Originally posted by Knight SquareBAD.
I have to ask you, is it a official opening and is it a one to be considered? I believe it is a bad opening because it blocks the Knight devolopment. What do you say? Raman?
Does it control the center? NO
Does it develop pieces? NO, in fact it gives your knight less mobility
Does it open lines for your pieces? No
Ergo, 1.c3 is a good way to give up whites only advantage - moving first.
Originally posted by YUG0slavI wasn't under any such impression! I was merely pointing out the transpositional possibilities arising after 1.c3, if you read my post properly you'll realise that.
if you play 1. c3...why are you under the impression that black wont play 1. ...e5 or 1. ...d5 instead of e6/d6/c6/something else inferior...?
This has been covered in a previous post.
I once faced it OTB. My play against it was pretty boogered up:
1.c3 d5
2.e4 dxe4
3.Qa4+ Bd7
4.Qxe4 Nc6
5.d4 Nf6
6.Qc2 e6
7.Nf3 Be7
8.Be2 0–0
9.h3 h6
10.a3 Re8
11.Bc4 Bd6
12.0–0
And now I blundered with
12. e5
When White might have played 13.Bxh6 but overlooked it.
I can find no reference to 1. c3 as a first move in any opening book I have.
It seems pointless. Generally the purpose of c3 is to support a pawn on d4 or to allow a retreat of the f1 B to c2. Played as a first move this does neither. It shuts down whites options immediately. No longer can a N go to c3 so it must go to d2. d4 at some stage is necessary so from this 1 move black can work out a lot of whites plan.
White needs to keep their options open and play a different 1st move with c3 following when the time is right. eg 1. e4 .. c5, 2. c3 is now perfectly playable as a recognised opening.
Originally posted by StivesNo, it IS a stupid thread. For example, a quick google search turns up:
This is NOT a stupid thread! A question was posed and several people, including myself, with more intelligent comments to make than you, and certainly more manners than you have participated in it!
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Opening_theory_in_chess/1._c3
What does that tell you? Guess how long that took me. About 15 seconds, and it's obviously an awful opening. Even the original poster commented on how bad it looked.
If you wish for such an opening that 'wastes a move' ie turns white play into black (because that's what it does), then 1.a3 is much superior... it prevents a bishop pin on your c3 knight.
This way, at least you haven't prevented your knight from moving there in the first place!!
(Edit: 1.c3 CAN turn white to black; doesn't have to. 1.a3=Anderssen's opening)