Hullo!

In the beginning of learning about chess opening, one is usaly faced with tons of variants, with comentaries like "and black stands equal", or "with a better play for white"... In all that forrest on variation, the beginner can hardly see the plan and goals of the specific opening. So, my advice here is to make a descriptive opening plan.. I will start with the example of Reti opening (my favourite)

Reti opening (1. Nf3 d5 2. c4)
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This is the opening based on the hypermoder idea, where the center is controled by figures rather than pawns. Playing 1. Nf3 one starts the battle for the important e5 square. The c4 pawn controls the d5 square - prepairing the situation for a light-square bishop who is most likely to be in fianchetto. Preventing Black to play e5, White assures the long black diagonal - so fianchetto of the dark-square is mandatory. What usualy folows is b2-b3, Bc2-b2, d2-d3, Nb2-c3 (or Nb2-d2 as well), the development of the light-square bishop (either by fianchetto or otherwise, depending on the situation), development of the g1 knight (on f3 or e2) - finaly 0-0 (can be delayed until all the pieces are developed and the control of the center is gained). As a matter of pawns, there is usualy a nice option of playing strong e2-e4, since e4 square should be under strong control of the White. But the d-pawn is to be played first (d2-d3)! As for the Queen, the ideal and most common position is c2 (extra control of the e4 square). The Rook is usualy put on the d1 square (Rf1-d1) in order to gain control of the d-file, once the pawn structure is broken (Rook can be placed on the e-file as well, if you see that the e-file is to be opened in the future, but that is usualy not the case).

What can Black do against this powerful opening? The (only) answer is: to develop a light-square bishop as soon as possible. It could be by playing Bc8-f5 (Em. Lasker choice), or Bc8-g4 (suggested by Capablanca).

Example 1924, New York. Capablanca hasn't lost a game for 8 years. There is a mith that the man is invincible, and that the higher score agains him is draw. Reti is white. He serves his new-borned opening to the World Champion. Capablanca is confused and he playes Indian defense. Eventualy he loses... Great example of the book Reti opening, played by its inventor ( Richard Reti vs Jose Raul Capablanca (1924) "A Knight in Capablanca" ) Little histroy: the most stunning and suprising move was 15. e3 - not because of the move itself, but because with that move Reti revealed his ambition to play for a win. In that time, everyone would play 15. e4, lock the position and claim the draw - which was believed to be a maximum against Capablanca.




OK, I hope you got the picture. It would be nice if everyone would write something like this - no variants, just plans and the main idea. Take your favourite opening and go on...

What do you think of this section from Zuke Em?