A mistake
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.a3 first oprion?????
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3. a3 is not particularly ambitious, but is fine. Usually people prefer to play 2. a3, anyway.
Keep clicking through the games as normal and it is fine. The third move is having a bit of trouble. It's a glitch.
It can't be good. Either your opponent:
1. doesn't know theory
2. doesn't like those openings and prefers to play unusually
3. mouseslipped.
After the natural 3... Nf6 4. Nc3, it transposes into the Gunsberg Variation of the Four Knights Game; 4... g6 (of course followed by fianchettoing) seems statistically the best response, in fact White is an underdog at this point because of the tempo wasted on 3. a3.
chesswar1000 wrote:
It can't be good. Either your opponent:
1. doesn't know theory
2. doesn't like those openings and prefers to play unusually
3. mouseslipped.
Hey I resent that! I play 3. a3 on occasion. 
Gordon1962 wrote:
chesswar1000 wrote:
It can't be good. Either your opponent:
1. doesn't know theory
2. doesn't like those openings and prefers to play unusually
3. mouseslipped.
Hey I resent that! I play 3. a3 on occasion.
3.a3 and what does this move offers????Are yoou kidding me??I play either 3.Bb5 or 3.d4!!I also respect Bc4 and let's say Nc3 and c3 are ok..but, a3???
DrSpudnik wrote:
oprion?
*option!
clunney wrote:
3. a3 is not particularly ambitious, but is fine. Usually people prefer to play 2. a3, anyway.
why i need explanations!!!so useless!
coon74 wrote:
After the natural 3... Nf6 4. Nc3, it transposes into the Gunsberg Variation of the Four Knights Game; 4... g6 (of course followed by fianchettoing) seems statistically the best response, in fact White is an underdog at this point because of the tempo wasted on 3. a3.
I am not talking about the old-fashiond quiet ,drawish Four-knights game (e4 e5 Nf3 Nc6 Nc3 Nf6) !!
JohnCh1234 wrote:
I 've recently seen an game explorer of the site that shows that after (probably) the most usual position in chess :
White's first option is 3.a3!!!!I usually play the Ruy Lopez or the Scotch and I am really shocked!What oppening is this and how it continues ?Is it good?I also see that after 1.e4 first option is a5????Whith immediately 500,000 games :http://www.chess.com/explorer/
Looks hacked to me.
It is a sensible option to me, even though I would not play it as White. The idea is to kick the Bishop out of c5 with b4 if Black develops it there.
If someone plays that against you, then think to yourself - take the centre I think 3...Nf6 makes sense intending 4...d5 then White is playing the scotch with colours reversed, thus nearly proving the 3.a3 is a waste of time.
Alphabetical order.
Oraoradeki wrote:
It is a sensible option to me, even though I would not play it as White. The idea is to kick the Bishop out of c5 with b4 if Black develops it there.
Are you sure? Seems a weakening and timewasting use of two moves when the bishop can just drop back to a better square anyway.
The bishop can bounce back to b6 as said above. I guess Gunsberg's idea was to prevent the Bb4 pin after the d-pawn advance.
Though generally the Four Knights Game is drawish, after 3. a3 it becomes less drawish and very advantageous to Black, who now has essentially an extra move. Attacking the centre by 4... d5 makes sense too, especially for a beginner, and crushes as well.
2. a3 is less playable vs 1... e5 than vs the Sicilian (with the idea of b2-b4); fwiw, among exotic Anti-Sicilians, the Wing Gambit 2. b4 is slightly better than the cautious 2. a3, though also subpar, while the Snyder Variation 2. b3 is a competent sharp line successfully used by a Georgian GM Tamaz Gelashvili.
Jun 23, 2014
0
#18
As black, I would be thinking about calling it a Vienna with 3....f5. Not sure if whites a3 will prove useful there or not.
3.a3 is not an ambitious move, but it's perfectly playable.
3...f5 is not the best way to prove a2-a3 useless: 4.d4 fe4 5.Nxe5 Nf6 6.Bc4! d5 7.Bb5 Bd7 8.c4, when compared to the Vienna the extra move a2-a3 is very useful (prevents something jumping to b4).
3...Nf6 is quite OK: 4.Nf3 d5 (I don't really understand the suggestion of 4...g6: in that case a2-a3 is very useful after 5.Bc4, and 5.Nxe5!?- a much improved Haloween gambit, since ...g6 does not allow a Black knight jumping there - is also very interesting) 5.Bb5!? is the best way to make a3 useful- still Black can equalize with a little care. The best is probably 5...Nxe4 6.Qe2 (6.Nxe5 does not lose, as is the case without a pawn on a3, but still isn't good) 6...Nxc3 7.Qxe5+ Qe7 (7...Be7 is a try for advantage, although after 8.Qxc3 0-0 9.Bxc6 bxc6 10.Qxc6 the extra move a2-a3 is useful, again) 8.dxc3 Bd7, when a few games have been played (a couple of them between GM's) and Black seems to hold the balance without much trouble.
Most likely Black's best is 3...Bc5. Now 4.b4 (actually the idea of a2-a3, positionally speaking is NOT hitting the Bishop!) 4...Bb6 is very comfortably equal, while 4.Nxe5 is actually a tiny bit worse than the position with the pawn on a2: 4...Qh4 5.Nd3 Qxe4+ (not 5...Bb6 6.Nc3, when the Dracula can't come out- the b4 square is not available) 6.Qe2 Qxe2+ 7.Bxe2 Bb6, when covering the d4 square with say c2-c3 leaves some white-squared weaknesses on the queenside.
I 've recently seen an game explorer of the site that shows that after (probably) the most usual position in chess :
White's first option is 3.a3!!!!I usually play the Ruy Lopez or the Scotch and I am really shocked!What oppening is this and how it continues ?Is it good?I also see that after 1.e4 first option is a5????Whith immediately 500,000 games :http://www.chess.com/explorer/