Reti opening is 1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 (but is often misused to refer to simply 1. Nf3)
Van Geet is 1. Nc3 d5 2. e4 d4 3.Nce2 (intending 4.Ng3)
The nature of these openings are completely different. A simple difference is that the Reti typically leads to dry positional play, while in the Van Geet white plays for tricks on f7 and h7, and a quick attack on blacks king by e.g. playing Nf5. The Reti is completely sound but black is probably slightly better in the Van Geet after 3...e5 4.Ng3 Be6
Well one is the Van Geet which features 1. Nc3 the other is the Reti which features 1. Nf3.
Both are transpositional...
Van geet can transpose into things that feature Nc3 such as:
- Jobava or Veresov
- Normal french setup
- two knights caro-kann or main line caro-kann
- sicilian, a variety of closed or open lines
- vienna
- typical modern and pirc defenses
Reti I haven't played much but it often transposes into more typical d4 openings, or the KIA / some other Reti specific gambits and lines
A criticism I have of the Van Geet is it gives your opponent more options... they can pretty much choose whether to play a Jobava / Veresov or a more typical Sicilian. And tons of people play the Sicilian, so this is giving them an opportunity perhaps they wouldn't have if you played d4. But if they're an e4/e5 player... instead of transposing into the Vienna you can play the Napoleon attack (1. Nc3 e5 2. Nf3), which is quite strong. Depends alot on their actual repertoire... The best thing about it is really that there are some very unique lines you can play if you don't want to transpose into more mainline positions. But most of the mainline openings it transposes into are fun to play / pretty sound in their own right regardless. So it's a cool system.
Sicilian is probably the best response to it. But even against the Sicilian there's this odd line 1. Nc3 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. Qxd4 which scores equal but is just very strange. So there's alot you can do here.
For sure Van Geet will confuse some people.
But depending on the lines you choose vs. their repertoire you might put your opponent in a bind, that's the best case scenario... Like lets say your opponent plays some odd moves against e4 and d4 - like the Benoni or Englund gambit, plus e4/e5, or even the Scandinavian / Alekhines / Nimzowitsch defense... Or maybe they play the English defense / QID / Owens defense, etc. Or against the chigorin setup you notice they always play a rare sideline, etc. Something other than the lines Van Geet transposes to. Well in that case you're in luck...
You can take a french player who responds with 1... e6 into a Jobava-like position... as if they'd played the Horwitz defense. That's pretty good.
You can take this a step further and play a bunch of different Nc3 lines and adjust the line you play, whether it be a sideline or the main line, based on their repertoire. So if you see them play c4 but they don't play the sicilian... go ahead and play one. If they're a Jobava player... play 1. Nc3 d5 2. e4 instead.
It actually does look pretty promising to me but there's alot to it, it's a whole system based on Nc3. To play it well I think you should learn all sorts of different Nc3 based openings.
1 Nf3 is stronger than 1 Nc3, as it prepares O-O and as 1 Nf3 controls central squares e5 and d4, while on 1 Nc3 black can reply 1... d5.
The problem I have with 1. Nf3 is it is easily transposed into lines that your typical chess player has played thousands of times, and if you play the Reti to maximize your engine advantage this is what you'd end up doing. By this logic we shouldn't actually bother with the Reti either, we should all just always play the Ruy Lopez and Nimzo Indian / Queens Gambit... and looking at the numbers alot of people do adhere to that logic. I just will never believe that a .1 pawn difference in the opening is worth thousands of games worth of experience - which is perhaps why the Ruy Lopez has a significantly lower winrate than the Vienna - but to each their own.
@8
FM Bruno Dieu, do you recommend your own book as beautiful and wonderful?
I remember a friend of mine, I was playing black. He would play something like Nc6. It reminded me of the Reti opening (I dont play it a lot tho). Whats the difference between the two openings. Your opinion would be very appreciative.