Reti for White Fundamental Structures after 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 + PGN June 9, 2026

Opening Builder – Réti for White: Fundamental Structures after 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3

The Third Step of a Long-Term Project

The Opening Builder – Réti for White: Fundamental Structures after 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 is the third part of our six-month Réti project. It continues the work started in the first course on the structures after 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 and the second course on the structures after 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3.

This part addresses what happens when Black goes for the most principled response with the bishop on g7 — the Grünfeld Defence and the King’s Indian Defence. These are two of the most popular and challenging black setups at every level, and they share a common feature: Black accepts a slightly cramped position in exchange for dynamic counterplay built on the long diagonal.

The material is based on the camp of the same name and is now transformed into a complete digital product. It includes full video recordings of all lectures, a structured PGN file that follows the logic of the training sessions, and additional model games and theoretical examples for further study.

The principle remains the same as in the previous courses: build understanding first, then add concrete preparation.

What This Course Teaches

The course covers the entire setup after:

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3

From here, Black has two principal ways to develop:

• The Grünfeld Defence with …d5
• The King’s Indian Defence with …Bg7 and …d6

For each of these, the course offers a complete repertoire built around a small number of central ideas, not long memorized variations. The goal is to reach positions where the plans are clear, the pawn structures are familiar, and the practical task is to outplay an opponent who is less prepared in the resulting structures.

Lecture 1 – The Anti-Grünfeld with 5.h4

The first lecture introduces our weapon against the Grünfeld Defence:

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.h4

This is a fresh and ambitious alternative to the heavily analysed mainlines. The idea is to force a queen exchange after 5…Bg7 6.e4 Nxc3 7.dxc3 Qxd1+ 8.Kxd1, reaching an endgame where White has a small but durable structural advantage: the pair of bishops, more space, and a long-term plan based on queenside expansion combined with the kingside threats from the h-pawn advance.

The lecture is built around the key pawn structures and Black’s main responses:

• Setups with the advance to h6 – where the pawn on h6 becomes a permanent strategic asset
• Queenside play with 8…b6 – when the b6-pawn becomes a hook for our queenside expansion
• Playing against the problematic dark-squared bishop – the typical handling when Black’s g7-bishop is restricted
• The pointless …Bg4 – why the bishop has no future on this square
• Reacting against …f7-f5 – with the standard exf5 break

The chapter on each structure presents the model games in a clear logical order: from the simplest practical handling to the deeper engine-approved lines.

Lecture 2 – Setups with …h5 and …h6

The second lecture covers Black’s main attempts to neutralise our 5.h4 advance:

The lecture covers Black’s main responses in turn:

• Setups with …h5 – kingside play, queenside play, and the typical endgames after the dark-squared bishop exchange
• Setups with …h5 and …f7-f6 – refuted by the e5 break and the Bxg6 idea
• Setups with …h5 and …Bg4 – where the bishop is even worse than usual because of the f4-f5 break
• Setups with …h6 – the more solid but still passive approach
• Setups with …h6 and …Bg4 – handled with the same plan as Lecture 1
• Early …Nxc3 – a different move order that transposes back to the same structural patterns

Combined with Lecture 1, these two move orders form a complete repertoire against every Grünfeld setup with …d5.

Lecture 3 – The King’s Indian with …e5: the Main Structures

The third lecture turns to the King’s Indian Defence:

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.g3 O-O 5.Bg2 d6 6.d4 Nbd7 7.O-O e5 8.e4

This is the most critical system Black has against our fianchetto setup. After 8.e4, the central tension favours White because we enjoy more space and a wide range of useful moves. At some point Black will have to make a concession with …exd4, and from that moment our task is to neutralise the counterplay and convert the structural advantage.

The lecture is organised around three fundamental pawn structures that arise after …exd4 is included:

• Structure 1 – …c6 with …exd4: the most important structure of the Fianchetto Variation, where White combines pressure on the d6-pawn with queenside expansion
• Structure 2 – pawn on c7: the kingside-active setup, where Black aims for …Nc5, …Bd7 and …Re8-e5-h5
• Structure 3 – …c6, …a6, …b5: Black’s queenside expansion, met with Qc2, Rd1 and the c4-c5 break

For each structure, the lecture provides a deep strategic overview supported by model games — including a careful selection of classical and modern examples featuring Kasparov, Akopian, Fressinet and many others.

Lecture 4 – Modern Setups and Other Black Tries

The final lecture completes the King’s Indian section by addressing all of Black’s other principal options:

• The Modern Setup with …b6 – a very interesting and very modern idea where Black fianchettoes both bishops; we examine the correct response that prevents Black’s tremendous counterplay
• Setups with …Nc6 and …c5 – Structure 4, the Benoni-style positions where Black plays on the queenside with …a6, …Rb8, …b5, and our response is built around the manoeuvre Nc3-e2-c1-d3
• Setups with …c7-c6 and …Bf5 or …Bg4 – a passive but extremely healthy approach recommended by many authors, met with the Bf4 setup from a recent Eljanov–Caruana game
• Setups with 6…c5 – with two main branches: the symmetric structure with cxd4 and the main line 7.O-O Nc6 8.dxc5 dxc5 9.Bf4

The chapter on each setup includes complete strategic explanations alongside high-level model games, ensuring that you understand both the typical plans and the concrete preparation needed.