Put three pawns in the center, develop your minor pieces behind them, you know, play fundamentally sound stuff. And enjoy the space advantage you will have going into the middlegame. You should love this.
You can alter your first move as well, to answer 1.h4 with 1...d5 and 1.a4 with 1...e5. This allows you to win an exchange if they try to lift the Rook on move 2. But there's really no need to do this, as the introduction of a Rook at this stage of the game should not be very threatening.
[COMMENT DELETED] - was in reply to a person whose posts have vanished without a trace
Thanks for the advice.
Yes, against not sound openings you should develop, get the center and so on. Your opponent will sooner or later have to develop their minor pieces and move the central pawns, and if they've wasted the opportunity to do so (as it's easier to do that earlier in the game, before the opponent has got a grip on the good development squares), you'll get a fine game.
I found that more low-rated players try to trick you with non-book openings and weird stuff. When I was new on the site I faced a lot of Nimzovitch Defenses & 1.b4 etc. Now it's just one Sicilian after another. Believe me, that gets old too! 
I read a book that said it best. If your opponent makes moves that differ from book, just remember that either they have found a earth shattering novelty that has escaped the attention of the greatest players in the history of chess, or there is a reason the move isn't as good... find that reason.
It used to bug me too for psychological reasons, now... just take the gift they give you, do the best you can with it... and don't fall into the psychological trap of thinking garbage opening means garbage player... often true but NOT always.
You just focus on playing good chess.
I seem to get into games where players want to create a pawn structure that stifles piece movement. At first, I thought, "ok, you're going to move pawns around, I'll take the tempi for that." Unfortunately, the ploy works for them. We aren't playing chess that I'm ready for, we're playing some aberrant form of constriction chess. I don't have the problem in online chess, just live. The only reason I even play live is so that I can build quicker decision making skills for when time trouble shows up OTB. I need to read up on pawn structures, I guess.
Yes indeed. It's more of a psychological thing for me as well. This often happens in timed games when I start panicking because I'm not sure what move to make. Just need more study I guess.
It depends on the particular unorthodox opening. Against 1.Nc3 you can play 1...c5 and invite a closed Sicilian (though Van Geet players typically reply with 2.Nf3 as they're hoping for 1...d5 2.e4,d4 3.Ne2,e5 4.Ng3 lines) Against most things however just occupy the center with pawns and develop naturally.
Occupying the center will what I'll strive for from now on.
We should distinguish unorthodox openings (such as 1.Nc3, or 1.b4) from crap (such as 1.h4, or 1.a4).
Against the former, just develop normally and you'll have a reasonable game. Against the latter, just develop normally and you'll have a considerable advantage.
The point is that you shouldn't try to punish rare but sound openings, but you also shouldn't allow your opponent to get away with crap.
Yes, I struggled a little against an unorthodox player back in my league chess days. Then one day I figured out that the trick was to stick to the basics and not try too hard for a tactical refutation, because that was just playing on his turf. Last time we met he gave me some lip for promoting myself to the board he was on, but we just played patiently and sensibly for twenty-odd moves until his position became so bad a knight dropped into my lap, and that was thank you and goodnight.
Great tips, you guys.
Develop your pieces, control the center and play chess. Oh someone said that so it must be good advice!!
Weird the openings don't change the rules of chess. Now they do on the other hand force you to come up with your own ideas!
I don't see what religion has got to do with this.
Bump
Ask them do they feel lucky today?
or
"Have you ever danced with the Devil in the pale moonlight?"
Develop, develop and attack.
Hi,
Am I the only one who dislikes playing against random openings and non-sensical defences? I have no problem playing against standard Chess moves but goddamn, some dude comes along and busts a h4 followed by Rh3 on me, I have absolutely no idea what the frick I'm supposed to do. I mean I do beat them eventually most of the times but only after a lengthy and tiring process of moves after moves. I hate this.