(1) Basic Reti - Explication 4 [A14]

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 A very solid answer, although it gives white a chance to accomplish one fundamental goal of the Reti, to trade the c-pawn for the d-pawn. White generally prefers to leave the c8-bishop imprisoned behind the pawn wall.

3.g3 White continues with his long range plans.

3...Nf6 The most natural developing move, reinforcing d5. [ 3...dxc4 Giving up the center - white easily regains the pawn with a better game. 4.Qa4+ Nd7 5.Qxc4 Similar to positions we've seen before, except that black has invested an extra move in ...e6.]

4.Bg2 White has no reason to deviate from normal moves.

4...Be7 A solid developing move. Now black is ready to castle. [ 4...dxc4 Black has yet another opportunity to surrender the center. As long as the check is available on a4, white should have no trouble meeting this move. He comes out ahead in development and in the center. 5.Qa4+ The standard maneuver. 5...Nbd7 6.Qxc4 c5 7.0-0 b6 Opening b7 immediately for the c8-bishop. ( 7...a6 Postponing the development of the c8-bishop to gain queenside space by harrassing white's queen. 8.Qb3 Moving to safety and keeping an eye on both the center and the queenside. Possible, but less active, is 8. Qc2. 8...Rb8 Removing the rook from discovered attack along the a8-h1 diagonal and supporting an eventual ...b6/...Bb7. 9.d3 Opening a line for the c1-bishop and controlling e4. 9...Bd6 Bringing the bishop to an active central diagonal. 10.Nc3 White's development continues normally. 10...b6 Getting ready for ...Bb7. 11.Ng5 This knight wants to relocate to e4. The threat of Nxe6/...fxe6/Qxe6+/Qxd6 gains a tempo. This kind of pressure is one of the reasons white chose Qb3 over Qc2 earlier in the game. 11...Bc7 Damping the threat to e6. 12.Be3 Now white's bishops cut a wide swath through black's position. 12...h6 Black decides to evict the knight. 13.Nge4 White's pieces are beautifully centralized. 13...0-0 White's slight lead in development is less important than his impressive centralization. 14.Rad1 Another centralizing move. 14...Ng4 Black invest a move in driving the white bishop back from e3. 15.Bc1 Now that the rook is out, this square is as good as any. The bishop still has a strong influence on the kingside, and black will have to invest another move in relocating his g4-knight. 15...Qe7 White's pieces are more active than black's, but both sides are solid. White is better.) 8.Nc3 White continues his development. 8...Bb7 Black has successfully opposed the bishop on the long diagonal, but at the cost of his center. 9.e4 White finally stakes a claim in the center, retaining more space and more active pieces. 9...Rc8 Lining his rook up with white's queen on what is likely to become an open file after d4. 10.b3 Giving the bishop access to b2 and helping restrain black's queenside pawns. 10...a6 Planning to push ...b5. 11.Qe2 Otherwise black wins the e-pawn with ...b5/...b4/N-moves/...Nxe5. 11...b5 Black is now threatening ...c4 to complete his queenside expansion. 12.d3 Reinforcing e4 and preventing ...c4. 12...Bd6 White has more space and his pieces are freer. White's weakness is his backward d-pawn on an open file, but black has no effective way to get at the d3-square because of white's central monopoly.]

5.0-0 White's kingside is now fully consolidated, and black still has to solve the problem of his c8-bishop.

5...0-0 Both sides are castled with solid positions.

6.b3 With the check at a4 no longer available, it's time for white to protect the c-pawn. This move, of course, also opens b2 for the bishop.

6...c5 Now black has established a big center. White has to play carefully not to let him consolidate into an advantage.

7.Bb2 Taking the long diagonal. In spite of black's broad pawn center, white has a lot of say in the center, at least on the dark squares.

7...Nc6 A normal developing move, making full use of c6. [ 7...b6 Black decides to solve the problem of his c8-bishop. 8.e3 Controlling d4 and opening a square for his queen from which it can influence the center and the queenside. 8...Bb7 The fight for the center may have been postponed, but it's hardly less intense now that it's under way. Black brings another long range artillery piece to bear on the problem. 9.Qe2 From here the queen can support an eventual e4 push at the same time she keeps an eye on the queenside. The move also connects white's rooks after the knight comes out. 9...Nbd7 Black continues his development without blocking the long diagonal. 10.d3 White intends to play e4, using the pawn at d3 as a springboard. 10...Qc7 Connecting the rooks and keeping an eye on e5. 11.Nc3 Pressure on d5 is important, so white plays the knight to the more aggressive c3-square. 11...Rac8 In case white plays d4 and the c-file opens. 12.Rac1 For the same reason, threatening perhaps to use the veiled threat against the black queen to play cxd5/d4. 12...Qb8 Removing the queen from danger. 13.Rfd1 Centralizing white's last undeveloped piece. 13...Rfd8 Black also finishes his development. 14.e4 Finally white hits back in the center. 14...dxe4 15.dxe4 A sound position for both sides, white has a little more space and more actively posted pieces.]

8.d3 White prepares to fight for his share of the light squares in the center with e4. If he succeeds, his dark-square control should give him an advantage.

8...d4 Black tries to plug the long diagonal and neutralize the b2-bishop. He realized that it was impossible to prevent e4. By advancing right away, black keeps the option of following e4 with ...e5, freeing his problem bishop.

9.e4 e5 According to plan. Black has more space, but white has kept the advantage of the move. Black can be happy with activity of his pieces.

10.Ne1 Planning f4 to undermine the black center and perhaps open a file for the f1-rook. In either case, white also gains space on the kingside.

10...Ne8 Black wants to play ...f5.

11.f4 White fires his shot first.

11...exf4 Black gives up central squares, but he weakens the white kingside.

12.gxf4 f5 Now he fires back at the new white center. The game is double-edged.

13.e5 It's white's turn to plug the center, keeping the c8-bishop behind bars.

13...Nc7 With the pawn structure fixed, both sides will begin regrouping their pieces behind the lines, dispatching them to new posts.

14.Kh1 Clearing g1 for the rook - no sense letting a half-open file go to waste.

14...Kh8 Black wants his rook on g8 to support ...g5.

15.Bc1 From this square, the bishop joins the kingside wrestling match.

15...Bd7 Black finishes his development. The bishop has nowhere else to go.

16.Nd2 White hurries his remaining piece to the kingside.

16...Ne6 A great centralized square for the knight.

17.Ndf3 Rg8 A dangerous position for both sides since the kings are trapped on the main front. Both kings will be exposed if black shoves his kingside pawns forward.