Unconventional Openings?

Sort:
Avatar of Drawgood

Have you heard about a chess player Emory Tate who has passed on this year? There is an article about him that is still among recent articles and in it its described how he often experimented with unconventional and unusual openings. He didn't have much success with them but there are his games you can look at.

Avatar of Sqod

(p. 420)

      SODIUM ATTACK

      VARIOUS LINES

 

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/N7/PPPPPPPP/R1BQKBNR b - - 0 1

 

   This opening gets its name from the element sodium, for reasons

you can find in the periodical [sic] table of the elements, if you can't guess.

The Sodium Attack is also known as the Durkin Opening, and we'll 

see one of his games below.

   In any case, it is a drunken knight opening for White and Black can

take over the center without much resistance. There are a number of

odd gambit approaches that can be seen from time to time.

Schiller, Eric. 1998. Unorthodox Chess Openings. Cooper Station, New York: Cardoza Publishing.

----------

(p. 506)

      UNUSUAL OPENINGS

 

THIS section includes a variety of first moves by White which all have

one thing in common; they are rarely employed. None is of sufficient

theoretical importance to warrant more than a passing nod. What they

lack is impetus--permitting Black great latitude in setting up a line

of defence--but none of them incurs an outright disadvantage.

 

   THE SARAGOSSA OPENING (col. 1) is a reverse Caro-Kann, if Black

consents.

 

   THE DUNST OPENING (col. 2) has been analysed an practised by the

New York player Ted Dunst. It tempts reckless pawn advantages by

Black, a la Alekhine's Defence, and envisages a tour with the Queen's

Knight to KN3. A positional game evoking trench warfare with equal

chances.

 

   DURKIN'S ATTACK (col. 3) is characterized by 1 N-QR3 and leads

to a sort of Bird Opening with White's Knight developed in an awkward

post. Black does best merely to continue his development and leave

the Knight stranded.

Evans, Larry, and Walter Korn. 1965. Modern Chess Openings, 10th Edition. New York: Pitman Publishing Corporation.