Hello,

Recently I've stumbled upon some correspondence games wherein my opponent has used "unorthodox" or very uncommon openings.  I can't say the exact opening I'm up against - for that would be cheating - but what do you do when you see openings like: 1. e4 e5 2. Nh3 or playing against strange openings like 1. a4?  I never have an idea what principles to start upon to dictate the way I play against my opponent's who use these openings and take full advantage of their weaknesses.

Any insight would be appreciated.  Please do not use just the examples above that I gave, for that would not answer my question.

photray94

Yes, SolarPowered is right. Unorthadox openings are used to shake you up and get out of the book fast. So, you have to "play chess" early on in the game. If you're looking for practice with some openings like this, GNU chess is a great engine to practice against because it never plays book lines.

The mistake to make when facing flank openings/unorthodox openings, is to think that because they violate cherished principles they somehow should lose immediately. 

White has the first move... and the worst opening (f3 IMO) doesn't do anything too much worse than lose White's opening tempo... IOWs the worst white opening, is hardly worse than starting the game with Black!

In general a flank opening uses the hypermodern idea: "give em enough rope and they'll hang themselves." In this case, the rope is 'center' -- You are allowed to build up a center which the flank opening opponent hopes to use as a target.

Openings like a4 and h4 obviously make an early rook lift possible.

But the main thing to remember when you face these openings IMO is: you still have to play chess!  Flank openings _aren't_ horrible refutable always-losing openings, not even against when it's titled player vs. titled player. At the ordinary player level where inaccuracies abound... these openings are quite playable! 

For ideas of how to play, check out some games on the game explorer here. And go ahead and take the center. Your opponent thinks he's a hypermodern master? Ok. Prove it.

Playing slight devil's advocate here.  I usually say develop in a straight foward efficient manner etc.  But almost all unorthodox openings have method behind their madness.  They are not neutral, instead have lopsided strengths and weaknesses.

You have to perceive the thought behind them and then play the developing moves that respond to them, sort of a rock, paper, scissors game when you get to see what your opponent has first.

In your 1st example: