The Réti Opening begins with 1. ♘f3 followed by c2-c4. White does not occupy the center with pawns at once; the knight and the flank pawns attack it from the side, and the bishops are developed on the long diagonals. The opening is named after Richard Réti, a leading hypermodern player of the 1920s.
1. ♘f3 d5 2. c4
After 1. ♘f3 d5 2. c4 White offers a pawn exchange and attacks the d5-pawn. The position is related to the Queen's Gambit, but White has not yet committed the d-pawn, so the opening is flexible: White can later play d2-d4 and reach a Queen's Gambit or Catalan structure, or keep the pawn on d2 and play d2-d3 with a quieter setup, which is the King's Indian Attack covered in the last section. Black chooses between 2... e6, 2... d4, 2... c6 and 2... dxc4, and 2... ♞f6 usually transposes.
A typical development looks like this. White fianchettoes the king's bishop with g2-g3 and ♗g2, castles, and then prepares the queenside fianchetto with b2-b3. Black builds a solid setup with ... e6, ... ♞f6 and ... ♝e7, and castles.
1. ♘f3 d5 2. c4 e6 3. g3 ♞f6 4. ♗g2 ♝e7 5. O-O O-O 6. b3
White now has two bishops aimed at the center and the queenside, and the knight on f3 supports e5. Black has a solid structure and a choice of plans: 6... c5 to fight for the center, or 6... b6 to copy White's fianchetto.
The bishop on g2 presses against d5 and the queenside along the long diagonal, and the bishop on b2 presses against e5 and the kingside. White's setup is built around these two bishops. Black meets the pressure by supporting the center with pawns, by fianchettoing the bishop on b7, or by closing the diagonal with ... d4.
b2-b3 and ♗b2 are the usual way to develop the second bishop. White can also play a2-a4 and ♘c3, and the pawn on c4 gives the setup a Queen's Gambit character. Black can capture the pawn on c4, and White regains it with a lead in development.
White's central break is d2-d4, which turns the game into a Queen's Gambit or Catalan structure, or e2-e4 after d2-d3. c4-c5 gains space on the queenside. Black's breaks are ... c5, which attacks d4 and opens the c-file, ... e5, which claims the center, and ... d4, which gains space and cramps White.
After 2. c4 Black has several replies. 2... e6 supports the d5-pawn and keeps a solid structure. 2... d4 gains space, 2... c6 reaches a Slav-like setup, and 2... dxc4 takes the pawn. White regains it with 3. e3 and 4. ♗xc4, and develops quickly. White can also skip 2. c4 and play 2. g3, the King's Indian Attack.
1. ♘f3 d5 2. c4
Black supports the d5-pawn and keeps the structure solid. After 3. g3 ♞f6 4. ♗g2 ♝e7 5. O-O O-O 6. b3 White has completed the kingside setup and prepares ♗b2. Black can capture on c4 with 6... dxc4, but the main replies are 6... c5 and 6... b6.
1. ♘f3 d5 2. c4 e6 3. g3
Black fights for the center at once. After 6... c5 7. ♗b2 ♞c6 8. e3 b6 9. ♘c3 ♝b7 both sides have fianchettoed their bishops, and the tension in the center remains. White can open the center with cxd5 exd5 followed by d2-d4, reaching a structure with a good bishop on b2, or keep the tension and wait for Black to commit.
1. ♘f3 d5 2. c4 e6 3. g3 ♞f6 4. ♗g2 ♝e7 5. O-O O-O 6. b3 c5 7. ♗b2 ♞c6 8. e3 b6 9. ♘c3 ♝b7
Black's plan is to complete development and then break with ... d4, which gains space, or with ... dxc4, which opens the diagonal for the bishop on b7. White's plan is to keep the center under control and use the bishops on the long diagonals.
Black copies the fianchetto. After 6... b6 7. ♗b2 ♝b7 8. e3 ♞bd7 both sides have the same setup, and the position is balanced. The tension in the center remains, and the play revolves around d2-d4 for White and ... c5 for Black. White can also play 9. ♘c3 and 10. d3, keeping the position flexible.
1. ♘f3 d5 2. c4 e6 3. g3 ♞f6 4. ♗g2 ♝e7 5. O-O O-O 6. b3 b6 7. ♗b2 ♝b7 8. e3 ♞bd7
Black gains space and cramps White. The pawn on d4 restricts the knight on c3 and the bishop on c1, and White must undermine it at once. 3. e3 is the principal answer, preparing to capture on d4 and open the e-file.
1. ♘f3 d5 2. c4 d4 3. e3
After 3... ♞c6 4. exd4 ♞xd4 5. ♘xd4 ♛xd4 6. ♘c3 White has a lead in development, and the queen on d4 is exposed to ♘b5 and ♗e3. Black has several ways to continue: 6... ♛d8 retreats the queen, 6... ♞f6 develops a piece, and 6... e5 keeps the queen on d4 with support. White plays d2-d3 and develops the bishops.
1. ♘f3 d5 2. c4 d4 3. e3 ♞c6 4. exd4 ♞xd4 5. ♘xd4 ♛xd4 6. ♘c3
Black reaches a Slav-like setup and protects the d5-pawn with ... c6. White can play 3. b3, starting the queenside fianchetto at once. After 3... ♞f6 4. g3 ♝f5 5. ♗g2 e6 6. O-O ♞bd7 7. ♗b2 ♝e7 Black has developed the light-squared bishop outside the pawn chain, and White has both bishops on the long diagonals.
1. ♘f3 d5 2. c4 c6 3. b3 ♞f6 4. g3 ♝f5 5. ♗g2 e6 6. O-O ♞bd7 7. ♗b2 ♝e7
White can attack the bishop on f5 with ♘h4, and continue with d2-d3 and ♘bd2 to prepare e2-e4. Black has a solid position and plays ... h6 and ... ♜e8 to prepare the break ... e5.
Black takes the pawn and gives up the center for the moment. White regains it with 3. e3 ♞f6 4. ♗xc4 and develops with 5. O-O. After 4... e6 5. O-O c5 6. ♕e2 a6 7. d4 b5 8. ♗b3 ♝b7 the position resembles the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Black has space on the queenside and White has the center and pressure against f7.
1. ♘f3 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e3 ♞f6 4. ♗xc4 e6 5. O-O c5 6. ♕e2 a6 7. d4 b5 8. ♗b3 ♝b7
White's plan is to open the center with dxc5 or e3-e4 and use the bishop on b3. Black's plan is to complete development and use the extra space on the queenside.
1. ♘f3 d5 2. g3 aims for a fixed setup instead of a pawn exchange. White plays ♗g2, castles, and builds with d2-d3, ♘bd2 and e2-e4, whatever Black chooses. The setup resembles the King's Indian Defense with the colors reversed. White's plan is to advance e4-e5, bring the knight to e3 or g3, and attack the kingside with h2-h4, while Black plays on the queenside.
1. ♘f3 d5 2. g3
The usual moves are 2... ♞f6 3. ♗g2 e6 4. O-O ♝e7 5. d3 O-O 6. ♘bd2 c5 7. e4. Black develops the knight with 7... ♞c6, and White plays 8. ♖e1, supporting the pawn on e4 and preparing e4-e5. After 8... b5 9. e5 ♞d7 10. ♘f1 b4 the game becomes a race: White brings the knight to e3 or g3 and advances 11. h4 to attack the kingside, and Black expands on the queenside with ... b4 and ... a5.
1. ♘f3 d5 2. g3 ♞f6 3. ♗g2 e6 4. O-O ♝e7 5. d3 O-O 6. ♘bd2 c5 7. e4 ♞c6 8. ♖e1 b5 9. e5 ♞d7 10. ♘f1 b4 11. h4 a5
Black can release the tension with 7... dxe4 8. dxe4. The center opens and the pawn structure becomes symmetrical, and 8... ♛c7 9. c3 ♞c6 follows. White prepares the knight maneuver ♘c4 and the queen move ♕e2, and the long diagonal of the bishop on g2 stays closed by the pawn on e4. White has a small lead in space, and Black has a solid position.
1. ♘f3 d5 2. g3 ♞f6 3. ♗g2 e6 4. O-O ♝e7 5. d3 O-O 6. ♘bd2 c5 7. e4 dxe4 8. dxe4 ♛c7 9. c3 ♞c6
Black takes space in the center at once. After 3. ♗g2 ♞c6 4. O-O e5 5. d3 ♞f6 6. ♘bd2 ♝e7 7. e4 dxe4 8. dxe4 the center is open and the pawn structure is symmetrical, so Black is comfortable. If White plays 7. c3 O-O 8. e4, Black closes the center with 8... d4 and gains space. Black's setup with ... e5 is solid, and White has less to attack than in the main line.
1. ♘f3 d5 2. g3 c5 3. ♗g2 ♞c6 4. O-O e5 5. d3 ♞f6 6. ♘bd2 ♝e7 7. e4 dxe4 8. dxe4
Black develops the light-squared bishop before playing ... e6, so that it is not locked in behind the pawn chain. After 3. ♗g2 ♞d7 4. O-O e6 5. d3 ♞gf6 6. ♘bd2 ♝d6 7. e4 O-O White has the center, and the bishop on g4 pins the knight on f3. White can ask the bishop with h2-h3, and continues with c2-c3 and ♖e1.
1. ♘f3 d5 2. g3 ♝g4 3. ♗g2 ♞d7 4. O-O e6 5. d3 ♞gf6 6. ♘bd2 ♝d6 7. e4 O-O
Black develops the bishop outside the pawn chain before playing ... e6. After 3. ♗g2 e6 4. O-O ♞f6 5. d3 ♝e7 6. ♘bd2 O-O 7. ♖e1 h6 8. e4 the bishop retreats to h7, where it eyes the pawn on e4. White has the center and Black has a solid position without weaknesses, and White continues with c2-c3 and ♕c2 to prepare e4-e5.
1. ♘f3 d5 2. g3 ♝f5 3. ♗g2 e6 4. O-O ♞f6 5. d3 ♝e7 6. ♘bd2 O-O 7. ♖e1 h6 8. e4 ♝h7