A00 Irregular Openings (1.Nh3 d5)

Todays post involves an opening that I would not recommend to anyone. That is if you are wanting to play to win the game, then something else should be considered on move one. If you want to move that same knight, then f3 is much better square to develop it. When you play chess, you want to control as many squares as possible and especially the central squares e4, e5, d4 and d5. If you control the center, you control the game usually. When you develop the knight to h3 it has much more reduced influence on the game as it only controls four squares and on f3 it would control eight squares. As I looked this up, there is actually some theory on this move but of course very limited as the move is not that good or worth spending all that much time studying that move. 1.Nh3 may not be the worst move that you can play on move one but it is quite far up the list. Tomorrow I will share another game with an offbeat opening that in some ways is better than this opening I share with you now. I updated the mate in one, two, three and four pages today.

[Event "Corr game 3.5.2004-14.5.2004"] [Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"] [Date "2004.05.03"] [Round "?"] [White "2redsportscars"] [Black "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A00"] [WhiteElo "843"] [BlackElo "1849"] [Annotator "Stockfish 8 64 POPCNT (30s), TV"] [PlyCount "72"] [EventDate "2004.??.??"] 1. Nh3 {Amar Opening} d5 {A00 Irregular Openings} 2. Nf4 (2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 c6 4. c4 e5 5. O-O Be7 6. f4 e4 7. f5 O-O 8. cxd5 cxd5 9. d4 Nc6 10. Nc3 b5 11. a3 a5 12. Bg5 Ng4 13. e3 Bxg5 14. Qxg4 Bxe3+ 15. Kh1 Ra6 16. Nf4 Bxf4 {Max-Marin, M (2515) Badalona 1993 0-1}) (2. g3 e5 3. f4 Bxh3 4. Bxh3 exf4 5. O-O fxg3 6. hxg3 {Amar Opening: Gent Gambit.}) 2... e5 3. Nxd5 $2 $146 (3. Nd3 Nc6 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c4 dxc4 6. Nxb4 Nxb4 7. Qa4+ Nc6 8. e3 Bd7 (8... Be6 9. Bxc4 Qh4 10. d4 Bxc4 11. Qxc4 exd4 12. O-O Nge7 13. Nd2 O-O 14. Nf3 Qg4 15. exd4 Nf5 16. h3 Qg6 17. d5 Nd6 18. Qh4 Na5 19. Ne5 Qe4 20. Qg3 Qxd5 21. Nd7 Ne4 22. Qxc7 Rfd8 23. Ne5 {Backlin,T-Fromm,T Taby 1991 0-1}) 9. Ba3 Nge7 10. Qc2 O-O 11. Bxc4 Bf5 12. d3 a6 13. e4 Bg6 14. h4 h6 15. h5 Bh7 16. Rh3 b5 17. Bd5 Nxd5 {Backelin, T-Nilsson, L Vaxjo 1992 1-0 (63)}) (3. Nh5 Bg4 (3... c5 4. d3 Bg4 5. Ng3 Nf6 6. Nd2 Nc6 7. b3 Be7 8. Bb2 Qc7 9. h3 Be6 10. e4 Rd8 11. Qf3 Nd4 12. Bxd4 cxd4 13. Nf5 Bxf5 14. Qxf5 Bb4 15. Rd1 O-O 16. Be2 Qxc2 17. f3 Qxa2 18. Qxe5 {Backelin, T-Hultin, P Vaxjo 1992 0-1 (59)}) 4. e3 Bxd1 5. Kxd1 Nf6 6. Bd3 Nxh5 7. h3 Nc6 8. c3 Qg5 9. Bb5 Qxg2 10. Re1 Qxf2 11. Rh1 Qf3+ 12. Ke1 Qxh1+ 13. Ke2 Ng3+ 14. Kd3 Qe4# {0-1 (14) Rosa,V-Comp Shredder 7,A Vicente Lopez 2003}) (3. Nd3 $142 Bd6 4. e3 $17) 3... Qxd5 $19 4. e3 Nf6 5. Bb5+ (5. Nc3 Qd6 6. Be2 $19) 5... Qxb5 6. Nc3 Qc4 7. Ne2 (7. d3 {doesn't do any good} Qh4 $19) 7... c5 8. O-O Qg4 9. g3 (9. f3 {does not improve anything} Qd7 $19) 9... Nc6 10. c3 (10. f3 { there is nothing else anyway} Qg6 11. d3 $19) 10... Qf3 11. Nd4 Qxd1 (11... exd4 $6 {is impossible} 12. Qxf3 dxe3 13. Qe2 $17) (11... Nxd4 {is a weaker possibility} 12. exd4 Qxd1 13. Rxd1 exd4 14. h4 $19) 12. Rxd1 cxd4 13. exd4 exd4 14. d3 Bd6 15. Re1+ Be6 16. Bd2 O-O 17. c4 Bb4 (17... Ne5 {keeps an even firmer grip} 18. Rxe5 Bxe5 19. Bg5 $19) 18. Bxb4 Nxb4 19. Rad1 Nxa2 20. Ra1 Nb4 21. Re5 Nxd3 22. Rg5 Nxb2 23. Re1 Nxc4 (23... d3 $142 {and Black can already relax} 24. Ra1 d2 $19) 24. h4 d3 25. Rd1 d2 26. h5 Bg4 27. h6 (27. Rb1 { does not save the day} Rfe8 28. Kg2 Re1 29. Rgb5 Rc1 30. Kh2 d1=Q 31. Rxc1 Qxc1 32. Rg5 Qxg5 33. f4 Qxh5+ 34. Kg1 Bf3 35. g4 Nxg4 36. f5 Qh1#) 27... Bxd1 28. hxg7 (28. Rxg7+ {does not help much} Kh8 29. Kh2 Bf3 30. g4 Ne4 31. g5 d1=Q 32. Rxh7+ Kxh7 33. g6+ Kxh6 34. g7 Qh1#) 28... Rfe8 (28... Bf3 29. g4 d1=Q+ 30. Kh2 Qh1+ 31. Kg3 Qg2+ 32. Kf4 Nd5+ 33. Rxd5 Qxg4#) 29. Rf5 (29. Kg2 {cannot change destiny} Bg4 30. Rf5 d1=Q 31. Rxf6 Qd5+ 32. Kh2 Qh5+ 33. Kg1 Re1+ 34. Kg2 Qh3#) 29... Kxg7 (29... Bg4 30. Rxf6 d1=Q+ 31. Kg2 Re1 32. Rf4 Qd5+ 33. Re4 Qxe4+ 34. f3 Qe2#) 30. Rf4 (30. Kh2 {doesn't get the cat off the tree} Bg4 31. Rg5+ Kf8 32. Kg2 d1=Q 33. Rxg4 Nxg4 34. Kh3 Nxf2+ 35. Kg2 Ne3+ 36. Kh2 Qh1#) 30... Bb3 ( 30... Bf3 31. Rxf3 d1=Q+ 32. Kg2 Nd2 33. Rxf6 Kxf6 34. g4 Qxg4+ 35. Kh2 Re1 36. f3 Nxf3#) 31. g4 (31. Rd4 {does not solve anything} Rad8 32. Rf4 d1=Q+ 33. Kg2 Re1 34. g4 Rg1+ 35. Kh3 Rh1+ 36. Kg2 Qg1+ 37. Kf3 Bd1#) 31... d1=Q+ 32. Kg2 ( 32. Kh2 {hardly improves anything} Re4 33. Rxe4 Nxe4 34. f3 Qxf3 35. g5 Qg3+ 36. Kh1 Nf2#) 32... Re1 33. g5 (33. Rxc4 {does not win a prize} Bxc4 34. f3 Rg1+ 35. Kh3 Qxf3+ 36. Kh4 Rxg4#) 33... Rg1+ 34. Kh3 Qh5+ 35. Rh4 Qf3+ 36. Kh2 Rh1# 0-1 [Event "rated blitz match"] [Site "Free Internet Chess Server"] [Date "2009.02.19"] [Round "?"] [White "Makou"] [Black "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A00"] [WhiteElo "1320"] [BlackElo "1541"] [Annotator "Tactical Analysis 2.10 (30s)"] [PlyCount "73"] [EventDate "2009.??.??"] 1. Nh3 d5 {A00 Irregular Openings} 2. Na3 (2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 c6 (3... e5 4. d3 Bc5 5. O-O O-O 6. Nc3 Bg4 7. Kh1 h6 8. f3 Bxh3 9. Bxh3 Nc6 10. e4 dxe4 11. fxe4 Nh7 12. Nd5 Ne7 13. Nxe7+ Bxe7 14. Qh5 Bg5 15. Bxg5 Qxg5 16. Qxg5 Nxg5 17. Bg4 Rad8 18. Rad1 {Llaneza Vega,J-Fernandez Palacio,E Spain 1997 1/2-1/2 (45)}) 4. c4 e5 5. O-O Be7 6. f4 e4 7. f5 O-O 8. cxd5 cxd5 9. d4 Nc6 10. Nc3 b5 11. a3 a5 12. Bg5 Ng4 13. e3 Bxg5 14. Qxg4 Bxe3+ 15. Kh1 Ra6 16. Nf4 Bxf4 {Max-Marin,M (2515) Badalona 1993 0-1}) 2... e5 3. e3 $146 (3. b3 c5 4. Bb2 Nc6 5. Nb5 a6 6. Nc3 Nf6 7. e3 Bd6 8. Bd3 e4 9. Be2 d4 10. exd4 cxd4 11. Nb1 O-O 12. c3 d3 13. Bf1 Re8 14. f3 exf3+ 15. Kf2 Ng4+ 16. Kg1 Bc5+ 17. Nf2 Bxf2# {Jones,L-Randall, P Detroit 1991 0-1}) 3... c5 4. Qh5 Nc6 5. Ng5 Qf6 $2 {0.95/27} ({Better is} 5... g6 $19 {-4.73/22} 6. Qf3 Qxg5 7. Qxd5 Nf6) 6. Nxh7 $16 Qe7 {[#]} 7. Nf6+ $1 Nxf6 {1.32/22} (7... Qxf6 $14 {0.56/28} 8. Qxh8 Nge7) 8. Qxh8 {White is clearly better.} Bf5 {1.74/24} (8... a6 $16 {0.85/24}) 9. Qh4 $18 O-O-O { 1.94/24} (9... Qe6 $16 {1.13/25 might work better.} 10. f3 O-O-O) 10. Qa4 $2 { -1.26/26} ({White should try} 10. f3 $18 {1.94/24}) 10... d4 $2 {1.72/23} ( 10... c4 $17 {-1.26/26 and life is bright.}) 11. Bb5 Qd6 $2 {3.85/24} (11... Bd7 $16 {1.37/25} 12. O-O a6) 12. Bxc6 bxc6 13. Qxa7 dxe3 14. Qa6+ Kd7 { If only Black now had time for ...exf2+....} 15. Qb7+ {2.07/27} (15. fxe3 $142 {4.62/22 Strongly threatening 0-0.} Ke8 16. O-O) 15... Ke8 16. Nc4 $4 {-10.59/ 26} (16. fxe3 $18 {2.78/26} Be6 17. b3) 16... exf2+ $19 17. Kxf2 Qd4+ 18. Ne3 Ne4+ $2 {0.00/30} ({Black should play} 18... Ng4+ $19 {-8.19/25} 19. Ke1 Nxe3 20. Qxc6+ Bd7 21. dxe3 Qb4+ 22. c3 Qh4+ 23. g3 Bxc6 24. gxh4 Bxh1) 19. Kf3 $2 { -10.46/27} (19. Ke2 $11 {0.00/30}) 19... Bd7 $2 {-0.43/27} (19... Nxd2+ $19 { -10.46/27} 20. Bxd2 e4+ 21. Kf2 Qxd2+ 22. Kf1 Qxe3 23. Qxc6+ Bd7) 20. c3 $2 { -5.13/26} (20. d3 $15 {-0.43/27} Ng5+ 21. Ke2) 20... Qd3 21. Qb3 {-#6/42 [#]} ( 21. Re1 $19 {-4.76/26} f5 22. Qb3) 21... f5 $2 {0.91/27} (21... Bg4+ $1 { -#6/42 mates} 22. Kxg4 Qe2+ 23. Kf5 Nd6+ 24. Kxe5 Qh5+ 25. Kf4 g5+ 26. Kg3 Ne4# ) 22. c4 $2 {-13.02/25} (22. Qc2 $16 {0.91/27} Ng5+ 23. Kf2 Ne4+ 24. Ke1 Qxc2 25. Nxc2) 22... Ng5+ $2 {-1.69/31} (22... Nxd2+ {-13.02/25} 23. Bxd2 e4+ 24. Kf2 Qxd2+ 25. Kf1 f4) 23. Kf2 Qe4 {Black has strong compensation.} 24. d3 Qf4+ $2 {0.00/28} (24... Nh3+ $17 {-1.58/22} 25. Ke1 Qh4+ 26. g3 Qh7) 25. Ke2 $2 { -2.04/27} (25. Kg1 $11 {0.00/28 and White has nothing to worry.}) 25... Qd4 $4 {2.04/24 [#]} (25... e4 $19 {-2.04/27 aiming for ...Be6.} 26. Nc2 Qg4+ 27. Kf1 Be6) 26. Rf1 $2 {-1.41/24} ({Only move:} 26. Qc3 $1 $18 {2.04/24}) 26... f4 { -0.62/25} (26... Qh4 $17 {-1.41/24} 27. Qc3 Bd6) 27. Nd1 $2 {-2.42/25} (27. Qc3 $1 $15 {-0.62/25} fxe3 28. Bxe3 Bg4+ 29. Kf2 Qxc3 30. bxc3) 27... Bg4+ 28. Ke1 Qxd3 $4 {4.93/29} (28... Be7 $19 {-2.32/27 and all is fine. And now ...e4 would win.} 29. Nf2 Bf5) 29. Qxd3 $18 Rxd3 30. Nf2 $1 Rd4 {8.07/25} (30... Bf5 $142 {4.72/27} 31. Nxd3 Bxd3) 31. Nxg4 Ne4 32. Nxe5 Bd6 33. Nxc6 Rxc4 34. Bxf4 Bxf4 35. Rxf4 Kd7 36. Ne5+ Ke6 37. Nxc4 {Accuracy: White = 22%, Black = 18%.} 1-0