Fun fact this game was played in a castle, a really appropriate place for a kings gambit themed tournament

Top Ten Games Of Richard Réti- #6- Fearful Files

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Updated: Oct 24, 2022, 3:08 PM | 19

In 1908, the young 19-year-old Richard Réti played in one of his first tournaments. His ratings were bubbling just under 2300, and he was ranked #220 in the world. And although he was an extremely strong player, he was the lowest seeded person there.

His results were also the lowest in the tournament, where he scored 1.5/19 with 16 losses and three draws. He played the whole tournament "like a non-talented 12-year-old", getting tactically destroyed, and lacking a sense for defense.

After that humiliating tournament, he went away and played in little tournaments. His life plans were not chess at this moment, but rather to finish his doctoral thesis in mathematics. But regardless, he still decided to get a coach and study hard. Four years later, he signed up to play Abbiza 1912, which was a kings gambit accepted themed tournament. An opening that he had spent lots of time studying. His results were extraordinary compared to his 1908 horrors, scoring 11.5/21, and tying for third.

His games though were even more extraordinary. He got two games from that tournament featured in this miniseries, with many other wonders that didn't make the cut. But unfortunately, since this was a tournament that wasn't of much importance, around 1/3rd of the games played were not recorded, so they are lost forever. Enjoy the post!

The final standings of Abbazia 1912

Since all games started with the king's gambit accepted, it would have been common nature for all the players there to study the king's gambit accepted, and to figure out what lines they were going to play beforehand.

But then Réti played the romantic Muzio gambit, the most exciting line of the most exciting opening, which involves giving up a knight on move five to gain many destructive open files. His opponent, Alexander Flamberg, defended poorly against these attacks, giving Réti the clear advantage throughout the whole game. Sadly this line has lost its respect by today's GMs, but we can still look back at past Muzio gambits and awe in its magic.

The popularity of the Muzio gambit- around 1910 25% of games were the muzio, but now due to
the computer age, the number is just 0.10%

Explosives In The Opening

Réti opens the match with the simple development of the knight and bishop, while Flamberg focuses on taking the kingside with 3...g5, then with g6. At this point, both sides are focusing on attacking the kingside, but Réti with bishops and knights, and Flamberg with pawns.

It is leading up to be a tactical game, where both sides will have to be incredibly sharp to get a win, but then, white sacrifices a knight to have a big lead in development, and to gain terrifying attacks.

How fun. It is just move 5, and we have already witnessed a sacrifice.

Credit- me cause I am humorous- made on imgflip.com

Before taking the sacrificed knight, Flamberg plays 5...d4, Somehow complicating the position even more. But it can be disarmed by the capture of 6.exd5, and finally, Flamberg plays into Réti's gambit, with 6...gxf3 Even After the sacrificed knight, The position got even more increasingly devious. Both sides were rapidly developing, but Réti was developing pieces to attack, and Flamberg was developing pieces for defense.

But Flamberg's attempt at playing it safe, and developing for defense, is exactly what made him make the first blunder.

White had just moved the queen to e4, which was the first time of the game Réti cashed in his attacks that he gave up the knight for.

Flamberg offered a trade for queens, hoping to get rid of the main conductor in this attack. This backfired on him, because that led Réti to gain even more tempo. Réti developed his last knight, and in case of Qxe4, Nxe4, f4, Rxf4, and white would be very active with the pieces.

But now that all pieces are developed, we turn into the middlegame

Attack, Attack, Attack.

Despite all the chaos in the opening we saw, the game is close to equal. Blacks material advantage and whites attacks, even out in the end. Although, if you look at both sides of the board, it seems a little easier to be white at this moment. From blacks perspective, the open files look really scary, and hard to defend against. But in whites perspective, you are still down 2 points, and black can exchange a few pieces to make Flambergs play a not as hard.

Sad... Even after Flambergs blunder the engine still says it is almost drawn

Hoping to derail Réti's attack, Flamberg accepts the exchange of queens (11...Qxe4, 12.Nxe4,), and accepts the trade of bishops(12...bxf4, 13.Rxf4), but the attack goes on without the queen or bishop, and is continued with the knight, having the rooks as support.

Not much had happened after the exchanged pieces, Flamberg gave up a pawn, for a tactic that didn't work, while Réti continued in a romantic style, and brought his last rook into the attack, which is the position in the thumbnail, because those open files look terrifying.

Flamberg made a few scary threats at this part, with a discovered fork with the knight bishop combo, but no side messed up enough to gain an advantage from this. And astonishingly, Réti still try's to attack his opponent, first with doubling up his rooks (17.Re5), then by "sacrificing" one of those rooks.
Although, white can easily regain the lost rook after Nxe5, Rxe5, (Rf8, Nf7+, Rxf7, and Rf8#), Knight fork on Nf7+!, and taking back the rook with Nxh8. And astonishingly, the match is still drawn, even though white looks so much better off!

And now that blacks kingside has no pieces left on it, Réti decides to push his h and g pawn to promotion

But right before the h-pawn becomes a queen, black sacrifices one of his only remaining pieces, taking the match into the endgame.

The game is already won, but after playing a near perfect opening and middlegame, Réti makes his first blunder in the early endgame, taking the match into a drawn position.

Thanks for the detailed explanation on why this move is a blunder... thanks

And after a few moves of Flamberg randomly moving the knight around, Réti creates a safe path to promotion for his passed pawn, which wins the game.

Not nearly a perfect game- but what can you say. It started off with a sacrifice, and being able to make a winning position out of the muzio is pretty difficult.

Top Ten Games Of Réti

Top Ten Games Of Richard Réti- #6- Fearful Files

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