This opening move is rare because it does little or nothing for development or control of the center. In some cases White will be able to transpose the game to an opening where 1.a3 will have been useful, but using a tempo on such a move already on move one is premature. As Anderssen's Opening is rarely played, it is considered an irregular opening, so it is classified under the A00 code in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings.

This move is a loss of tempo. No serious player will play this way.

This opening is also called "passing move". Black decides what opening he uses, like he would be White.

Also, It could get tempo in endgames.

d-huang: ["what about if you moved the pawn 2 spaces then the knight can move and the rook is safe from a bishop?"]

1. a4, also know as Waren Opening. As you think it with common sense, it's awful move.

Try few times with it against here. You see that you lose more than with 1. a3

Don't think I'll use this one...

it's okay but more effective at a later stages.

a3 is actually very useful, because you can build a flank attack with b4 and c4, and stop a bishop from pinning a knight with Bb4, which, if you had a pawn on e4, would jeopardize white's advantage.

no center control ?

1. a3 is called the Anderssen Opening because it was used by Adolf Anderssen in 1858 against Paul Morphy. Although 1. a3 does nothing for development or center control, sometimes the game will transpose into an opening where a3 is a good move.

The most common replies are 1... d5, taking control of the center and freeing the queenside bishop, and 1.. g6 preparing a bishop fianchetto. 1... e5 is playable but not preferred as 2. c4 could turn the game into a reversed sicilian where the pawn on a3 is useful to have.

this is a horrible move first no developpement second those pawns should be ketp down the longest possible it not bad to do that it just can lead later in the game to weakness that why even went ther horse is attack by a bishop grandmaster ( or good player) dont move that pawn up it waste of a move and lead to weakness

No development; it probably isn't used by the masters very much!

I quite like this for white. Stops the black bishop moving to b4 later on and supports a queenside pawn push later starting with b4. It can also confuse opponents who rely too much on studying better known openings. On a site like chess.com, it can also give the impression to a naive opponent that you are a weak player, often leading them to drop their guard. I don't dispute that it is quite easy for black to achieve equality with white, but its perfectly playable I think.

what about if you moved the pawn 2 spaces then the knight can move and the rook is safe from a bishop

ok thanks

I'm new to chess, but don't understand the strategy.

no center control ?

new to game

Stops a bishop from getting the rook in that corner but otherwise just takes away a potential square in which the knight could move!!