Challenge Yourself And Have Fun With The Anderssen Opening

There are literally thousands of named chess openings. Some, like the Ruy Lopez or the Queen’s Gambit, have been extensively analyzed by the greatest minds in chess history, resulting in lengthy screeds of opening theory associated with them. Other openings are almost totally unexplored - such as the Anderssen Opening - which we cover in this article.

The Anderssen Opening is 1. a3. This move breaks every rule of chess opening fundamentals. It does not fight for the center. It does not prepare to develop a piece. But some people choose to play it anyway. After reading this article, maybe you will too!

History Of The Anderssen Opening

Adolf Anderssen was a German chess master and one of the world’s leading players of the mid-19th century. 

Anderssen’s greatest triumph in chess was his victory at the important 1851 London tournament, where - against expectations - he dethroned Howard Staunton to be crowned champion. Although this tournament predated the official World Chess Championship, it was generally agreed that, with his victory, Anderssen deserved to be called the best chess player in the world.

Anderssen is also notable for being one of the participants in the so-called Immortal Game, played against the Frenchman Lionel Kieseritzky. Held at Simpson’s Divan in London, the game saw Anderssen sacrifice a bishop, both his rooks, and finally his queen to deliver a stunning checkmate with his remaining three minor pieces.

In 1858, a new challenge arrived for Anderssen in the form of Paul Morphy. Hailing from the United States, Morphy had taken all before him in his native country and decided to cross the Atlantic to test himself against the top players in Europe - of which Adolf Anderssen was one.

During their match, Anderssen opened three of his games with the White pieces against Morphy with 1. a3. In these games, Anderssen scored one win, one draw, and one loss. Not bad, especially considering that over the entire match Anderssen was summarily crushed, losing seven, drawing two and winning two. After the match was over, 1. a3 came to bear Anderssen’s name.

Why Play The Anderssen Opening?

It’s Not As Bad As People Think

Here is a statistic which will surely surprise you. According to the master database on chess.com’s opening explorer, 1. a3 has a better winning percentage for White than any of the other top 10 opening moves! In fact, with a 50% win rate, no other move comes close.

We must, of course, take this with a grain of salt. There are fewer than 3,000 master games that began with 1. a3, compared to well over 1 million games for each of 1. e4 and 1. d4. As any statistician will tell you, we must temper any conclusions drawn when there is such a discrepancy in the sample size.

But even with that caveat, isn’t it interesting that a so-called “dubious” opening such as 1. a3 outscores the more respected ones? Perhaps these fringe openings are more playable than we give them credit for.

Psychological Impact

Imagine you are at a chess tournament. You have the Black pieces and your game is about to start as you take your seat. You have spent the morning studying every nook and cranny of your opening repertoire. Your preparation runs 15 moves deep in some of the most critical lines. Thanks to all your hard work, you are feeling very confident about the game to come. No matter what your opponent throws at you, you feel sure you will be ready for it.

Your opponent arrives and takes his place opposite you. You shake hands, hit the clock, and he plays 1. a3.

Taken aback, you pause for a moment before writing down the move on your scoresheet. Then you put down your pen and you sigh. Despite all the hours you spent preparing for today’s game, this was one move you certainly didn’t expect.

How would you feel in such a situation?

Well, you would probably feel annoyed about wasting all that time on opening preparation, only for your opponent to throw it all out the window by playing 1. a3. You might also feel disrespected that your opponent is playing Anderssen’s Opening against you - by playing a move like this, it seems he isn’t taking you seriously.

Remember: chess is a sport of the mind - so if you can get your opponent feeling such negative emotions right from move one, then you have already struck the first psychological blow! This alone may compensate for the “objective” deficits of 1. a3.

For Fun And For The Challenge

Playing Anderssen’s Opening is not just about getting your opponent out of their comfort zone - it can get you out of your comfort zone too - and this can be a very good thing!

Perhaps you are someone who plays the same openings again and again. Why not mix things up a little and play something you have absolutely no experience with? This is dangerous in the main lines - for example, you probably don’t want to play an opening such as the King’s Indian Defense in an important game if you are totally new to it - but in Anderssen’s Opening, both you and your opponent will be on your own.

Chess is a game. Being a game, why not have fun with it? Play unusual openings. If you win, you will have a story to tell. If you lose - it doesn’t really matter too much.

Great Games In The Anderssen Opening

Anderssen vs. Morphy, 1858 (1-0)

It would be remiss to fail to include one of the games for which the opening itself was named! This is the third game in which Adolf Anderssen played 1. a3 against Paul Morphy in their 1858 match. Despite the fact the first game where he played 1. a3 was lost, and the second game was drawn, Anderssen was not discouraged. He played the same opening again - this time securing victory.

In the below position, Black captured White’s queenside knight with 8. …Nxc3.

Once White recaptured bxc3, the scene was set for the contrasting objectives for both players for the rest of the game. White had the semi-open b-file to attack on the queenside, while Black soon played f5 to press on the kingside.

In the end, Black’s kingside advances were unsuccessful and White’s queenside dominance proved too much - even for the great Paul Morphy. You can check out the full game here.

Duda vs. Xiong, 2019 (1-0)

Although Anderssen’s Opening is seen reasonably often in online blitz chess where neither player is taking the game too seriously, it is rare indeed to see an elite grandmaster play it in an over-the-board game where the stakes are high.

However, that is exactly what the Polish player Jan-Krzysztof Duda did in his FIDE World Cup match against Jeffrey Xiong. During the rapid tie-breaks, Duda played 1. a3 with White and won with it.

If we take a look at the position after both players had made seven moves, we may even say that it looks quite normal. Despite starting with 1. a3, White’s position is absolutely fine.

This illustrates something very important about playing Anderssen’s Opening: even though you use your first move to push a pawn on the edge of the board, eventually you must return to the opening fundamentals. Notice how in the above position, Duda has played e4 to fight for the center. He has also developed all his minor pieces and is ready to castle kingside. Aside from 1. a3, his play has followed classic chess opening principles.

The Duda-Xiong game was wild. After an equal opening, Black gained the advantage - but then White turned things around to emerge triumphant after Black made a critical mistake in a difficult position. You can check out the full game here.

Nakamura vs. Carlsen, 2022 (1-0)

Magnus Carlsen is widely regarded as one of the greatest chess players of all time. When it comes to classical chess, none could match him across a 10 year reign as world champion. However, in blitz and bullet chess Carlsen has a clear rival: the popular streamer Hikaru Nakamura.

Both Carlsen and Nakamura are known for their habit of starting online games against lesser players with dubious openings - and then winning anyway.

The pair have clashed countless times in online speed chess events - so it was only a matter of time before Anderssen’s Opening made an appearance! It all went down in chess.com’s Titled Tuesday of October 11, 2022.

Carlsen replied to 1. a3 with the equally unorthodox 1. …g5. The way the game began, one could easily think it was being played between two absolute beginners, rather than between two of the very strongest players in the world!

With neither player being able to rely on opening theory, the game became a battle of wits from the very outset. After an even middlegame, Nakamura gained the ascendancy as Carlsen’s clock got low. You can check out the full game here.

The star move of the game occurred in the below position, where Nakamura temporarily sacrificed his bishop with 26. Bxd6!, with the idea that after Carlsen recaptured 26. …Bxd6, he could play 27. e5, winning back the piece due to the pin along the d-file.

After this tactic, White had more space and better activity.

Final Thoughts On Playing Anderssen’s Opening

To conclude, it is worth remembering that Anderssen’s Opening is rare - and it is rare for good reason. The move 1. a3 does not fight for the center, and nor does it prepare to develop a piece. Pushing this pawn one square on the edge of the board effectively cedes the first move to Black and invites them to play as though the colors were reversed.

Despite its drawbacks, this provocative move can still be played! As we mentioned, the psychological impact of Anderssen’s Opening can be significant. It also guarantees to get your opponents out of their opening preparation. If Anderssen’s Opening can be used to defeat such legendary names as Paul Morphy and Magnus Carlsen, then it can surely work against your opponents too!

Above all, have fun with Anderssen’s Opening and congratulate yourself on having the gumption to play it - no matter the final result!