Assessment of the relative rates of the Diels-Alder reactions of the unsymmetrical diene 2- (trimethylsilyloxy)-1, 3-cyclohexadiene (1) and its 6, 6-and 5, 5-dimethyl analogs 2 and 3 indicated that with symmetrical, ethylenic dienophiles (para-benzoquinone, maleic anhydride and N-phenylmaleimide) the Diels-Alder reaction is almost synchronous, but with tetracyanoethylene and with diethyl acetylenedicarboxylate the addition is sufficiently ...