Réti Opening
You play White · 28 variations
Mixed practice
The machine picks a different variation every time.
Take a quiz
10 positions: find the next theory move in each. No take-backs, no hints.
Main variations · 16
- Anglo-Slav VariationA141. Nf3 d5 2. c4 c6 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 e6 5. b3 Be7 6. Bb26 moves
- Anglo-Slav Variation, Bogoljubow Variation, Stonewall LineA141. Nf3 d5 2. c4 e6 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. O-O O-O 6. b3 c6 7. Bb27 moves
- Anglo-Slav Variation, with g3A111. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 c6 4. O-O Bf5 5. d3 h6 6. c4 e66 moves
- Anglo-Slav Variation, London Defensive SystemA121. c4 Nf6 2. g3 c6 3. Nf3 d5 4. b3 Bf5 5. Bg2 e6 6. Bb26 moves
- Anglo-Slav Variation, Torre SystemA121. c4 Nf6 2. g3 c6 3. Nf3 d5 4. b3 Bg4 5. Bg2 e6 6. Bb26 moves
- Anglo-Slav Variation, with g3A111. c4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 Bf5 5. O-O e6 6. d36 moves
- Anglo-Slav Variation, Gurevich SystemA111. c4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. b3 e55 moves
- Anglo-Slav Variation, Gurevich SystemA111. c4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. b3 Bd65 moves
- Anglo-Slav Variation, Capablanca VariationA121. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c6 3. b3 d5 4. Bb2 Bg4 5. e35 moves
- Anglo-Slav Variation, Capablanca VariationA121. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c6 3. b3 d5 4. Bb2 Bg4 5. d35 moves
- Anglo-Slav Variation, Gurevich SystemA111. c4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. Qc25 moves
- Anglo-Slav Variation, London Defensive SystemA121. c4 Nf6 2. g3 c6 3. Nf3 d5 4. b3 Bf5 5. Bb25 moves
- Anglo-Slav Variation, New York SystemA121. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c6 3. b3 d5 4. Bb2 Bf5 5. e35 moves
- Anglo-Slav Variation, New York SystemA121. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c6 3. b3 d5 4. Bb2 Bf5 5. d35 moves
- Anglo-Slav Variation, Torre SystemA121. c4 Nf6 2. g3 c6 3. Nf3 d5 4. b3 Bg4 5. Bb25 moves
- Double Fianchetto AttackA051. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. b3 Bg7 4. Bb2 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O6 moves
Other variations · 12
- Reversed GrünfeldA081. Nf3 d5 2. g3 c5 3. Bg2 Nc6 4. d4 Nf6 5. O-O5 moves
- Reversed GrünfeldA081. Nf3 d5 2. g3 c5 3. Bg2 Nc6 4. d4 e6 5. O-O5 moves
- Arctic Defense, Drunken Knight VariationA041. Nf3 f6 2. e4 Nh6 3. d4 Nf73 moves
- Lisitsyn Gambit DeferredA041. Nf3 f5 2. d3 Nf6 3. e43 moves
- Myers Polish AttackA051. Nf3 Nf6 2. a4 g6 3. b43 moves
- Pachman GambitA061. Nf3 d5 2. e3 c5 3. c4 dxc4 4. b34 moves
- Regina-Nu GambitA061. Nf3 d5 2. b3 c5 3. c4 dxc4 4. Nc34 moves
- Shabalov GambitA041. Nf3 e6 2. c4 a6 3. Nc3 c5 4. g3 b54 moves
- Speelsmet GambitA041. Nf3 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. e33 moves
- Tennison Gambit, Brigg's TrapA061. e4 d5 2. Nf3 dxe4 3. Ng5 Nf6 4. Nc3 Bf5 5. Qe2 Qd45 moves
- The WalrusA041. Nf3 e5 2. Nxe5 Nc6 3. Nxc6 dxc63 moves
- Wade Defense, Chigorin PlanA411. d4 d6 2. Nf3 Bg4 3. c4 Nd7 4. Qb3 Rb84 moves
What is the Réti Opening?
The Réti Opening is 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4. Named after Richard Réti, it is a hypermodern opening: instead of occupying the centre with pawns, White attacks Black's d5 pawn from the flank and controls the centre with pieces, usually with a kingside fianchetto and sometimes a double fianchetto with b3 and Bb2. The positions are flexible and positional, and the Réti is a fully mainstream choice that can transpose into the English Opening, the Queen's Gambit or the Catalan.
Main ideas and plans
Your typical set-up is g3, Bg2 and O-O, combined with either b3 and Bb2 or a later d4. The c4 pawn pressures d5, and your bishop on g2 adds pressure along the long diagonal. Black's most solid answer is the Anglo-Slav Variation, 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6, where Black supports d5 and can develop the bishop to f5 or g4 before ...e6. A classic way to meet it is the double fianchetto, 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.b3 Nf6 4.g3 Bf5 5.Bg2 e6 6.Bb2, followed by O-O, d3, Nbd2 and later e4 or a timely cxd5 to open the c-file. You can also play d4 and transpose to Slav or Catalan structures.
If Black gains space with 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4, you fight back with e3 or b4 and a fianchetto, often reaching a reversed Benoni structure in which your extra tempo counts. Against 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 dxc4, you regain the pawn with e3 and Bxc4, with Na3 and Nxc4, or with a queen check on a4. Black can also set up with ...e6 and ...Nf6 as in the Queen's Gambit Declined, after which you choose between a Catalan-style d4 and a quieter plan with b3. The many gambits and odd defences against the Réti are best met with calm development rather than greed.
Who is it for?
The Réti suits positional players who like flexibility, manoeuvring and understanding structures more than memorising forcing lines, and it fits well if you also play the English or the Catalan. Its downside is that Black can equalise comfortably with sound set-ups if you play automatically, and the many transpositions mean you need to know several pawn structures. First learn the plan against the Anglo-Slav set-up with the bishop on f5 or g4, and how to react to the space-gaining ...d4.