Réti Opening: Anglo-Slav Variation

What Is The Anglo-Slav Variation?

4.b3 answers the Slav wall Black has built. The c6 pawn defends d5, so the g2 bishop bites on granite and White stops fighting for d5 by force. b3 prepares Bb2 and props up c4, so ...dxc4 is met by bxc4, keeping the grip on d5 and a half-open b-file. This is not a slow system: White leaves every central pawn uncommitted and chooses d4, e4 or pure piece pressure only after Black commits.

Games turn on Black's c8 bishop. Get it to f5 or g4 before ...e6 and Black equalises comfortably. Leave it home and White presses with cxd5 and play on the c-file. White's break is e4, prepared by d3 and Nbd2. Once it lands, both bishops fire and d5 becomes the target.

How Do You Play Against The Réti Opening: Anglo-Slav Variation?

No data covers this position, so this is the plan. White has combined the Reti move order with b3, aiming both bishops at the long diagonals and declining to commit a single central pawn beyond c4.

A double fianchetto controls the centre from a distance and occupies none of it, so occupying it yourself is the direct refutation. Build with ...d5 and ...e6 or ...c6, get a pawn to e5 if you can, and the bishops that looked powerful will be staring at your pawns instead of through them. Do not drift into a symmetrical setup where White simply has more experience than you do.

What Do Players Choose At The Decision Point?

Move	Share		Games
Bg2	90%		90
cxd5	5%		5
b3	4%		4
e3	1%		1