Barnes Opening: Walkerling
Barnes Opening: Walkerling
Definition
The Barnes Opening: Walkerling is an off-beat chess opening that begins with 1. f3 and is normally followed by an early king excursion to f2 (most often 1…e5 2.Kf2). It belongs to the ECO code A00, a catch-all category for irregular first moves by White. The line is named after the 19th-century English master Thomas Wilson Barnes, who frequently opened with the unusual pawn move to f3, and after an even more obscure player—believed to be an amateur named Walker—who popularised the idea of marching the king to f2 on move two. “Walkerling” is sometimes jokingly described as the “king on a leash,” because the monarch spends the opening tethered to the weak f-pawn it has just helped create.
Typical Move Order
The most common sequence is:
- 1. f3 e5 2.Kf2 d5 (reaching the core Walkerling tabiya)
- Other replies for Black on move 1—such as 1…d5 or 1…Nf6—lead to similar positions after 2.Kf2.
Strategic Features
- Structural Weaknesses – The move 1.f3 makes the e1–h4 diagonal dangerously vulnerable and removes the f-pawn, one of the king’s primary bodyguards. When the king steps to f2 this weakness is amplified.
- Loss of Time – The king move wastes a tempo and interferes with normal development (the knight on g1 and rook on h1 struggle for activity).
- Psychological Weapon – Precisely because it violates classical principles, the Walkerling can surprise an unprepared opponent and drag the game into uncharted territory.
- Central Counterplay for Black – Black typically seizes central space with …d5, …e5, and quick piece development, aiming to open lines before White can reorganise.
Practical Usage
You will almost never see the Walkerling in serious classical chess. Its appearances are largely confined to:
- Blitz and bullet games where surprise value outweighs objective soundness.
- Casual or thematic events devoted to “worst openings” or “handicap” play.
- Computer engine testing, because engines evaluate the opening as extremely dubious and thus provide clear metrics for punishment.
Illustrative Mini-Game
The following four-move miniature (a popular training example rather than an over-the-board game) shows how quickly things can go wrong for White:
After 4…d4 Black threatens 5…dxe3+ and 5…dxe3+ 6.dxe3 Qxd1, exploiting White’s weakened diagonal and misplaced king.
Historical & Anecdotal Notes
- Thomas Wilson Barnes, namesake of the broader Barnes Opening, once defeated Paul Morphy in a casual game with 1.f3, but the king did not venture to f2 in that famous encounter.
- Modern databases show fewer than 100 master-level games featuring the Walkerling. White’s score hovers around 20 %, making it one of the poorest-performing openings ever recorded.
- Grandmaster Simon Williams (“Ginger GM”) has used the line in online speedplay for entertainment, dubbing it the “Ginger Fried Fox” when combined with an early g4 thrust.
- Engines rate 1.f3 e5 2.Kf2? at roughly –1.8 pawns for White—almost the same disadvantage as starting the game a pawn down.
Key Takeaways
- The Walkerling is objectively unsound but can be a fun surprise weapon.
- Its main idea—early king walk combined with a weakened f-pawn—runs counter to nearly every classical opening principle.
- Players who choose it must be prepared for sharp, tactical play where one mistake can be fatal.