1. Nf3

@ThrillerFan - I've been playing the Reti for quite some time, in tournaments, including games against masters.  We've been over this before, and it's clear your understanding of hypermodernism is patchy at best.  You're a fine player, and still better than me overall, but I've put my knowledge of the Reti Opening to the test to an extent that leaves no room for doubt.

You, of all people, should know that just because black's reply is symmetrical does not make it equivalent, nor does it equalize.  Petroff's Defense is a clear illustration of this, but even without the e-pawns deployed, the same holds true in the Reti.  White's tempo advantage means 1. Nf3 opens and supports certain options in the center, which 1. ...Nf6 does not reciprocate for black.

The move 1. ..Nf6 commits black to defend the center primarily from the kingside.  The Reti player can then make a strong play for space on the queenside (Reti v. Capablanca, New York 1924 remains a great illustration of this).  This is the essence of Reti's system - pawn commitments by black to the center are easily cleared away, while white builds attacking pressure through the center and against both flanks.  Games are often marked by long, complex exchanging sequences, and resolving central tension is usually bad.

If there were any gaps in my understanding of the Reti, doubtless the Experts and IMs I have played it against would have crushed me in the opening.  Black's first move, whatever it is, commits to something in the center.  There's no "Anti-Reti", as the basic premise of the opening (an open center) holds regardless of black's reply.  How that opening center is leveraged by white changes based on black's play, but it can't be closed by force.

Dsmith42, until you can say something intelligent, everything you say should be taken with a grain of salt, and even that is giving you too much credit!

You think MY understanding of hypermodern play is patchy at best?  So I guess all my years of playing the English, Reti, Double Fianchetto, Kings Indian Defense, Nimzo-Indian, and Queen's Indian means nothing, huh?  Sure, I do not play every hypermodern opening and defense out there (i.e. Alekhine), but for you to say that my understanding of hypermodern strategy is patchy at best when I clearly understand it better than you, clearly, is horsebleep coming from your mouth.

And nowhere did I say anything about a slight advantage or not for White.  All I said is 1...Nf6 is no more committal than 1.Nf3.  And for you to say that White maintains flexibility and Black does not would be like saying that a 5 year old boy can jump rope but a 5 year old girl cannot.

Case in point:  1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.O-O O-O.  NEITHER side has committed.  But now what do you do there White?  You are about out of non-committal moves!  You going to advance that c-pawn?  How about the d-pawn?  How about showing your hand of only going half way with the d-pawn to d3?  You going to play 5.Nc3?!, blocking your c-pawn just to say you did not make a committal move?

And nothing either says that 1.Nf3 Nf6 means I have to defend from the Kingside.  Where on earth did you get that from?

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.O-O e6 last time I looked sees Black doing absolutely nothing on the kingside, with moves like Be7, d6, a6, Nbd7, Qc7, etc coming, playing the hedgehog, a very common defense in the symmetrical English when Nf3 is played early (i.e. not 1.c4 c5 2.g3).

You are not going to ever get me to believe that I am going to be outsmarted by some 1400 twerp.  I wish you lived in the same city as myself.  We play a rated game over the board every Tuesday night.  I would tell them to put me as Black against you.  You would get CRUSHED!