The Réti Idea
Overview
Published in 1921, Réti's study is probably the most famous endgame composition ever. White looks lost: the king is outside the square of Black's runaway h-pawn, and Black's king will easily stop White's own c-pawn. The solution — Endgame composer Abram Gurvich called the theme the Hunt of Two Hares — has become a permanent part of chess thinking.
The study, move by move
White to play and draw. Every king move along the diagonal serves two goals at once: entering the square of the h-pawn and approaching the squares that support c7.
The only way to save the game — and the start of the famous diagonal: every step now serves two purposes.
The pawn runs (1...Kb6 transposes — Black must mind c7 either way).
One step closer to the pawn's square — and to d7, which supports c7.
Keeping an eye on c7 — and spending exactly the tempo the white king needs.
The amazing point: the king abandons the c-pawn — but now threatens BOTH to catch h4 and to shepherd c7.
Taking the pawn costs Black the decisive tempo; pushing through instead also ends in mutual promotions and a draw.
Inside the square of the h-pawn: 4...h3 5.Kg3 catches it. Draw.
The idea in your games
The Réti maneuver appears over the board whenever a king has two jobs: Lasker used it against Tarrasch, Yates against Marshall — and club players use it every week without knowing the name. The lesson generalizes far beyond pawn endings: when you cannot decide between two plans, look for the move that makes progress on both. A king step that improves your defense AND prepares your counterplay is usually the move.
Practice positions
Play each position out against the engine from the exact spot on the board — unrated, you take the strong side.
The study's critical position, one move before the draw: find the only square for the white king that stops the h-pawn (the move Réti played).
♞ Play vs engine