Réti vs Bogoljubov (1924)
- White
- Richard Réti
- Black
- Efim Bogoljubov
- Event
- New York
- Year
- 1924
- Result
- 1–0
- Opening
- Réti / English Opening
24… Kh8
White to move. Black is a piece down and the rook on d8 looks safe — but Réti found a single quiet bishop move that wins on the spot. Can you find it? (Hint: no check needed.)
Why this game matters
New York, 1924. Richard Réti, the great hypermodern thinker, lets Bogoljubov build a broad pawn centre — then dismantles it from the wings with bishops and a fianchetto. The game won the first brilliancy prize and ends with one of the most elegant quiet moves in chess: 25.Be8.
The lesson
You don't have to occupy the centre to control it. Réti let Black build a big pawn front, then attacked it with pieces from the flanks until it collapsed. When the centre cracked open, his two bishops and rooks were already aimed at it — and the finish was a quiet bishop move, not a check.
Move by move
1. Nf31.Nf3 — Réti's calling card. He develops a piece and a fianchetto plan rather than grabbing the centre with a pawn. This is hypermodern chess: control the centre from a distance.
6. b36.b3 and the coming Bb2 aim the bishop down the long diagonal at Black's king and centre. Réti is building pressure, not a pawn wall.
10. Nxe410.Nxe4 dxe4 — Réti happily trades into a structure where Black's e4-pawn is overextended and his light-squared bishop is hemmed in.
12. f312.f3! The hypermodern strike. After Black weakened his centre, Réti pries the closed position open precisely where Black is weakest.
15. e415.e4 — White finally pushes a centre pawn, but only now, when his pieces are ready to exploit the open lines it creates.
17. Qc217.Qc2 — a double attack on Black's two centre pawns. The pressure Réti built from the wings is now decisive.
19. Bh519.Bh5! The first move of an exactly calculated combination that wins material by force.
22. Qxf522.Qxf5 — the dust settles and White has won a clean piece. But the prettiest part is still to come.
23. Rf123.Rf1 — bringing the last piece to bear. Black has no defence to the threats down the f-file and the long diagonal.
24. Bf7+24.Bf7+ drives the king into the corner, setting up the famous finish.
25. Be825.Be8! — a stunning quiet move. The bishop calmly steps back and Black is lost: any capture loses the bishop or the rook, with mate threats remaining. Bogoljubov resigned. First brilliancy prize.
Frequently asked
What makes this a 'hypermodern' game?
Réti never built a classical pawn centre. He developed his pieces and fianchettoed his bishop to control the centre from a distance, let Black overextend with pawns, then broke the centre open with 12.f3 and attacked it with pieces. It's the textbook demonstration of hypermodern strategy.
Why is 25.Be8 so admired?
It's a quiet move — no check, no capture — in the middle of a sharp position, yet it wins instantly. Black can't deal with the threats and resigned. Quiet winning moves are far harder to find than flashy checks, which is why this one is famous.
Can I play the finish myself?
Yes — take the board as Réti and try to find the quiet 25.Be8, or step through the whole brilliancy move by move, right in your browser, no sign-up.
Similar games
Réti vs Alekhine (1925)
Richard Réti vs Alexander Alekhine · 1925 · Réti Opening
Replay & play ›Réti vs Tartakower (1910)
Richard Réti vs Savielly Tartakower · 1910 · Caro-Kann Defence
Replay & play ›Capablanca's Rook Endgame (1924)
José Raúl Capablanca vs Savielly Tartakower · 1924 · Dutch Defence
Replay & play ›Bogoljubov vs Alekhine (1922)
Efim Bogoljubov vs Alexander Alekhine · 1922 · Dutch Defence (Nimzo-Dutch)
Replay & play ›Want this on your own games? BetterChess puts a real engine inside Claude, so it finds the moves that actually decided the game instead of listing every inaccuracy.
BetterChess is a practice tool. We make no guarantee you'll reach 1800 or any rating. This is a historical game; the analysis is our own.
PRINTED CHESS PUZZLE CARDS
Chess puzzle playing card decks
54 poker-size cards in a tuck box. Puzzle on the front, solution on the back.
