Clemenz Opening
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- This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.
| Clemenz Opening | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Moves | 1. h3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ECO | A00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Origin | Blackburne - Noa, London 1883 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Named after | Hermann Clemenz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent | Irregular chess opening | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chessgames.com opening explorer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Clemenz Opening is a chess opening described in algebraic chess notation as
- 1. h3
It is named after Hermann Clemenz (1846–1908), an Estonian player. It is considered an irregular opening, so it is classified under the A00 code in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings.
Like Anderssen's Opening, 1.a3, 1.h3 is a time-wasting move even though it does not do much harm either. It makes no claim on the central squares, nor does it aid the development of any piece. It also leads to a slight weakening of the king's side, albeit not as severely as Grob's Attack, 1.g4, or Barnes Opening, 1.f3. Since there is no need for White to make such a time-wasting move on the first move, it is among the rarest of the 20 possible first moves. Nevertheless, Michael Basman has experimented with 1.h3, usually following it up with 2.g4 (transposing to the Grob), or 2.a3 followed by a quick c4, a line which has been dubbed the "Creepy Crawly".
Black has a number of playable responses, the most common being 1...d5 and 1...e5, which stake out a claim for central space. Another response, 1...b6, intends to fianchetto a bishop to pressure white's weakened pawns, and forestall a White kingside expansion with g4. If White starts playing well after 1.h3, Black cannot expect any great advantage.
One of the weaker plausible responses by Black would be 1...f5, when White can play 2.d4, transposing to a sharp line against the Dutch Defense introduced by Korchnoi. White's idea is to play 3.g4!? even if it entails a pawn sacrifice (2.g4!? is also possible), one possible continuation being 2.d4 Nf6 3.g4!? fxg4 4.hxg4 Nxg4 5.Qd3 Nf6?? (5...g6! is forced) 6.Rxh7! Rxh7 7.Qg6#.
[edit] References
- Hooper, David and Kenneth Whyld (1996). The Oxford Companion To Chess. Oxford University. ISBN 0-19-280049-3.
- Dunnington, Angus (2000), Winning Unorthodox Openings, Everyman Chess, ISBN 978-1857442854
- Eric Schiller (2002). Unorthodox Chess Openings, Second Edition, Cardoza. ISBN 1-58042-072-9. p. 108
