Reti Osnos Introduction

Sort:
wormrose

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