Reti: Nimzowitsch-Larsen, 2...c5
Réti: Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack
Definition
The Réti: Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack (ECO A01) is a variation of the
Réti Opening that begins with
1. Nf3 and quickly follows with the queenside fianchetto 2. b3.
A typical move-order is:
By playing b3 White prepares to develop the bishop to b2, exerting
long-range pressure on the central dark squares e5 and d4 and keeping
the opening position flexible for multiple transpositions.
Strategic Ideas & Typical Plans
- Hypermodern central control: White allows Black to occupy the centre with pawns and intends to undermine it later with pieces and flank pawn breaks (c4, e4 or d4).
- Dark-square dominance: The fianchettoed bishop on b2 eyes the e5 and d4 squares, discouraging Black from overextending.
- Flexibility & transposition: Depending on Black’s set-up, White can steer the game into English, Catalan or Queen’s Indian–type structures.
- Rapid kingside safety: After g3 and Bg2 White can castle quickly, making it hard for Black to generate early threats.
Historical Background
• Richard Réti (1889-1929) championed 1.Nf3 as part of the
hypermodern revolution, proving that central occupation is not
obligatory for an opening advantage.
• Aron Nimzowitsch and later Danish grandmaster Bent Larsen refined
the idea of an early b3, using it as a surprise weapon against
classical defences. Larsen famously adopted 1.b3 so often that the
entire system bears his name.
• In modern practice the line has been employed by creative
top-level players such as Michael Adams, Baadur Jobava and even
Magnus Carlsen when he seeks an off-beat fight.
Illustrative Examples
-
Larsen vs Spassky, Belgrade 1970.
Larsen used the system to reach a complex middlegame but eventually fell to Spassky’s precise counterplay. The game popularised Black’s …c5 break on move 2 or 3. -
Adams vs Topalov, Dortmund 2005.
Adams demonstrated the potency of the dark-square strategy, rerouting his knight to e5 and winning after a kingside initiative.
Interesting Facts
- Because the early b3 can appear after either 1.Nf3 or 1.b3, opening databases sometimes double-count the system under both “Réti” and “Nimzo-Larsen”, leading to inflated statistics.
- Bent Larsen once began a Candidates’ match game with 1.b3 against Korchnoi, quipping, “Better a good surprise than a bad book position.”
- Engines at high depth give the line a respectable evaluation of ≈ +0.20, showing that it is strategically sound despite its off-beat reputation.
2…c5 (in the Réti: Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack)
Definition
The move 2…c5 is Black’s most
combative reaction to 1.Nf3 d5 2.b3, striking the centre from the
flank and challenging White’s hypermodern set-up immediately. The
critical position arises after:
It can also appear via 1.b3 e5 2.Bb2 c5, converging on similar
structures.
Strategic Purpose
- Space grab: By occupying c5 Black threatens to advance …d4 or trade on d4, gaining queenside space.
- Symmetry breaker: 2…c5 avoids passive lines like 2…Nf6 and steers the game into an active reversed-Sicilian structure.
- Piece development: The c5-pawn supports …Nc6 and sometimes …Bg7 (after …g6), harmonising Black’s piece placement.
Typical Plans
- For Black: Follow with …Nc6, …Nf6 and possibly …g6 heading for a Hedgehog-type set-up, or push …d4 when tactically justified to gain a space advantage.
- For White: Undermine the pawn chain with c4 or d4, exploit the long diagonal after Bb2, and orchestrate central pawn breaks e4 or d3-e4 to open lines for the bishops.
Historical & Practical Significance
The immediate …c5 was popularised by Boris Spassky in the late 1960s as a universal answer to flank openings. Modern grandmasters such as Levon Aronian and Ian Nepomniachtchi continue to include it in their repertoires, trusting the dynamic counterplay it grants Black.
Illustrative Game
Jobava vs Aronian, European Club Cup 2014
White: Baadur Jobava Black: Levon Aronian
Opening moves: 1.Nf3 d5 2.b3 c5 3.e3 Nc6 4.Bb5 Bd7 5.0-0 Nf6.
Aronian equalised comfortably and later launched a queenside minority
attack, showcasing Black’s strategic aims behind 2…c5.
Interesting Facts
- In several databases the move order 1.Nf3 d5 2.b3 c5 is assigned its own ECO code (A01/23) because of the wealth of independent theory arising after 3.e3 or 3.c4.
- Engines often approve of 2…c5 with an assessment close to 0.00, indicating Black’s immediate counter-blow nullifies White’s flank initiative.
- The line can transpose into a reverse Benoni if White plays d4 and Black responds with …cxd4, creating structures usually seen with colours reversed after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5.