Réti Opening, Advance Variation, Michel Gambit

Réti Opening

Definition

The Réti Opening is a hyper-modern chess opening that begins with 1. Nf3 and usually continues 1…d5 2. c4. Rather than occupying the center with pawns straight away, White invites Black to build a broad pawn center and then undermines it with flank pressure and piece play.

Key Ideas & Typical Plans

Control of the center from a distance with pieces and wing pawns.
Flexible transposition possibilities into the English Opening (after 1…c5 or …e6), Queen’s Gambit (after d4 c4 structures), or Catalan-type positions with g3 and Bg2.
Early fianchetto of one or both bishops (g3, Bg2; sometimes b3, Bb2).
Undermining Black’s center with cxd5, d4 or e4 at the right moment.

Strategic & Historical Significance

Named after the Czechoslovak grandmaster Richard Réti, the opening embodies the hyper-modern school’s belief that central occupation with pawns isn’t obligatory. Réti famously used the line to defeat World Champion José Raúl Capablanca at New York 1924, ending the Cuban’s 8-year unbeaten streak. Modern élite players—including Magnus Carlsen, Vladimir Kramnik and Hikaru Nakamura—regularly adopt the Réti as a low-theory, high-flexibility option.

Illustrative Games

Réti vs Capablanca, New York 1924 [[Pgn| Nf3|d5| c4|c6| g3|Nf6| Bg2|g6| b3|Bg7| Bb2|O-O| O-O|dxc4|arrows|g2c6|squares|d5 ]]
Réti dismantles Capablanca’s center and converts a queen-side pawn majority in the endgame.
Carlsen vs Anand, World Championship 2014 (Game 10) – Carlsen uses a Réti move-order to steer the game into a favorable endgame and retain his title.

Interesting Facts

Because 1. Nf3 is non-committal, the Réti can transpose into almost any Queen’s-pawn opening, making it a potent surprise weapon.
In database statistics, the line scores roughly 55 % for White—slightly above average for first-move choices.
Richard Réti set a world record for blindfold play (29 boards) in São Paulo 1925, illustrating the deep strategic vision behind his eponymous opening.

Advance Variation

Definition

An Advance Variation appears in several openings when one side pushes a central pawn one square farther than is usual in the main line, gaining space but fixing the pawn structure. The most famous instances are:

French Defence: 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5
Caro-Kann Defence: 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5
Alekhine Defence: 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5

How It Is Used

Space Gain: The advanced pawn cramps the opponent’s minor pieces (e.g., in the French, the pawn on e5 restricts …Nf6).
Fixed Targets: The pawn itself can become a long-term object of attack (Black often challenges it with …c5 and …f6).
Clear Plans: The locked center steers the game toward wing play—White attacks on the kingside; Black counters on the queenside.

Strategic Themes (French Example)

White strives for f4–f5, g4, and sometimes h4–h5 to break through on the kingside.
Black hits the d4 pawn with …c5, pressuring d4 and forcing concessions before organizing …f6.
Minor-piece exchanges often favor the side with less space (usually Black), so White tries to keep pieces on.

Illustrative Game

[[Pgn| e4|e6| d4|d5| e5|c5| c3|Nc6| Nf3|Qb6| Be2|cxd4| cxd4|Nh6| Nc3|Nf5| Na4|Bb4+|arrows|d5c4|squares|e5 |fen|rnbqk2r/pp3ppp/1qn3..]]

Short vs Timman, Tilburg 1991, is a classic example where White gradually broke through on the kingside after maintaining the space advantage granted by 3. e5.

Interesting Facts

World Champions from Botvinnik to Carlsen have employed the French Advance with both colors, underscoring its double-edged nature.
In the Caro-Kann Advance, Nigel Short popularized the piece-sacrifice line 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nc3 e6 5.g4!? in the 1990s.
Avoiding early theory: many club players prefer Advance systems because they cut out a swath of well-analysed main lines.

Michel Gambit

Definition

The Michel Gambit is a daring counter-gambit for Black in the French Defence, Advance Variation. Its most common move-order is:

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 6. Bd3 cxd4 7. cxd4 7…Nxd4!? 8. Nxd4 Qxd4

Black sacrifices a knight for two pawns and an initiative against White’s exposed king and undeveloped queenside.

Strategic & Practical Aims

Rapid development with …Bd7, …Qxe5 and …Bc5, harassing White’s king.
If White missteps, Black’s queen and bishop battery can generate mating threats on f2.
In practical play the surprise value often outweighs objective soundness; engines give White ≈ +1, but the line is tricky over the board.

Historical Notes

The gambit is named after the 19^th-century French player Jean-Louis Michel, who championed the idea in Paris coffee-house games. Although never embraced by world champions, it has surfaced in correspondence and rapid events, notably Miagkov vs Kulaots, European Club Cup 2019, where Black equalised effortlessly.

Illustrative Line

[[Pgn| e4|e6| d4|d5| e5|c5| c3|Nc6| Nf3|Qb6| Bd3|cxd4| cxd4|Nxd4| Nxd4|Qxd4| Bb5+|Bd7| Bxd7+|Kxd7|arrows|d4d1|squares|e5,f2 ]]

Black has three pawns for the piece and open lines for rooks and the queen. Accurate defence should give White the advantage, but in practice many players falter under the pressure.

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

In informal blitz databases the Michel scores a respectable 45 % for Black—high for a piece gambit.
Mikhail Tal reportedly analysed the gambit during his youth, attracted by its “coffee-house sparkle.” He never employed it in serious play but kept it as a bullet-chess weapon.
Because 7…Nxd4 is illegal if White’s bishop had gone to e2 instead of d3, many theoreticians recommend 6. Be2!?, dodging the gambit entirely.