Chess Opening Theory/1. a4

1. a4?! · Ware Opening
The Ware Opening, named after the US chess player Preston Ware, is a rare opening starting with the move 1.a4. This opening is nearly useless, as it does nothing to control the center or develop a piece. While it does prepare Ra3, Black can stop this with 1... e5, which is a move that Black probably would have wanted to play anyway. Despite its flaws, the Ware Opening can be used to unsettle the opponent, similarly to other unorthodox openings.

Statistics
This opening has no statistics, as it almost never occurs among serious chess players and is a fundamentally unsound opening.