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Reti Opening (A05)
1 Nf3 Nf6

Number of games in database: 6538
Years covered: 1923 to 2025
Overall record:
   White wins 37.2%
   Black wins 24.8%
   Draws 38.1%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Gedeon Barcza  59 games
Levan Pantsulaia  53 games
Nenad Sulava  49 games
Joseph G Gallagher  18 games
Wolfgang Uhlmann  17 games
Ilia Smirin  15 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Tal vs Botvinnik, 1960
Nakamura vs Kramnik, 2012
Carlsen vs Vachier-Lagrave, 2015
Korchnoi vs Karpov, 1973
Petrosian vs Vasiukov, 1956
P Peelen vs Fedorowicz, 1990
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 page 1 of 262; games 1-25 of 6,538 
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Reti vs A Muffang  ½-½411923MargateA05 Reti Opening
2. K Skalicka vs D Reca  0-1451924Paris Unofficial OlympiadA05 Reti Opening
3. Reti vs Yates ½-½661926SemmeringA05 Reti Opening
4. Santasiere vs H Steiner 1-0721931New York InternationalA05 Reti Opening
5. B Hoenlinger vs H Mueller  ½-½261937Trebitsch Memorial 1937/38A05 Reti Opening
6. Pirc vs Golombek 1-0211939Hastings 1938/39A05 Reti Opening
7. J Pelikan vs B H Villegas  1-0551942Mar del PlataA05 Reti Opening
8. Barcza vs L Rellstab  0-1691942MunichA05 Reti Opening
9. F Zita vs J Sajtar  ½-½281943UJCS-17.KongressA05 Reti Opening
10. J Traian Iliesco vs Stahlberg  0-1591944Mar del PlataA05 Reti Opening
11. J Pelikan vs M Czerniak  ½-½401945Buenos Aires CirculoA05 Reti Opening
12. G Kramer vs T B Eckenrode  1-060194647th US OpenA05 Reti Opening
13. Barcza vs G Fuster  1-0561946Hungarian ChampionshipA05 Reti Opening
14. P Bidev vs Pirc  1-0581946Yugoslav ChampionshipA05 Reti Opening
15. A Pomar vs L Prins  0-1461947AvilesA05 Reti Opening
16. Kostic vs A Braunstein  ½-½411947Sofia BalkaniadA05 Reti Opening
17. Eliskases vs M E de Freitas 1-0401948Mar del PlataA05 Reti Opening
18. Eliskases vs F de Carvalho  1-0411948Sao PauloA05 Reti Opening
19. J Lokvenc vs G Abrahams  1-0771948Bad GasteinA05 Reti Opening
20. Szabo vs Kotov  ½-½311948Saltsjobaden InterzonalA05 Reti Opening
21. J de Souza Mendes vs J Gondim  1-0411948Brazilian ChampionshipA05 Reti Opening
22. L Tavares da Silva vs N Dantas 1-0441949Brazilian ChampionshipA05 Reti Opening
23. Benko vs Simagin  ½-½201949Budapest-MoscowA05 Reti Opening
24. Barcza vs Geller ½-½1001950Przepiorka MemorialA05 Reti Opening
25. H Kramer vs J Barendregt  ½-½361950Dutch ChampionshipA05 Reti Opening
 page 1 of 262; games 1-25 of 6,538 
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
Jul-05-04  rochade18: 1...Nf6 is the most comfortable reply to 1.Nf3. It often becomes Queen's gambit (or an Indian game) after 2.d4 and an English system after 2.c4 or a real Reti.

1...c5 is absolutely ok if you have no problems with 2.e4 (Sicilian!)

1...d5 is wonderful if you love to play against 2.c4

Jun-24-05  AgentRgent: This may be the finest game I've ever played! (Now having said that, I hope I didn't miss an obvious tactic or something!)

[White "AgentRgent"]
[Black "Someone Else"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 d5 3. cxd5 Nxd5 4. b3 Bg4 5. Bb2 Nc6 6. d3 Nf6 7. Nbd2 g6 8. g3 Bg7 9. Bg2 O-O 10. O-O Nd5 11. Bxg7 Kxg7 12. Nc4 Nb6 13. Nce5 Bxf3 14. Nxf3 e5 15. Qc2 Qe7 16. a3 Rfd8 17. b4 a6 18. Nd2 Nd4 19. Qd1 c6 20. Ne4 Nd7 21. e3 Nb5 22. Qb3 f5 23. Nd2 Nf6 24. Nc4 e4 25. d4 Nd5 26. Rfc1 Nd6 27. Ne5 Nf7 28. Nc4 Rac8 29. Rab1 Nd6 30. Ne5 Nf7 31. Nc4 Qe6 32. a4 Rc7 33. Nb6 Qe7 34. Nxd5 cxd5 35. Rc5 Rxc5 36. bxc5 Rd7 37. Qb6 Nd8 38. Bf1 Qe6 39. a5 Qxb6 40. axb6 Nc6 41. Be2 Kf7 42. Bd1 Ke7 43. h4 Kd8 44. h5 Na5 45. hxg6 hxg6 46. Ba4 Nc6 47. Kg2 g5 48. Rh1 Rg7 49. Rh8+ Kd7 50. Rb8 Ke6 51. Bxc6 bxc6 52. Ra8 f4 53. Rxa6 f3+ 54. Kg1 Rb7 55. Ra7 Rb8 56. Rc7 g4 57. Rxc6+ Kf5 58. Rd6 1-0

I think Karpov and Petrosian would be proud...

Jun-24-05  e4Newman: Nice one <AgentRgent>. Good display of piece power. I still rely on my pawns too much. Your finest game ever, eh? How so?
Jun-25-05  AgentRgent: <e4Newman> Perhaps I overstated a little, but I tend to enjoy games that are positional squeezes a la Karpov/Petrosian much more than combinational wizardry a la Tal/Kasparov. I just loved way I generated the pawn formation, the circuitous route of the Rook and Bishop in the endgame, and the final inexorable pawn munching of the white rook to end the game.
Sep-28-05  who: I never understood 1.Nf3 you allow black to choose the opening and what do you get in return. If 1...Nf6 you are limited to an English or QG, which you could get anyway by opening with c4 (I guess you stop 1.c4 e5), d4, and if 1...Nc6 you can choose between a Ruy Lopez or QGD-Chigorin and if d5 or c5 etc.
Sep-28-05  suenteus po 147: <who> Though I don't play the Reti myself, I have played against numerous people who have and I find that they love it because black DOESN'T get to determine what opening to play against you. Usually if it's 1.e4 or 1.d4 they have a sicilian or an indian defense prepared. This opening forces black to transpose into lines you are familiar with to avoid poor development. That's why I always play uncommon responses to Reti's opening, because it's the only way I know to avoid white's transpositions into familiar lines.
Sep-28-05  who: You can still play an indian defense against the Reti - to the best of my knowledge.
Sep-28-05  AgentRgent: <who: I never understood 1.Nf3 you allow black to choose the opening and what do you get in return.> No more so than if you play 1. e4, where black gets to choose from among 1...e5, Sicilian, French, Caro-Kann, Scandinavian, Alekhine, Modern, etc.

<If 1...Nf6 you are limited to an English or QG,> or a Reti, KIA, Nimzo-Larsen, etc. <which you could get anyway by opening with c4 (I guess you stop 1.c4 e5), d4,> Stopping or hindering 1...e5 for black is no small thing! <and if 1...Nc6 you can choose between a Ruy Lopez or QGD-Chigorin and if d5 or c5 etc.> The idea behind 1. Nf3 is to develop actively while still maintaining flexibility to react to various plans by Black. White has the "advantage" due to moving first, that need not mean he must "spend" that advantage on move 1.

Sep-28-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  Joshka: <AgentRGent> Wonderful game!, like your style indeed. Good example of how to choke an opponent;-)
Mar-01-07  chatkf: <AgentRGent> Thanks for the lecon
Jul-29-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <AgentRgent> I realize I am a couple of years late, but I came to this page because of the Reti debate on the GMT page. Nice game, indeed. 50. Rb8 was a beautiful move!

I think 47. Bxc6 bc 48. b7 would also have won, but maybe I am missing something.

Dec-24-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Phony Benoni: Looks like a lot of ECO recoding has been going on: at this time last year, A05 had over 2700 games! The percentages have not changed very much, however.

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