GM Ioannis Papaioannou returns in September 2026 with the next stage of the From the Opening to the Endgame sequence — Must-Know Endgames in the Réti Opening.
In this edition of Strategy Wednesday, the focus shifts to an opening whose whole character points toward the endgame. The Réti does not seek an early knockout. White fianchettoes, keeps the centre fluid, declines to commit, and accumulates small advantages — a slightly better structure, a slightly better bishop, a slightly freer game.
Those advantages rarely decide the middlegame. They decide the endgame — and the player who knows how to convert them holds a lasting practical edge.
The Réti is celebrated for its flexibility and its strategic depth, but its games are frequently settled long after the opening phase ends. Strong players know that the same endgame structures arise across the Réti and Catalan formations, the symmetrical English positions, the Hedgehog and the Maróczy setups — and that mastering them transforms the practical value of the entire system.
The structural connection is concrete. The Réti's formations produce a recurring set of long-term features:
These features are not accidents of a particular game. They define whole classes of Réti endgames, for both colours, and they share the same evaluation criteria and the same technical procedures.
GM Papaioannou will guide you through the essence of these endgames. Why do certain Réti structures consistently favour one side? How do strong players steer the middlegame toward a favourable transition? And how do they convert small structural advantages into concrete results?
A central idea of this camp is learning to play endgames where the imbalances are minimal but durable. The endgames of the Réti are decided by precise technique applied to small structural edges — the pawn majority, the superior minor piece, the marginally healthier structure.
These edges do not win automatically. The training addresses exactly that gap, showing how technique, prophylaxis and accurate piece placement convert positions that look balanced on the surface.
Throughout the camp, you will see how the shared pawn structures dictate plans, how the strategic battle of the middlegame continues into the endgame, and how a small structural edge becomes a winning advantage with precise play.
This training will not only deepen your understanding of a critical phase of the game — it will significantly improve your ability to play accurate, high-level technical chess across the entire Réti complex.
Strategy Wednesday will take place over two Wednesdays — 09.09.2026 and 30.09.2026 — with two sessions per day. After each training day, participants will receive 10 test positions designed to reinforce the concepts introduced during the lectures. All positions will be included with solutions in the final PGN file.
All sessions are part of the Modern Chess Academy, meaning Academy members receive free access to the live lectures and to the complete digital product released afterward.
✓ Dates: 09.09.2026 and 30.09.2026
✓ Platform: Zoom
✓ Coach: GM Ioannis Papaioannou
09.09.2026 – Paris | New York
🕒 17:30 – 19:00 | 11:30 – 13:00 – Must-Know Endgames in the Réti Opening – Part 1
🕒 19:30 – 21:00 | 13:30 – 15:00 – Must-Know Endgames in the Réti Opening – Part 2
30.09.2026 – Paris | New York
🕒 17:30 – 19:00 | 11:30 – 13:00 – Must-Know Endgames in the Réti Opening – Part 3
🕒 19:30 – 21:00 | 13:30 – 15:00 – Must-Know Endgames in the Réti Opening – Part 4
🕒 21:00 – 21:30 | 15:00 – 15:30 – Q&A with GM Grigor Grigorov & GM Petar Arnaudov
This camp will help you master the art of technique, accuracy and strategic conversion — the essential qualities for turning the Réti Opening into full points.
This event is completed.
