Welcome to my Réti Opening game (ECO A09) with Okie901  page!

On this page I have posted one my chess games in which I played the White side of the Réti Opening . The game includes analysis and diagrams. This is the eighth game that I finished at Stan's Net Chess. My rating at this became 2080 after this win. Okie901 dropped to 2038 after this game. This is the first game against Okie901 that I have completed. I won the second one on forfeit and may post it on this site.

[Event "Game 233154"]
[Site "Stan's NetChess"]
[Date "2004.02.11"]
[Round "?"]
[White "mserovey"]
[Black "okie901"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Qa4+ Nc6 4. Qxc4 Nf6 5. g3 e6 6. Bg2 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 8.
d3 Bd7 9. Bg5 Rc8 10. Nbd2 h6 11. Bxf6 Qxf6 12. Ne4 Qe7 13. a3 Ne5 14. Nxe5 Bxe5
15. Rab1 Bc6 16. b4 f5 17. Nc5 Bxg2 18. Kxg2 Rf6 19. Nxb7 Rg6 20. f4 Bd6 21.
Nxd6 Qxd6 22. Qc5 Qd5+ 23. Qxd5 exd5 24. Rbc1 h5 25. Rc5 c6 26. Rfc1 Re6 27. Kf3
Rce8 28. R1c2 Re3+ 29. Kf2 h4 30. Rxc6 hxg3+ 31. hxg3 R3e7 32. Rc8 Rxc8 33.
Rxc8+ Kf7 34. Rc5 Rd7 35. b5 Ke6 36. d4 Rb7 37. a4 g6 38. Rc6+ Kf7 39. Rd6 1-0

Correspondence Game
Stan's Net Chess
Game played: 11 February 2004 to 9 March 2004
White: Mike Serovey (2080-P8) Black: Okie901 (2038)

Back when I first started playing this opening in the 1970's many of my opponents would capture on c4. Lately, most don't. White has 3 logical responses here. First is 3. Qa4+ to recapture the pawn. The second is 3. e3 also to recapture the pawn and the third is 3. Na3 with the same idea. I nearly always play the Queen to a4 with check because it is what I played in the past and the only continuation that I can remember. I intend to look at some games with the other continuations because I don't like moving my Queen out this early and I lose time if I have to move it yet again.

3. Qa4+ Nc6 4. Qxc4 Nf6 5. g3 e6 6. Bg2 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 8. d3 Bd7

White is now lagging behind in development but Black never took advantage of this fact. White quickly catches up, though.

9. Bg5 Rc8 10. Nbd2 h6

White has completed his minor piece development and is OK with trading off on f6. Shortly, White will get his queenside attack going.

11. Bxf6 Qxf6 12. Ne4 Qe7 13. a3 Ne5

One of the problems with playing the Queen out early is that it becomes a target. Capturing on e5 with the White Knight allows Black to put his Bishop on the long diagonal that goes from a1 to h8. However, moving the White Queen didn't seem like a good idea at the time.

14. Nxe5 Bxe5 15. Rab1 Bc6 16. b4 f5?

At this point Black has the bishop pair versus the Knight and Bishop. For some reason Black wanted to trade off the light-squared bishops and weakened his kingside pawn structure in order to make the trade. White now has a better pawn structure and we have White's kingside pawn majority versus Black's queenside pawn majority. At this point in the game I have to say that White is slightly better.

17. Nc5 Bxg2 18. Kxg2

Black's earlier f5 move forced the White Knight to a better square and left the pawn on e6 under protected. In the diagramed position Black has two pawns hanging and cannot save them both. Black chose to give up the pawn on b7 thus losing his queenside pawn majority and creating three pawn islands. The isolated queenside pawns will be harder to defend now.

Rf6 19. Nxb7 Rg6 20. f4 Bd6 21. Nxd6 Qxd6

If Black had played 21... cxd6 then 22. Qxc8+! White now decided to trade queens in order to take some of the pressure off f4.

22. Qc5 Qd5+ 23. Qxd5 exd5

White's pawn structure is still better than Black's and White is up a pawn. White's pawn at e2 is now backwards and can become a target for Black to attack. However, that pawn is easily defended. Black has a backward pawn at c7 that is not so easily defended.

24. Rbc1 h5 25. Rc5 c6 26. Rfc1 Re6

Black is now simultaneously protecting his pawn at c6 and attacking the White pawn at e2. White needs to protect that pawn first and then he can play Rxd5! winning a pawn.

27. Kf3 Rce8 28. R1c2 Re3+ 29. Kf2 h4

If White captures on h4 then 30... Rh3 creates problems for White. White here decided to capture the free pawn at c6 and to let Black either capture on g3 or push his pawn to h3. Either way, White is now up two pawns.

30. Rxc6 hxg3+ 31. hxg3 R3e7 32. Rc8 Rxc8 33. Rxc8+ Kf7

White is now up two pawns and has the queenside pawn majority. Black has isolated pawns at a7 and d5. Both of these pawns can become targets. If White succeeds in trading the remaining rooks he has an easy win here.

34. Rc5 Rd7 35. b5 Ke6 36. d4 Rb7 37. a4 g6

White is better here because he is up two pawns and because he controls the c file and also has pressure on the pawn at d5. All Black can do is to try to defend his pawns. White's next two moves win the pawn at d5, forcing Black's resignation.

38. Rc6+ Kf7 39. Rd6 1-0

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