ECO A00 · Anderssen's Opening

Anderssen's Opening

1. a3

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Black to move. The arrow shows Stockfish’s best move.
Best move

1… e5−0.15

The position is roughly equal. Stockfish 18, depth 18.

Analyze this position

In the Anderssen's Opening (A00), reached after 1. a3, Stockfish 18 recommends 1… e5 for Black. The position is roughly equal (−0.15).

Top engine moves

  1. −0.151… e5 2. c4 Nf6 3. d3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3
  2. −0.111… Nf6 2. d4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. c4 O-O 5. Nc3 d5 6. e3
  3. −0.071… d5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. c4 Nf6 5. cxd5 O-O 6. h3

All Anderssen's Opening variations (1)

Frequently asked questions

What is the best move in the Anderssen's Opening?
After 1. a3, Stockfish 18 at depth 18 recommends 1… e5 for Black, continuing 2. c4 Nf6 3. d3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3. The position is roughly equal (−0.15). The next best moves are 1… Nf6 (−0.11) and 1… d5 (−0.07).
Is the Anderssen's Opening a good opening?
Stockfish rates the position at −0.15: the position is roughly equal. Evaluations this early in the game are small, so practical results depend far more on knowing the plans and typical structures than on the engine's number.
What is the ECO code of the Anderssen's Opening?
A00. ECO codes classify chess openings from A00 to E99; A is the volume for flank openings.

Opening names from the Lichess opening book (CC0). Pieces by Colin M.L. Burnett (GPLv2+).