1.Nf3 is known as the Réti Opening, named after the Czech Grandmaster Richard Réti, one of the pioneers of the hypermodern school of chess.
Key Ideas Behind 1.Nf3 – Réti Opening:
- Flexibility: It doesn’t commit the center immediately, allowing the player to choose how to proceed based on the opponent’s setup.
- Control of e5: The knight develops actively and supports central control, especially of the important e5 square.
- Hypermodern Strategy: The idea is often to control the center from a distance with pieces rather than occupying it immediately with pawns.
- Can transpose into many other openings such as:
- Queen’s Gambit (after c4, d4)
- King’s Indian Attack
- English Opening (after c4)
- Catalan Opening
Typical Continuations:
- 1…d5 2.c4 – Réti with a Queen’s Gambit flavor.
- 1…Nf6 2.c4 – Can transpose into English or other Indian Game setups.
- 1…c5 2.c4 – Symmetrical English via Réti.