Hi all,

last week-end I played a very interesting game against GM Lev Gutman. I came out of the opening with the advantage and missed a chance to transpose into a won endgame. After that Lev took the upper hand and won a rook endgame. The opening was as follow: 

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 Bf5!? 4.0-0 e6 5.d3 Be7 6.c3 Nbd7 7.Qb3 

When I got back home I checked this opening moves on my database and I saw that GM Gutman is a specialist of strange Reti-like openings. The more I looked at his openings (he has been playing 1.Nf3 for 30 years if not more), the more I like his repertoire as white.

For example it includes lines like:

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.0-0 0-0 5.d4 d6 6.a4!? With the idea of a5-a6 paving the way for the g2 bishop.

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.0-0 0-0 5.d4 d5!? 6.Bf4 followed by 7.Qc1 and either c2-c4 or Bf4-h6.

When black plays the d5-e6 pawn formation he simply plays c3-Qb3. Against slav pawn formations (c6-d5-e6 with the bishop still on c8) he also likes to play a4-a5.

If you have a look at his games you will find a lot of tricky and interesting systems (against 1...c5 for example, or e6-b6-c5)!

I gave it a try on the ICC and it gives very interesting games with very active play for white.

I wondered if you had any experience playing with or against those systems?