chessgames.com
Uncommon Opening (A00)
1 a3, b3, d3, g4, etc.

Number of games in database: 3864
Years covered: 1515 to 2008
Overall record:
   White wins 38.4%
   Black wins 32.2%
   Draws 29.3%

Popularity graph, by decade

Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Duncan Suttles  91 games
Gerard Welling  76 games
Bent Larsen  75 games
Svetozar Gligoric  19 games
Fritz (Computer)  15 games
Anthony Miles  14 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Napoleon Bonaparte vs Madame De Remusat, 1804
Kasparov vs Sting, 2000
Larsen vs Geller, 1960
Reti vs Alekhine, 1925
B Fleissig vs Schlechter, 1895
Crafty vs Nakamura, 2007
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 page 1 of 155; games 1-25 of 3,864 
Game  ResultMoves Year Event/LocaleOpening
1. Lucena vs Quintana 1-032 1515 Huesca ESPA00 Uncommon Opening
2. Napoleon Bonaparte vs Madame De Remusat 1-014 1804 La MalmaisonA00 Uncommon Opening
3. Amsterdam vs Rotterdam 1-034 1824 City MatchA00 Uncommon Opening
4. Hyderabad Chess Club vs Madras Chess Club 0-144 1828 City MatchA00 Uncommon Opening
5. Enschede vs Zutphen ½-½58 1850 cr stedenA00 Uncommon Opening
6. E Williams vs Wyvill 0-150 1851 5, London3 m2A00 Uncommon Opening
7. E Williams vs Harrwitz  ½-½25 1852 LondonA00 Uncommon Opening
8. S Boden vs Owen 0-138 1856 LondonA00 Uncommon Opening
9. Anderssen vs Morphy 0-142 1858 Paris mA00 Uncommon Opening
10. Anderssen vs Morphy ½-½51 1858 Paris mA00 Uncommon Opening
11. Anderssen vs Morphy 1-077 1858 Paris mA00 Uncommon Opening
12. M Van't Kruijs vs Anderssen 1-055 1861 AmsterdamA00 Uncommon Opening
13. M Van't Kruijs vs Anderssen 1-052 1861 AmsterdamA00 Uncommon Opening
14. F Deacon vs V Green 1-028 1862 LondonA00 Uncommon Opening
15. R Lichtenscheidt vs J Kohtz 1-040 1862 WSB-02.KongressA00 Uncommon Opening
16. R Lichtenscheidt vs Von Hanneken ½-½65 1862 WSB-02.KongressA00 Uncommon Opening
17. F Deacon vs V Green 1-028 1862 LondonA00 Uncommon Opening
18. K Hoeing vs W Paulsen 0-116 1863 WSB-03.Kongress fA00 Uncommon Opening
19. E Schuehler vs W Muster 0-121 1863 CasualA00 Uncommon Opening
20. V Green vs Steinitz 0-121 1864 London (England)A00 Uncommon Opening
21. E Neuhaus vs F A Hipp  0-128 1864 WSB-04.KongressA00 Uncommon Opening
22. K Moll vs Falkbeer 0-114 1864 ViennaA00 Uncommon Opening
23. Boquay vs NN 1-017 1864 Gedult,D-SauzeddeA00 Uncommon Opening
24. E Schmidt vs Paulsen 0-128 1864 LeipzigA00 Uncommon Opening
25. J Minchin vs G MacDonnell 0-144 1866 LondonA00 Uncommon Opening
 page 1 of 155; games 1-25 of 3,864 
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  
 

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 14 OF 14 ·  Later Kibitzing >
Sep-17-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Eric Schiller: <olaf> It is the system developed in NY 1924. See: Ivkov vs H Ree, 1974 G Rey vs E Schiller, 1998
Nov-27-07   FICSwoodpusher: Another win for the unorthodox openings:


click for larger view

[Event "rated blitz match"]
[Site "Free Internet Chess Server"]
[Date "2007.11.27"]
[Round "?"]
[White "lrzal"]
[Black "sunrhades"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "1784"]
[BlackElo "1614"]
[ECO "A17"]
[TimeControl "300"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. a3 b6 4. Nf3 Bb7 5. d3 d5 6. Bf4 d4 7. Nb5 Na6 8. Qa4 Qd7 9. Ne5 Qe7 10. Nd6+ Kd8 11. Nexf7+ sunrhades resigns 1-0

Dec-14-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  piever: I've just started a corrispondence chess game (i'm black):

1. g4?! Nf6! 2. g5 Ng8!! 2. d4?! (going out of book, maybe to surprise the opponent, Bg2 is the main line)

When it's over I'll post it with some (more serious) analysis. I hope it will be of some theoretical importance :p ...

Jan-21-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  just a kid: I played this game not too long ago
White:just a kid, Rating:1117
Black:NN, Rating:1121
1.Na3 e5 2.b3 d5 3.Bb2 Be6 4.e3 Nc6 5. Bb5 Nf6 6.Nf3 e4 7.Nd4 Qd7 8.0-0 O-0-0?! 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Ba6+ Kb8 11.Rc1 Bd6 12.c4 Bxa3?! 13.Bxa3 dxc4 14.bxc4 Ka8 15.Rb1 Rb8 16.Qa4 c5? Are you sure he's 1121? 17.Bb5! Rxb5 18.Rxb5 c6 19.Rb6 Take the two pawns.19...Bxc4 okay I will. 20.Rfb1 Bxa2 21.R1b2 Be6 22.Bxc5 Rc8 23...White to win. Find the killer move.

If you found Rb7!!Congrats!!!!
23.Rb7 Black resigns 1-0
Black resigns because 23... Qxb7 24.Rxb7 a5 25.Qxa5+ Kxb7 26.Qa7# One of my favorite games.

Jan-21-08   17.Bxg7: With respect to uncommon openings, I have tried (with certain success) in blitz to play 1. ..b5?! against 1.e4 (attempting a sort of reverse Evans Gambit, consolidating my center quickly if 2.Bxb5 or transposing into a sort of some Queen Pawn Opening if white refuses to take the pawn). I can post later examples of games in this forum. I use to play other uncommon openings in my blitz games with success, but I don't know how many of them actually have a name. I will post in these days some opening "experiments" I have made in a regular basis.

Jan-21-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  ganstaman: <17.Bxg7> So with 1. e4 b5 2. Bxb5, white develops a piece and wins a pawn. How do you have any compensation here?

<just a kid> It's nice, but what are your intentions with 1. Na3? It's not bad, but the way you played it, you tied down your otherwise strong and well-placed bishop to its defense. Since you let white build up a center, you needed that piece to help tear it down.

Better would be 1. Na3 e4 2. Nc4 -- getting the knight into the center of the board with an attack on the e-pawn (check out the kibitzing here: Gerard Welling ). Another choice would be to play c2-c3 and then Na3-c2, where the knight is safe and contributes to control of the center.

Jan-22-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  just a kid: <ganstaman>I really don't know.I never played Na3 before.I've played Nf3 g3 Bg2 0-0 before so I was sort of thinking to do something like that, and castle queenside and get an attack started(even though I am not that good at attacks,but have a lot of strategy so that's why I play Queen's Gambit)You're theroy of Na3 is great I should try that soon.Plus thank's for the compliment. =) I'll see that later.
Jan-23-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  SwitchingQuylthulg: I think <just a kid>'s idea is not so bad. Actually, I've experimented with a similar 1.Na3 setup myself a few times - it's not all that different from some 1.b3 e5 variations where the knight is headed most probably ultimately, but not immediately, to c4. In that case it doesn't matter if it comes through d2 or a3 - and at least at the rim it's not in anybody's way.

Though I'm not sure if the idea should be considered a truly Uncommon Opening at all; it seems more like a transposition to the Nimzovich-Larsen Attack (A01).

Jan-23-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  just a kid: <SwitchingQuylthulg>I am trying to play that too since my last name is Larsen!!
Jan-23-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  MaxxLange: If 1.e4 c5 2.Na3 is a playable line in the Sicilian, how bad can 1.Na3 be?
Jan-24-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  just a kid: I know. All 4 games with 1.Na3 in the database had white winning!I just recently had a great attacking game with 1.f4 without the Queen!
Jan-24-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  ganstaman: <SwitchingQuylthulg: I think <just a kid>'s idea is not so bad. Actually, I've experimented with a similar 1.Na3 setup myself a few times - it's not all that different from some 1.b3 e5 variations where the knight is headed most probably ultimately, but not immediately, to c4. In that case it doesn't matter if it comes through d2 or a3 - and at least at the rim it's not in anybody's way.>

The problem is that after ...d7-d5, the c4 square is not a good place for a white knight. So white definitely needs to work on getting this square under control if this plan is to work out.

But why not hit up c4 immediately? After 1. Na3 e5, the c4 square is available and it attacks a pawn. You may say that it is vulnerable there, so I propose playing e2-e4 soon so that Nc4-e3 is playable, with good central control. Plus, this way, the otherwise powerful b2-bishop isn't stuck babysitting the knight while it's on a3.

<MaxxLange: If 1.e4 c5 2.Na3 is a playable line in the Sicilian, how bad can 1.Na3 be?>

I play the Sicilian that way now when I do play 1. e4. I actually like it very much -- it gives me a few concrete plans to follow-up with without having to face the massive theory and headaches that the open Sicilian brings.

<just a kid: I know. All 4 games with 1.Na3 in the database had white winning!I just recently had a great attacking game with 1.f4 without the Queen!>

I play 1. f4 almost all the time as white. I don't know about not having a queen, but winning an attacking game with it feels good -- it seems that that's the way it's supposed to work!

Jan-24-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  just a kid: <ganstaman>I'll show you the game if you want me to.It isn't half bad.
Jan-24-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  ganstaman: <just a kid> Sure, post it on the A02 or A03 page, I guess. There are some other 1. f4 fanatics that I'm sure would take a look.
Jan-27-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  SwitchingQuylthulg: <The problem is that after ...d7-d5, the c4 square is not a good place for a white knight. So white definitely needs to work on getting this square under control if this plan is to work out.>

Not really. The knight isn't all that badly placed at a3 - it is safe, not in White's other pieces' way like it so often is, and has long-term prospects even if it's temporarily denied of c4. Besides, it's unlikely that the d5 pawn is there to stay - quite many Black players feel like advancing it, and even if they don't (which is often wise), White can almost always cook up some way to get rid of it should he feel that way. As I said, this is actually a not-all-that-unusual plan in the Nimzo-Larsen. Regularly this move is prepared by a4 to claim yet more space at the queenside; this of course can also come through the A00 move order 1.a4 followed by a quick Na3. It will eventually probably transpose to a perfectly normal Nimzo-Larsen but it drives people crazy to see 1.a4 on the board ;-)

Feb-12-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Tomlinsky: In the following game Likavsky plays the novelty 11.c5 in a line against Bunzmann's English Defence setup and successfully follows up. Bunzmann knows his ED onions but rather than the line itself looking threatened it appears that he was having an off day and simply got tangled up after 16...Qh5? 17.Rh3! Trading on f3 or keeping the f6 knight may have made life a bit easier.

[Round "4"]
[White "Likavsky,Tomas"]
[Black "Bunzmann,Dimitrij"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Eco "A40"]
1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6 3.e4 Bb7 4.Bd3 f5 5.exf5 Bb4+ 6.Kf1 Nf6 7.Nf3 0-0 8.a3 Bd6 9.Nc3 Qe8 10.Bg5 exf5 11.c5 Be7 12.Bxf5 Kh8 13.cxb6 axb6 14.h4 Ra5 15.Bc2 Bd6 16.Kg1 Qh5 17.Rh3 Nc6 18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Ne4 Bf4 20.Neg5 Qg4 21.Qd3 f5 22.Re1 Rd5 23.Bb3 Rd6 24.d5 Na5 25.Ba2 h6 26.b4 Kg8 27.bxa5 hxg5 28.hxg5 1-0

May-26-08   Nikita Smirnov: Andersen's Opening looks interesting if you want to play black with white.But I feel that it looks a bit silly.And not serious played by white.But I recommend black to play d5 or f5.Maybe even Nf6.Or even c5 looks interesting.But if I where playing black against it I would put up a position like: d6,e5,f5,Nf6,Be7,0-0 and Nc6 with an good position for black.
Aug-03-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  refutor: i have no problem playing 1.g3 with white but i'm always confused about what to play v. 1. ...d5. there are a few options. either i play a reversed-averbakh type with 2.Bg2 3.d3 and maybe even Nh3 like Suttles :) i could play 2.Nf3 and go to a real Reti, or i could play 2.f4 and go to a Bird. i prefer playing the bird with e3 and b3 than fianchettoing, but a reversed Leningrad is not so terrible. since i have no problem playing 1.g3 e5 2.c4 i probably should just play 1.c4 on the first move :) anybody else have thoughts on 1.g3?
Aug-03-08   parisattack: <refutor: i have no problem playing 1.g3 > I played nothing but 1. g3 and 1 ... g6 for years. Curiously I had better success with 1. ...g6 than 1. g3. I think your post makes a point - white has so many options; perhaps too many. I normally wound up with a KIA against 1. ...d5 but was happy with a reverse Pirc (ala Benko-Fischer) or even a reverse Grunfeld. If black ops for ... e5 also you can go for a reverse Robatsch - Hippo or Gurgendize.
Aug-03-08   parisattack: I think the trick for white is not to get too passive or too clever. With all the options it is easy to mix plans...
Aug-03-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <refutor> I tried 1. g3 d5 2. Bg2 e5 3. Nf3 several times after I learned about this game, which is written up in OMGP IV: Larsen vs Geller, 1960

Playing Alekhine's Defense reversed was appealing. Somewhat to my surprise, I've done reasonably well with it and gotten interesting games. This is probably my favorite -- we took turns getting the advantage then giving it up:

Event "Chessgames.com 5th Anniversary Tournament"]
[Site "http://gameknot.com/"]
[Date "2007.12.02"]
[Round "-"]
[White "keypusher"]
[Black "azaris"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "1907"]
[BlackElo "1859"]

1. g3 d5 2. Bg2 e5 3. Nf3 e4 4. Nd4 Bc5 5. Nb3 Bb6 6. d3 Qe7 7. dxe4 dxe4 8. Nc3 f5 9. Nd5 Qe6 10. Bf4 Na6 11. c4 Ne7 12. Nxb6 axb6 13. Qd4 O-O 14. Qc3 Ng6 15. Nd4 Qe7 16. Bd2 Bd7 17. O-O f4 18. a3 c5 19. Nc2 Bc6 20. b4 Nc7 21. Bc1 Rad8 22. b5 Bd7 23. Bb2 Bf5 24. Rad1 Rf7 25. Rd2 Rxd2 26. Qxd2 f3 27. exf3 exf3 28. Re1 Qd7 29. Qxd7 Bxd7 30. Bh1 Ne6 31. Re3 Ng5 32. Ne1 Be6 33. h4 Nh3+ 34. Kh2 Nxf2 35. Rxe6 Nxh1 36. Re8+ Nf8 37. Nxf3 Rxf3 38. Kxh1 Rxg3 39. Re7 Rg6 40. Rxb7 h5 41. a4 Rg4 42. a5 bxa5 43. b6 Rxh4+ 44. Kg1 Rg4+ 45. Kf2 Rg6 46. Re7 Rxb6 47. Rxg7+ Kh8 48. Rb7+ Rxb2+ 49. Rxb2 Nd7 50. Rb5 Kg8 51. Rxa5 Kf7 52. Kg3 1/2-1/2

6....f5 for Black looks strong, though.

Aug-04-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <refutor> This game is in the notes to Larsen-Geller:

Larsen vs J H Donner, 1959

Aug-27-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  ravel5184: It's funny, but whenever I make a Chessmaster personality with depth <4 and strength of play 100 with opening book NoBook (or something similar) they always play 1. Nc3.
Aug-27-08   newzild: Keypusher: I think the critical test of a white fianchetto in the reversed Alekhine would be a d5, e5, f5 pawn formation by black

keypusher: <refutor> I tried 1. g3 d5 2. Bg2 e5 3. Nf3 several times after I learned about this game, which is written up in OMGP IV: Larsen vs Geller, 1960

Playing Alekhine's Defense reversed was appealing. Somewhat to my surprise, I've done reasonably well with it and gotten interesting games. This is probably my favorite -- we took turns getting the advantage then giving it up:

Aug-29-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  WarmasterKron: I've been playing around with the 2.Na3 Sicilian recently, so I thought I'd give 1.Na3 a go. Plenty of messy positions in the opening - lovely!

Kron (1451) - NN (1293)

1. Na3 e5 2. b3 d5 3. c4 Nf6 4. d4 Nc6 5. Nf3 e4 6. Ne5 Nxe5 7. dxe5 Nd7 8. Qxd5 Bb4+ 9. Bd2 Bxa3 10. b4 Bb2 11. Rd1 c6 12. Qxe4 Bxe5 13. f4 Nf6 14. Qxe5+ Qe7 15. Qxe7+ Kxe7 16. Bc3 Nh5 17. e3 Re8 18. Be2 Nf6 19. O-O Bg4?


click for larger view

20. Bxf6+! 1-0

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