We consider the general Choquard equations $$ -Δu + u = (I_α\ast |u|^p) |u|^{p - 2} u $$ where $I_α$ is a Riesz potential. We construct minimal action odd solutions for $p \in (\frac{N + α}{N}, \frac{N + α}{N - 2})$ and minimal action nodal solutions for $p \in (2,\frac{N + α}{N - 2})$. We introduce a new minimax principle for least action nodal solutions and we develop new concentration-compactness lemmas for sign-changing Palais--Smale sequences. The nonlinear Schrödinger equation, which is the nonlocal counterpart of the Choquard equation, does not have such solutions.

23 pages, revised version with additional details and symmetry properties of odd solutions