More experiments with a3 and h3 • page 1/2 • Game analysis • lichess.org

https://en.lichess.org/z6iOmsuW/white#5

I was quite pleased with it in this game. I think the psychological effect in the opening gave me a clear advantage in the endgame.

You might laugh at this a3-h3 idea, but think again.
Ask yourself : how often did you play h2h3 in the Ruy Lopez as white, and in some lines also as black ?

You see ? The move h2h3 is totally accepted in the Ruy Lopez since decades :)

https://en.lichess.org/z6iOmsuW/white#5 I was quite pleased with it in this game. I think the psychological effect in the opening gave me a clear advantage in the endgame. You might laugh at this a3-h3 idea, but think again. Ask yourself : how often did you play h2h3 in the Ruy Lopez as white, and in some lines also as black ? You see ? The move h2h3 is totally accepted in the Ruy Lopez since decades :)

Tangelo777

#2

When I was little, I always played both a3 and h3. I don't do that anymore because these moves are waste of tempos: they allow my opponents who like to develop before attacking, to get a nice lead in development and easily beat me. As your game shows, it's easy to beat 1600s with anything by simply punishing their blunders.

blackzombie

#3

Haha! In this game black wasted time too with a6 and h6, so it's not representative.

In Ruy Lopez h3 has the point of preventing Bg4 that pins the knight. This is nasty because the knight defends d4 and whites pawn centre. If there is no point, it's a waste of time.

Haha! In this game black wasted time too with a6 and h6, so it's not representative. In Ruy Lopez h3 has the point of preventing Bg4 that pins the knight. This is nasty because the knight defends d4 and whites pawn centre. If there is no point, it's a waste of time.

Tangelo777

#4

Regarding Ruy Lopez, the a6 forces the bishop to move so it doesn't allow opponent to develop another piece. Also Paul Morphy always played so this move is fine. In your game, your opponent should have developed the knights. Put knights on Nc6 and Nf6 in response to a3 and h3. It's also good idea not to make any useless pawn moves and no early queen moves without developing knights and bishop first and occupying the center. It was a blitz game, no time to think through.

noob2chess

#5

What would you have done on 2. d5 3. a3 a6 4. h3!? h6!! the position becomes unclear and complex. I assume playing something like 4. Bd2 or 4. Qd2 must give the advantage to white but it is still very complex after 4...Rh7 does white have an immediate perpetual?

LOL

What would you have done on 2. d5 3. a3 a6 4. h3!? h6!! the position becomes unclear and complex. I assume playing something like 4. Bd2 or 4. Qd2 must give the advantage to white but it is still very complex after 4...Rh7 does white have an immediate perpetual? LOL

noob2chess

#6

Ahh correction to my line
1... d5 2. a3 a6 3. h3!? h6!! :P

Ahh correction to my line 1... d5 2. a3 a6 3. h3!? h6!! :P

achja

#7

@Tangelo777 #2

Nice to hear that you also played a3 and h3 in the past :)

That reminds me of a FIDE master that I knew. I was not friends with him but I saw him several times in otb blitz, rapid and classical tourneys. He told me that in the highest league in Belgium and Holland he sometimes played the Rook Indian, with fairly good results. (I believed that story, but did not try to verify it). I thought that was funny.

Then in one classical otb weekend tourney I faced the same FM in one of the earlier rounds. He was late, and I had therefore some more time to ponder about my first move.
Suddenly I thought about playing the Rook Indian against him. That would be crazy! But I hesitated, and played a half Rook Indian idea instead with white. 1.d4 Nf6 2.h4 !?!?
I don't remember whether he got a pale face or a red face, but he was certainly surprised. I managed to stay in the game, and when there was the time trouble part of the game lots of spectators were watching. He almost lost on time, but made it to the time control. Eventually I lost the game, but it was great fun!

I'll promise to play the a3 and h3 against > 1600 :-)

In fact, here's another already, quite sharp, though in an absent minded moment I overlooked Nxd7 at first... :|
https://en.lichess.org/AcA7nOZK/white#5

@Tangelo777 #2 Nice to hear that you also played a3 and h3 in the past :) That reminds me of a FIDE master that I knew. I was not friends with him but I saw him several times in otb blitz, rapid and classical tourneys. He told me that in the highest league in Belgium and Holland he sometimes played the Rook Indian, with fairly good results. (I believed that story, but did not try to verify it). I thought that was funny. Then in one classical otb weekend tourney I faced the same FM in one of the earlier rounds. He was late, and I had therefore some more time to ponder about my first move. Suddenly I thought about playing the Rook Indian against him. That would be crazy! But I hesitated, and played a half Rook Indian idea instead with white. 1.d4 Nf6 2.h4 !?!? I don't remember whether he got a pale face or a red face, but he was certainly surprised. I managed to stay in the game, and when there was the time trouble part of the game lots of spectators were watching. He almost lost on time, but made it to the time control. Eventually I lost the game, but it was great fun! I'll promise to play the a3 and h3 against > 1600 :-) In fact, here's another already, quite sharp, though in an absent minded moment I overlooked Nxd7 at first... :| https://en.lichess.org/AcA7nOZK/white#5

noob2chess

#8

https://en.lichess.org/VxE5m9jF
I am trying it against a low rated player tomorrow :D I will record the game and upload :P

https://en.lichess.org/VxE5m9jF I am trying it against a low rated player tomorrow :D I will record the game and upload :P

achja

#9

@noob2chess #8
Ha! Nice. Funny that you mention that game. (How did you come across it ?)

I remember looking at that game in some chess news. It's from a weekend tourney, and GM Sadler was mentioning something about him being sleepy, and not being in the game, deciding the play g5! to secure the e5 square for the black knight and winning nicely after that.

@noob2chess #8 Ha! Nice. Funny that you mention that game. (How did you come across it ?) I remember looking at that game in some chess news. It's from a weekend tourney, and GM Sadler was mentioning something about him being sleepy, and not being in the game, deciding the play g5! to secure the e5 square for the black knight and winning nicely after that.

noob2chess

#10

@achja
I was randomly fooling around in the opening db and seen it LOL. I was actually trying to find a different game that I have not yet found where white played h3 and a3 but I do not recall what black played in response the whole game is quite funny like the first 6 moves are terrible pawn moves but white eventually won. White castles manually and the queen makes several single steps up the board. Black just goes crazy and white takes all the material. Not sure if it was an arranged game or something but it was funny.

@achja I was randomly fooling around in the opening db and seen it LOL. I was actually trying to find a different game that I have not yet found where white played h3 and a3 but I do not recall what black played in response the whole game is quite funny like the first 6 moves are terrible pawn moves but white eventually won. White castles manually and the queen makes several single steps up the board. Black just goes crazy and white takes all the material. Not sure if it was an arranged game or something but it was funny.