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Réti Opening

A hypermodern opening by Richard Réti: White controls the centre from a distance with the knight, c4 and fianchettoed bishops.

Intermediate · Flank openings · 13 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

Réti Opening (A13). You play White. A hypermodern opening by Richard Réti: White controls the centre from a distance with the knight, c4 and fianchettoed bishops.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.Nf3

White plays knight to f3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 10% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...d5

Black plays pawn to d5. It takes a centre square (d5). It opens a line for the bishop on c8. It opens a line for the queen on d8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 30% of 375k games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.c4

White plays pawn to c4. It controls the centre (d5). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It challenges the opponent's pawns. It offers a pawn (a gambit) to win time or the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 22% of 117k games.

Step 5

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...e6

Black plays pawn to e6. It controls the centre (d5). It opens a line for the queen on d8. It opens a line for the bishop on f8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 35% of 24k games.

Step 6

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.g3

White plays pawn to g3. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 44% of 19k games.

Step 7

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...Nf6

Black plays knight to f6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 66% of 8377 games.

Step 8

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.Bg2

White plays bishop to g2. It develops the bishop into the game. Fianchetto: the bishop aims along the long diagonal. Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 75% of 19k games.

Step 9

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...Be7

Black plays bishop to e7. It develops the bishop into the game. Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 53% of 23k games.

Step 10

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.O-O

White castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 82% of 13k games.

Step 11

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...O-O

Black castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 96% of 13k games.

Step 12

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.b3

White plays pawn to b3. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 50% of 13k games.

Step 13

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position

This is the main position of the Réti Opening. Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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More lessons in Flank openings

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