Irregular chess opening

Irregular openings are chess openings with an unusual or rare first move by White. These openings are:

• 1.a3 – Anderssen's Opening
• 1.a4 – Ware Opening
• 1.b4 – Sokolsky Opening, also known as Polish or Orangutan Opening
• 1.c3 – Saragossa Opening
• 1.d3 – Mieses Opening
• 1.e3 – Van 't Kruijs Opening
• 1.f3 – Barnes Opening, also known as Gedult's Opening
• 1.g4 – Grob's Attack
• 1.h3 – Clemenz Opening, or Basman's Attack
• 1.h4 – Desprez Opening, or Kadas Opening
• 1.Na3 – Durkin Opening, also known as Durkin's Attack or the Sodium Attack
• 1.Nc3 – Dunst Opening
• 1.Nh3 – Amar Opening, also known as Paris Opening

The above openings are all categorized under the ECO code A00. Openings that are not "irregular" comprise:

• 1.e4 – King's Pawn Game
• 1.d4 – Queen's Pawn Game
• 1.c4 – English Opening
• 1.Nf3 – Réti Opening or Zukertort Opening
• 1.f4 – Bird's Opening
• 1.g3 – Benko's Opening
• 1.b3 – Larsen's Opening

If White plays a regular opening and Black responds in an unconventional way, the opening is not categorized A00. For instance, 1.e4 a6 is classified as B00 (King's Pawn Game).

See also

• Open Game – 1.e4 e5
• Semi-Open Game – 1.e4 other
• Closed Game – 1.d4 d5
• Semi-Closed Game – 1.d4 other
• Flank opening – 1.c4, 1.Nf3, 1.f4, and others
• List of chess openings
• Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings

References

Because these openings are not popular with chess players, the standard opening references (see chess opening and Chess theory#Opening theory) do not cover them in detail.

• Schiller, Eric (2003). Unorthodox Chess Openings. Cardoza. ISBN 1-58042-072-9. 
• Benjamin, Joel; Schiller, Eric (1987). Unorthodox Openings. Macmillan Publishing Company. ISBN 0-02-016590-0. 
• Tamburro, Pete (August 2009). "A Brief Chess Opening Glossary". Chess Life for Kids: 8–9. 

External links

Wikibooks has a book on the topic of: Chess Opening Theory

• Unusual Openings
• Chess Archaeology: Openings classified under ECO A00