1. a3

most worst, fascinating 

i have played a3 in blitz games for about a month and it's not too bad. h3 is worse.

still, though, i think the worst opening is 1 h4.

I disagree, in fact it can be a useful move to throw in when trying to play a black opening 'up a tempo'.

I'd rather play it than something weaknening my kingside, f4, g4 etc.

Not that I've ever played anything but e4.

The 1. f3 (or f4) 2. g4 would be the worst opening for white.

i prefer a3 e5 c4 which is a pretty legitimate (reversed) sicilian. i think a3 d5 is more challenging, but i still like 2 c4 too...

i have played it a few times in OTB standerd, when i'm white and i want to be black but with a pawn move already.

1.a3 followed by 2.b4 is not bad

Or 1. a3 c5 2. e4 is the same as 1. e4 c5 2. a3 obviously.

Fun game

It's actually a handy way to end up in a reverse Sicilian or some other reverse opening in which a3 is a handy move. It's named Anderssen's Opening after the guy Morphy played in 1858 for what is now considered to be an unofficial WCH match. What makes it any more idiotic than 1.a4 (Ware Opening) 1.Na3 (Durkin's Opening) 1.Nc3 (Dunst Opening) 1.f3 (Barnes Opening) etc etc?

So I gather your opening expertise includes being able to name all 5 major classes of openings and all of the major openings that aren't idiotic? And the most important variations as well ie SD Najdorf Variation, Dragon Var, Rossolimo Var FD Exchange Var, MacCutcheon Var, Winawer Var etc etc?

The Creepy Crawly Opening is even worse (white's first two moves are a3 and h3). Although maybe I shouldn't criticise this, because its creator is a better player than I will ever be.

Nc3 is actually called the Van Geet Opening, and it actually develops a piece

1.a3 is probably in the top 50% of the first legal moves. It is just a transpositional trick.

It is certainly not very ambitious, but it's far from being pointless, and it has some idea behind it.

1.h3, 1.h4, 1.a4, 1.f3 and 1.c3 are all worse without much discussion. I would say 1.b4 and 1.g4 are worse too (I will get trolled for that), and I really dunno about 1.Na3 and 1.Nh3 compared to 1.a3.

Nh3, Na3 both have f3 and c3, or g3 Nf4, b3 Nc4 etc. and at least you have made yourself a game plan in bullet/blitz, in standard time control I only see this when the executioner has a over a 200 elo lead over his opponent. I reckon Na6 in some variations of caro-kann/modern defence is even standard.

Carlsen played a3 three times in 2010, twice in blitz and once in blindfold. He won, drew, and lost one game each.

The plan being to develop a knight in three moves instead of one to reach an inferior square. But of course, in bullet, it gives you the next three moves to play without thinking, so it wins time which is the only important factor.

1.a3 can transpose to "real" openings, and that's the whole idea of it - not 2.b4 crap or that kind of stuff.

i agrre its one of the worst moves to open with