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Chess Opening Theory/1. Nf3/1...d5/2. c4

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Réti Opening
a b c d e f g h
8a8 black rookb8 black knightc8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black knighth8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black pawnd7 black kinge7 black pawnf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6 black kingb6 black kingc6 black kingd6 black kinge6 black kingf6 black kingg6 black kingh6 black king6
5a5 black kingb5 black kingc5 black kingd5 black pawne5 black kingf5 black kingg5 black kingh5 black king5
4a4 black kingb4 black kingc4 white pawnd4 black kinge4 black kingf4 black kingg4 black kingh4 black king4
3a3 black kingb3 black kingc3 black kingd3 black kinge3 black kingf3 white knightg3 black kingh3 black king3
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 black kingd2 white pawne2 white pawnf2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 black kingh1 white rook1
a b c d e f g h
Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN)
Moves: 1. Nf3 d5 2. c4
ECO code: A04—A09
Parent: 1... d5

2. c4 - Réti Opening

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This opening is a hypermodern opening, which invites white's minor pieces to control the centre rather than their pawns. Here black has 4 options:

Defending the Pawn

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This can be done with moves such as 2... c6, or 2... e6, both of which generally transpose to the Queen's Gambit Declined or Slav Defense. However, white can deviate with 3. g3, leading the positions that resemble the Catalan Opening (or even transposing to the Catalan Opening, normally reached with 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3), or even 3. b3!?

Advancing the Pawn

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This gives black a spatial advantage in the center and a quite annoying pawn on d4 that controls c3 and e3, squares where the bishop and knight could have originally been developed to. From here, white challenges the pawn with e3, a3 (followed by b4), and b4, while black tries to hold onto the pawn with Nc6 and c5.

The most critical line in this variation is known as the Reversed Blumenfeld Gambit (similar to the Blumenfeld Countergambit played as black), going 3. e3 c5 4. b4 dxe3 5. fxe3 cxb4 6. d4, where black is up a pawn, but it's a weak pawn on b4, and white has central control and development to compensate for that. White is generally considered to get enough compensation for the pawn in this line and gets a ~52% score from it.

White can also choose to avoid this line and go for 3. g3, which leads to positions resembling the Alekhine Defense, where black has a huge spatial advantage in the center after 3... Nc6 4. Bg2 e5 5. O-O e4 6. Ne1, but the pawns are weak and white can attack them with moves like d3. This is best for people who want to follow the "hypermodern" opening ideal, where black follows the classical opening ideas, but white controls the center with pieces and targets the central pawns that black has.

Capturing the Pawn

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Capturing the pawn with 2... dxc4 isn't considered the best, but theory and practice has shown that black does just fine. This usually transposes into a Queen's Gambit Accepted line, which is usually fine for both sides. A sample line would be 3. e3 e6 4. Bxc4 c5 5. d4 Nf6, transposing to the Classical Defense of the Queen's Gambit Accepted.

Ignoring the threat

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Black can choose to ignore white's threat since black's Queen is defending the pawn and instead to develop a piece. The correct response is to capture black's pawn on d5. When black captures back with their Queen, white can develop their knight to c3 with tempo.

Theory table

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For explanation of theory tables, see theory table and for notation, see algebraic notation.

1. Nf3 d5

2 3 4 5
Queen's Gambit Accepted c4
dxc4
e3
e6
Bxc4
c5
d4
Nf6
=
Fedida Gambit ...
dxc4?!
b3
cxb3
Qxb3

e6

e4

Nf6

Reti Opening Mainline ...
d4
g3
Nc6
Bg2
e5
O-O
e4
Reversed Blumenfeld...

d4

e3

c5

b4

dxe3

fxe3

cxb4

English Opening ...
e6
g3
Nf6
Bg2
Be7

O-O

O-O

=
Slav ...
c6
d4

Nf6

Nc3

dxc4

a4

Bf5

=

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References

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  • Flank Openings, Bruno Carlier, Trends publications, 1990. No ISBN
  • Winning With The Reti Opening, Ken Smith John Hall, Chess Digest Inc., 1993, ISBN 0-87568-237-5