Would You Play This???

"it is rarely played and hard to meet"

here is my opinion on this matter-

while yes, it is rarely played it is not hard to meet. it doesnt take a player out of their main pet lines or main opening ideas. the black player simply plays "as white" (due to his oppenent being a tempo down).. all they have to keep in mind is that they cant get a bishop on b4 ever.. so If I usually play the bird as white(which I do) it would look something like this-

1.a3 f5 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 e6 6.0-0 Be7 .. and not much has changed. If you want to play a trick opening I recommend something that leads to complete unique positions.

My professional rating (for Chess Federation Canada) is over 1400 and I am decades younger than him.

Here is an example...

Hey, I have my example written

Oh, speaking of which...

If there is anyone out there who wants to play a correspondence chess game against 1.a3, I will consider it.

Or even,

I'll play a live game against anyone who doesn't like 1.a3

P.S. If you lose, I will post it in this forum

Apprecitate the note!! I didn't know Paul Morphy lost to it. Thanks for the info.  But you made a good point. The game would probably highlight the player's strengths only, not the opening.

There is no point to this, anyone can take any opening move and win with it against an inferior opponent. Almost any other move would be better. But one of the beautiful things about chess is that you can do whatever you want! Play it, and enjoy. 

Thank you. Although, I do think, if played right, tha Andersson Opening can give your opponent some tough problems to solve.

On a not completely dissimilar note, Miles as black beat Karpov in 1980 with 1. e4 a6.

Even such a high level game as that didn't prove anything about the opening so far as I know, except that perhaps as in the Karpov-Miles example white may play with the notion that he must establish a very strong position against such a defense. In other words, the opening can have strong psychological value.

The same may be said of 1. a3, but as Fischer once said, "I don't believe in psychology. I believe in strong moves."

Best to just increase one's chess skill and knowledge.

a3 is actually a move I thought about playing.  Many people would respond with their normal opening White repertoires except a3 is often a useful move.  An example would be a3 e5 e4 Nf6 Nc3 when many of White's good responses don't work.  a3 is also useful in a Benoni/Benko type of position.  It could give you an extra tempo.

So in short, a3 is a decent psychological ploy that enables White to get preferable Black positions.  Definitely playable, but kinda destroys the first move advantage IMO.

Although Canadian, Suttles still was the dominant figure for the NW region, so he showed up in most every NW Chess magazine. One photo was heavily retouched and had Suttles and his pieces not sitting across the table from his opponent but just 90 degerees to the left. The caption: A typical Suttles attack.

He was the epitome of unorthodoxy (especially as black in the openings).

Well no... you're just making the move earlier than you normally would.

Well people are commenting, and you are just being rude. That's not going to make more people want to comment on it. You're 50. Have some class.

Uh, I hate these topics, because of course 1 a3 is playable, but when all the flaws are pointed out about it, someone decides that a couple of wins with 1 a3 change everything. a3 as a first move is playable but it makes more sense to try to make use of your first move in some way or another to try to get the initiative. I faced 1 a3, in fact I lost the game though I had at least an equal position out of the opening so honestly I was happy. It was not because I just assumed it was an awful move though, but just because of normal mistakes and blunders that happen in any amateur game. Honestly a3 would probably get fairly similar results most amateurs have with say 1 e4 and some suprise value, but still why give up anything on the first move? If you make a mistake after a3 you're worse, with e4 or d4 probably just equal. We can all live with our position after one dubious move, but they add up... or we just blunder everything in one move, either way.

Thanks for all of the comments.

Usually I play 1.a3 and then 2.b4, but I will look into Reversed Benoni and Benko Positions.

Any more comments.

 I am not trying to be rude, I just have a different opinion than every one else.

So anybody else want to make a comment on 1.a3!?

Come on, give me your opinions

(But I didn't say I had to agree with them)

Any more Andersson Fans out there???

I do not play a3 because I have not studied that opening. Two players played it against me but they lost initiative quickly. My impression is that they did not represent the opening very well. So I can't judge merits.