The Ware Opening, also known as Meadow Hay Opening, is an uncommon

chess opening A chess opening or simply an opening is the initial stage of a chess game. It usually consists of established theory; the other phases are the middlegame and the endgame. Many opening sequences have standard names such as the "Sicilian Defens ...

for White beginning with the move: : 1. a4 It is named after

Preston Ware Preston Ware Jr. (August 12, 1821 – January 29, 1890) was a US chess player. He is best known today for playing unorthodox chess openings. Ware was born in Wrentham, Massachusetts, and died in Boston, Massachusetts. Boston Mandarins Ware was a ...

, a

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

chess player who often played uncommon openings. The Ware is considered an irregular opening; it is classified under the A00 code in the ''

Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings The ''Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'' () is a reference work describing the state of opening theory in chess, originally published in five volumes from 1974 to 1979 by the Serbian company Šahovski Informator (Chess Informant). It is current ...

''.

Opening idea

The Ware Opening attacks the b5-square and prepares to bring the a1-rook into the game. The b5-square is non-essential and if Black plays 1...e5, the f8-bishop prevents the development of the white rook for the moment. The reply 1...e5 also gains space for Black in the center, a typical objective of most openings but one completely ignored by the Ware Opening. Noting all this, the Ware Opening is normally seen played only by players completely new to chess. An experienced player using the Ware Opening will usually meet a response of 1...d5 or 1...e5 with 2.d4 or 2.e4, respectively, since a reversed Scandinavian or

Englund Gambit The Englund Gambit is a rarely played chess opening that starts with the moves: :1. d4 e5 Black's idea is to avoid the traditional queen's pawn games and create an with tactical chances, but at the cost of a pawn. The gambit is considered wea ...

would be unsound here. After 1...d5 2.Nf3, 2...Nf6 is recommended, since a reversed Fajarowicz can arise after 2...c5 3.e4!? dxe4 4.Ne5 where a4 has some utility. In the 2012 World Blitz Championship, 1.a4 was employed as a little joke by

Magnus Carlsen Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen (born 30 November 1990) is a Norwegian chess grandmaster who is the reigning five-time World Chess Champion. He is also a three-time World Rapid Chess Champion and five-time World Blitz Chess Champion. Carlsen has h ...

against

Teimour Radjabov Teimour Boris oghlu Radjabov (also spelled Teymur Rajabov; az, Teymur Boris oğlu Rəcəbov, ; born 12 March 1987) is an Azerbaijani chess grandmaster, ranked number 18 in the world A former child prodigy, he earned the title of Grandmaste ...

, who during the blitz championship two years earlier had told him "Everyone is getting tired. You might as well start with 1.a4 and you can still beat them." The game soon turned into a sort of

Four Knights Game The Four Knights Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Nc3 Nf6 This is the most common sequence, but the knights may in any order to reach the same position. The opening is fairly popular with begin ...

where Carlsen finally prevailed. Carlsen played this in the blitz portion of the 2022 Norway chess tournament, ultimately losing to Wesley So.

Variations

There are several named variations of the Ware Opening. The best known of these are: * 1...e5 2.a5 d5 3.e3 f5 4.a6 (Ware Gambit). Schiller (1998), p. 475. In this variation, White attempts to create an

open Open or OPEN may refer to: Music * Open (band), Australian pop/rock band * The Open (band), English indie rock band * ''Open'' (Blues Image album), 1969 * ''Open'' (Gotthard album), 1999 * ''Open'' (Cowboy Junkies album), 2001 * ''Open'' (YF ...

a-file in exchange for a pawn. * 1...e5 2.h4 (Crab Variation). This version is generally chosen more for its aesthetic considerations than its strategic ones; white's pawns extend like a crab's pincers, preparing to attack on the sides. * 1...b6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nd7 (Cologne Gambit).Schiller (1998), p. 474. * 1...b5 2.axb5 Bb7 (Wing Gambit of the Ware Opening). * 1...a5 (Symmetric Variation).

References

Bibliography * * * * * {{White's twenty opening moves in chess Chess openings de:Unregelmäßige Eröffnungen#Ware-Eröffnung

Opening idea

Variations

See also

References