e3B1) 3.g3 Nc6B2) 3.g3 c5B) 3.g3C) 3.b4--------------------- C) 3.b4 f6 a) 3...a5?!Romanovsky vs Dus ChotimirskyLisitsin vs Klaman b) 3...c5 4.e3 b1) 4...dxe3Tarrasch vs Alekhine (Blumenfeld Countergambit)Dorfman vs SiniavskyKochiev vs Kupreichik b2) 4...g4Vadasz vs RajnaReti vs Tartakower b3) 4...f6Pirc vs KosticRee vs SpasskyRellstab vs PfeifferKonstantinopolsky vs LevinVatnikov vs Uusi c) 3...g6 c1) 4.e3Tartakower vs JanovskyReshevsky vs HorowitzEuwe vs AlekhinePanchenko vs IlyinskyVerlinsky vs RubinsteinBlagovidov vs VasilievStahlberg vs CzerniakKarner vs BalashovPalatnik vs ButnoriusRomanishin vs Timoshchenko c2) 4.g3Godes vs MosionzhikGodes vs ZaichikOlafsson vs BronsteinReti vs RubinsteinGeller vs NovopashinSzabo vs BarczayRomanovsky vs BotvinnikReshko vs OsnosPanno vs SchweberSmejkal vs Spassky 4.e3Rokhlin vs Kukhta 4...e5Beilin vs ByvshevGufeld vs StupenLisitsin vs RavinskyLisitsin vs Rabinovich 5.b3Pithart vs FichtlLiberzon vs ReeKremer vs TartakowerVaganian vs Mikenas 5...c5 6.bxc xc5Napolitano vs Balogh 7.exd4 exd4 8.a3 e7+ 9.e2 c6 10.O-O ---------------------10 moves -------------------------------------------------------------------------

CH02 - 1...d5 2.c4 d4 A) 3.e3 ----------------------------- 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4---------------------A) 3.e3B1) 3.g3 Nc6B2) 3.g3 c5B) 3.g3C) 3.b4--------------------- A) 3.e3 Nc6 4.exd4 Abrahams vs Wood Takacs vs Rubinstein Kares vs Stahlberg Shamkovich vs Vasyukov Keres vs Flohr Huebner vs Portisch Yuferov vs Karner Krnic vs Osterman 4...Nxd4 5.Nxd4 Qxd4 6.Nc3 e5 Alekhine vs Euwe Fine vs Flohr Kholmov vs Vasyukov Espig vs Knaak Mihalcisin vs Kogan Keres vs Euwe 7.d3 Tsetselian vs Dvoretsky 7...Ne7 Lisitsin vs Flohr Panno vs Polugayevsky Van der Vliet vs Kupreichik Katetov vs Alekhine Vladimirov vs Dolmatov Lisitsin vs Flohr Andersson vs Portisch Espig vs Garcia Martinez Bukic vs Prandstetter Pfleger vs Lee Esprig vs Inkiev 8.Be3 Bagirov vs Mihalcisin Espig vs Luczak Peresipkin vs Petrosian 8...Qd8 9.d4 exd4 10.Qxd4 Qxd4 11.Bxd4 Nc6 Langeweg vs Hort --------------------- 12 moves

CH01 - 1...d5 2.c4 dxc4 C) 3.e3 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 dxc4---------------------A) 3.Qa4+B) 3.Na3C) 3.e3--------------------- C) 3.e3Kramer vs Fine 3...Be6 4.Na3 Nf6 5.Nxc4 g6 6.b3 Bg7 7.Bb2 O-O 8.Be2 c5 9.O-O Nc6 10.Rc1 Rc8 11.d4 cxd4 12.Nxd4Geller vs Keres --------------------- 12 moves -------------------------------------------------------------------------

CH01 - 1...d5 2.c4 dxc4 B) 3.Na3 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 dxc4---------------------A) 3.Qa4+B) 3.Na3C) 3.e3--------------------- B) 3.Na3 c5Tartakower vs SpielmannLombard vs KnezevicLarsen vs HortJansa vs Estevez MoralesGutman vs IvanovRibli vs Garcia GonzalesSzilagyi vs SzidorGutman vs Lukin 4.Nxc4 Nc6 5.b3Keres vs FinePetrosian vs KeresGipslis vs UstinovKashdan vs NimzowitschLarsen vs LjubojevicYuferov vs Maryasin 5...f6 6.Bb2 e5 7.g3 Nge7 8.Bg2 Nd5 9.O-O Be7 10.Nh4 O-O 11.Qb1 Rf7 12.Nf5 Be6 13.f4 exf4 14.gxf4 Nb6Botvinnik vs Fine --------------------- 14 moves -------------------------------------------------------------------------

CH01 - 1...d5 2.c4 dxc4 A) 3.Qa4+ 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 dxc4 ---------------------A) 3.Qa4+B) 3.a3C) 3.e3--------------------- A) 3.a4+ c6Etruk vs MukhinPolugaevsky vs NovopashinKozlov vs KakageldyevTartakower vs SpielmannByrne vs PflegerBilek vs Evans 4.e5Tal vs KlovansReshko vs SakharovJanata vs Lehmann 4...d7Palatnik vs Romanishin 5.xd7 xd7 6.xc4 e5 7.g3 g6 8.g2 ge7 9.O-O g7 10.c3 O-O ---------------------10 moves -------------------------------------------------------------------------

5 - Lasker System II (2.g3) A) 4...c6 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 Bf5 4.c4 A) 4...c6"This natural move turns out to be a vital inaccuracy. Let us note, however, that outstanding chess players have made this error and this allows us to appreciate the subtle methods of play by which White gains the advantage." ---Osnos 5.cxd5Shianovsky vs ReshkoSumiacher vs PolugaevskyBilek vs SmyslovBenko vs SpasskyTseitlin vs PlatonovRomanishin vs PiesinaBenko vs Addison 5...cxd5Barcza vs TsvetkovBarcza vs Tipary 6.Qb3 Qc8Roshal vs TseshkovskyRossolimo vs CastilloDzhindzhihashvili vs BagirovBarcza vs Balogh**Romanishin vs AnikaevBenko vs SanguinettiBarcza vs RossolimoTrifunovic vs PachmanSzabo vs HonfiTseitlin vs VorotnikovLarsen vs BykhovskyKirov vs PribylBarcza vs OpocenskySzabo vs GeruselBenko vs GellerPortisch vs Smyslov 7.Nc3 e6 8.d3 Nc6 9.Bf4Lisitsin vs MuhutdinovKonstantinopolsky vs Weinblatt**Konstantinopolsky vs Verlinsky 9...Be7Barcza vs KopetskyPetrosian vs Shustin**Toran vs BernsteinBarcza vs Nievergelt 10.0-0 0-0 11.Rac1 Bg6Keene vs SuessBarcza vs SmyslovSmyslov vs Bronstein 12.Ne5 Nd7Karpov vs Korchnoi 12 moves "The reputationof this variation as being a difficult one for Black has been maintained" --- Osnos

5 - Lasker System II (2.g3) B) 4...e6 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 Bf5 4.c4 B) 4...e6This continuation allows Black to maintain the balance. 5.Qb3Tseitlin vs LevitinaDorfman vs PetrosianOlafsson vs PortischZheliandinov vs Klovans 5...Na6Beriozov vs Selivanovsky**Kochiev vs RomanishinKarasiov vs Tschonsky**Barcza vs PortischShianovsky vs Sokolsky** 6.cxd5 exd5Spiridonov vs Sliwa 7.Nd4 Bc8 8.Nc3 c6 9.O-O Bc5 10.Nf3 O-ORomanishin vs Polugayevsky 10 moves "Black has quite a good position." --- Osnos

5 - Lasker System II (2.g3) 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 Bf5 White has other methods of striving for an opening advantage apart from the systems already examined where he fianchettoes his DSB. Not infrequently Black plays 3...c6 followed by 4...Bf5. In this case White's plan involves the preparation and push of c4. Todorcevic vs Szabo** Nikolayevsky vs Ruderfer Gutman vs Tseshkovsky 4.c4 4 moves (select a continuation below) A) 4...c6 B) 4...e6 "4...dxc4 is hardly ever played since after 5.Na3 White wins back the pawn and secures an advantage in the center." --- Osnos

Reti Opening 1 Nf3 d5 Viacheslav Osnos Introduction This opening originated in the second decade of this (20th) century. In 1923 the Czech Grandmaster Richard Reti worked out and demonstrated new ideas for White, the fundamental one being the attack on the pawn center. In other openings such a plan of play was, as a rule, adopted by Black. Thus in several lines of the Reti White plays as if with colours reversed and an extra tempo. Reti's ideas found quite a few followers and his opening system occured in the games of leading players the world over. The scope it affords for creative play has ensured its continuing popularity. This book examines variations in which White plays Nf3 and (at some stage) c4 and in which Black counters with ...d5. There are, of course, many possible move orders, but for convenience of presentation we will always take 1.Nf3 d5 as the first moves. There are two ways for White to play the Reti Opening: 1) 2.c4 - a fairly energetic but somewhat straightforward method, as a result of which the opponent's forces immediately come into contact with each other. 2) 2.g3 - The modern method. White disguises his intentions until the last possible minute, and according to the way the game developes maintains the possibility of tranmsposing into other openings. He postpones c4 and fianchettoes his KB (sometimes his QB too). Bearing in mind that this opening can transpose into various others, for instance the Queen's Gambit or the Catalan, our basic intention is to examine positions in which the white d-pawn does not advance further than the third rank. We will, however, look at a few positions with d4 by White which have independent significance. As regards transpositions to other openings, these are too numerous to be pointed out every time they arise. Generally speaking, the Reti leads to play of a positional/manoeuvring nature, with the main weight of the battle deferred until the middle game. The author hopes that a study of this original and interesting opening will help chess enthusiasts to gain useful theoretical knowledge and to improve their level of play. Viacheslav Osnos International Master (writen in 1982) return to Contents

4 - Lasker System I (2.c4) C) 7...Bc5 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.b3 Bf5 4.g3 Nf6 5.Bg2 e6 6.O-O Nbd7 7.Bb2 C) 7...Bc5From here Black controls f2\a7, which is significant in many variations. However this position of Black's DSB is not always stable; it can come under attack in the event that the white b- or d-pawns advance. 8.d3Worthy of attention is 8.d4 (here this advance is acheaved with tempo, and by playing e4 earlier than in other lines White can obtain favorable prospects) 8...Be7 (this withdrawal is considered the safer, since here the bishop does not come under attack, e.g.Galia vs Lokvenc **Stein vs Geller 8...h6 9.Nbd2Zak vs Vistaneckis **Eliskases vs EuweEtruk vs NeiSmyslov vs KeresLokvenc vs TothLiebert vs Fuchs 9...O-OFuderer vs Cortlever 10.a3Saemisch vs Opocensky 10...a5Donner vs BisguierEtruk vs ArulaidKeres vs EuweCsom vs PereczO'Kelly vs Devos **Alexandria vs Baumstark 10 moves "One can draw the conclusion that in the variation with 7...Bc5 White has some initiative at his command." --- Osnos

4 - Lasker System I (2.c4) B) 7...Be7 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.b3 Bf5 4.g3 Nf6 5.Bg2 e6 6.O-O Nbd7 7.Bb2 B) 7...Be7 8.d3 Let us note the continuation 8.d4, which White usually ties in with the preparation of the advance e4, as in the event of other plans Black has no problem at all: Benko vs SmyslovPelts vs SakharovMilic vs GligoricDoda vs Golz 8...h6 9.Nbd2 9.Nc3Kirov vs Dobrev**Hajtun vs PogatsEuwe vs KmochFilip vs LundinAverbakh vs BorisenkoRashkovsky vs Anikaev 9...O-O 10.a3Doda vs SteinKorzin vs MoisieevDaudsvardis vs MoisieevHort vs ZuidemaTaimanov vs RaicevicFaibisovich vs BukhoverDzhindzhihashvili vs FurmanVan Schoot vs Zuiderman** 10...a5 Kochyev vs BeliavskyPanno vs Karpov 11.Rc1Smyslov vs DjurasevicAndersson vs LombardyKuski vs VaganianNikolaevsky vs Polugaevsky Petrosian vs FurmanReshevsky vs IvkovHartoch vs Polugaevsky Pfleger vs HubnerVukic vs LombardSunye vs ChristiansenOrnstein vs OgaardNepomniashchy vs Yuneev Uusi vs BagirovBotvinnik vs SmyslovSmetana vs Kaigorodov Olafsson vs TalKochiev vs Tseshkovsky 11...Bh7 12.Rc2Ribli vs DargaBlagidize vs SokolskyNikolaevsky vs Moisieev Andersson vs ChekhovCapablanca vs LilienthalPalatnik vs BagirovBrkljaca vs RaicevicSpiridonov vs KozmaStein vs Platonov 12 moves "In this variation the forces of attack and defense are in relative equilibrium." --- Osnos

4 - Lasker System I (2.c4) A) 7...Bd6 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.b3 Bf5 4.g3 Nf6 5.Bg2 e6 6.O-O Nbd7 7.Bb2 A) 7...Bd6 8.d3 "From time to time 8.d4 is encountered. This possibility also belongs to the Reti Opening, though it formally takes the game into related openings."Stein vs NeiLebedev vs Flohr 8...O-ORomanovsky vs RabinovichEuwe vs van den BoschBoros vs MayDonchenko vs Klovan **Kolarov vs Padevsky 9.Nbd2Muller vs LilienthalKatetov vs Tomovic 9...e5Kevitz vs CapablancaIvkov vs ReeGurevich vs KupermanTaimanov vs KovacsPetrosian vs Mnatsakanian 10.cxd5 cxd5Reti vs Lasker 11.e4 Bg4Ribli vs Lengyel 12.exd5 Nxd5 13.Nc4 13 moves "White has the advantage. "Thus it is impossible to acheave Lasker's ideal defensive set-up if White plays energetically. After White has played e4, Black's bishops, the one at f5 directly and the one at d6 indirectly, come under attack from his pieces and pawns. "Practice has shown that the black bishop at f5 must be removed from that square in order to lessen the effect of the white e-pawn's advance. In the notes we have examined 8...h6 and 9...h6 (with the idea of withdrawing the bishop to h7). In this case, largely because of the position of the other black bishop at d6, the games have continued with advantage to White, and nowadays this variation is rarely played." --- Osnos

4 - Lasker System I (2.c4) 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.b3By defending the c-pawn White avoids various gambit variations and charts the struggle on to a quiet course. 3...Bf5 Lasker's idea, which dates from 1924. By bringing the bishop out to an active position Black can subsequently build a solid pawn wedge in the centre (c6-d5-e6) which dampens the pressure of the enemy bishop at g2 and at the same time serves as a cover for the development of his pieces. 4.g3 Nf6 5.Bg2 Petrosian vs Tal Benko vs Addison Johansson vs Pomar Salamanca Uusi vs Moiseyev 5...e6 6.O-O Nbd7 Shpilker vs Kakageldiev Chaplinsky Shedchikov Stahlberg vs Pachman Smejkal vs Huebner 7.Bb2 7.Ba3 Gusev vs Panov** (click on a continuation below) A) 7...Bd6 B) 7...Be7 C) 7...Bc5 **D) 7...h6 (not mentioned by Osnos) is seen in modern online databases as often or more than A,B or C but with poor results ??? ]

3 - The Gambit System 1.f3 d5 2.c4 c6The critical position of this system, when White continues to develop without defending c4. 3.g3 f6 For the time being Black's attempt to hold on to the sacrificed pawn, to the detriment of his development, hardly deserves attention: 3...dxc4 4.Bg2 b5 (4...Nf6 transposes to the positions examined here, but also possible is 4...e6 5.a4 - weaker is 5.Qc2 b5Carls vs NimzowitschGoldberg vs BeilinSchmid vs. Schaufelberger 4.g2 dxc4 Unlike the position with 2...dxc4, the addition of the moves 2...c6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 gives Black, apart from the methods of defense described in Chapter 1, the possibility of holding on to the sacrificed pawn.These situations are complex and interesting. A general assessment very often means less than a concrete calculation of variations, and although definite methods of play in such positions have already been elaborated, they have as yet been little researched.Let us also note that if Black does not want to accept the gambit he can decline in various ways. 5.a3 a) 5.a4 Gaprindashvili vs Chiburdanidze Vukovic vs Trifunovic Khasin vs Shestakov Romanishin vs Dorfman Godes vs Shestakov Petrosian vs Dolmatov Romanishin vs Makarichev b) 5.Qc2 Vadasz vs Lukacs Bagirov vs Mnatsakanian Dzindzichashvili vs Bagirov Nikolic vs Spassov 5.0-0 Karner vs Polugaevsky Sherbakov vs Estrin Romanishin vs Sveshnikov 5...b5Dzindzichashvili vs Fedorowicz Barczay vs Benko Etruk vs Keres 6.Ne5Olafsson vs Hort Benko vs Petrosian 6...Qc7Portisch vs Donner Zilberstein vs Sveshnikov 7.d4 Bb7 8.O-O e6 9.b3Pang vs Hort 9...c3 10.Qd3 Nbd7 Tseitlin vs Fershter 11.Nxd7 Qxd7 12.Nc2 b4 Tseitlin vs Sveshnikov 12 moves return to Contents

Ret Opening 1Nf3 d5 Viacheslav Osnos 1982 ------------------------ Contents Introduction1 - 1...d5 2.c4 dxc42 - 1...d5 2.c4 d4 A) 3.e3 B1) 3.g3 Nc6 B2) 3.g3 c5 C) 3.b4 3 - The Gambit System 4 - Lasker System I (2.c4) 5 - Lasker System II (2.g3) 6 - Capablanca System I (2.c4) 7 - Capablanca System II (2.g3) 8 - Black's K-side Fianchetto I (2.c4) 9 - Black's K-side Fianchetto II (2.g3)10 - 2.c4 e6 I : 4...dxc4 Kogan vs Vaganian Gurgenidze vs Lipnitsky Smyslov vs Sveshnikov11 - 2.c4 e6 II : 4...Be712 - Grunfeld Reversed ---------------------------------------