Talk:Anderssen's Opening

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[edit] The pawn on a3 often proves useful

Of course it is true that it's "premature" to play a3 on move one; nevertheless, in my experience one gets full or near full value from 1.a3 in many or most cases, not in some (as stated in the article).

1.a3 e5 2.c4 transposes into a line which is quite reasonable for White.

1.a3 d5 2.d4 (or 2.Nf3 followed by e3 and d4) with the idea of playing a delayed Reversed Queen's Gambit Accepted with a full extra tempo.

1.a3 c5 2.c4 (2.e4 is of course also possible) and if Black plays closed then White plays as in the Symmetrical variation and the move 1.a3 has full value (as it prepares the thrust b4 following g3, Bg2, Nc3 and Rb1), whereas if Black plays open (i.e. ...Nf6 and ...d5) White is again playing a reversed system a full tempo up (by playing Nf3, cd: and e3).

Often White can play a Benoni a full tempo up.

1....g6 (as given in Nunn) is therefore logical; making use of 1.a3 is then problematic so far as I presently know (going into an English or a reversed King's Indian are reasonable ideas, but it's not even plausible that the move 1.a3 will necessarily prove useful).