Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation

Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation

Definition

The Ware Opening begins with the flank move 1. a4. When Black replies in kind with 1…a5, the game enters the Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation. The term “symmetric” refers to Black’s mirror-image response on the a-file, creating an immediate but largely cosmetic symmetry on the board.

How It Is Used in Play

Players who choose 1. a4—and especially those willing to meet 1…a5—tend to have one or more of the following goals:

• Psychological warfare. By steering the game away from mainstream theory on move one, a player may hope to unsettle an opponent who depends on memorized openings.
• Time-control tactics. In blitz or bullet, offbeat openings can force the opponent to think independently sooner than usual.
• Stylistic preference. Some players simply enjoy unorthodox structures and the creative freedom they afford.

Because both sides immediately move a rook pawn two squares, central development is delayed; the real contest for the center usually starts on move two or three, often with 2. d4 or 2. e4 by White.

Strategic and Historical Significance

Strategically, 1. a4 a5 is considered dubious but playable at club level:

• Both sides concede a tempo in the race for central influence. The resulting position is roughly balanced but lacks the latent dynamism of more popular openings.
• The advance of each a-pawn slightly weakens the b-square (b3 for White, b6 for Black). Nimzowitsch would call the pawn a “hook” for future minority attacks.
• Because the a-files are already half-open, early rook lifts such as Ra3 or …Ra6 sometimes appear in practical play.

Historically, the opening is named after 19th-century American master Preston Ware, known for his eccentric first moves. While it has never graced World Championship stages, the Symmetric Variation has surfaced in exhibition games and internet rapid events, where surprise value compensates for theoretical shortcomings.

Canonical Example

The following miniature illustrates typical ideas for both sides:

Key take-aways:

• White combines a later central thrust (d4) with piece activity (Bg5), while Black mirrors normally with …d5 and …Nf6, demonstrating that the position soon resembles a Queen’s Pawn Game despite the early a-pawn advances.
• The half-open a-file allows quick rook lifts (in this line Ra3 or …Ra6 could appear later) that would be unusual in mainstream openings.

Typical Plans

1. White
   • Seize the center with 2. d4 or 2. e4.
   • Exploit the weakened b6-square via Nb5, Bf4, or a pawn minority attack with b2-b4.
   • Use the half-open a-file for rook activity (Ra3–Rg3 is a common attacking motif in blitz).
2. Black
   • Counter in the center with …d5 or …e5, aiming to punish White’s flank foray.
   • Target the b3-square and possibly expand on the queenside with …c6 and …b5.
   • Mirror White’s rook lift ideas with …Ra6 or …Ra5.

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

• Grandmaster Tony Miles once opened 1. a4 in a British Championship game (Miles–Chapman, Torquay 1973), winning convincingly and later quipping, “If 1. e4 is best by test, why not test 1. a4?” In that game Black did not mirror with 1…a5, but the anecdote helped keep the Ware Opening in the limelight of offbeat theory.
• The Symmetric Variation is occasionally nicknamed the “Parrot Line,” reflecting Black’s decision to “parrot” White’s first move.
• In many chess engines’ opening books the evaluation after 1. a4 a5 hovers around equality (0.00) for several plies, illustrating the computer’s indifference to flank pawn adventures so long as material remains even and tactical dangers are minimal.
• The move pair 1. a4 a5 has been played thousands of times online at bullet time controls; in longer classical games it is vanishingly rare—fewer than 0.01% of games in modern databases.

Practical Advice

If you are tempted to employ the Symmetric Variation:

• Study typical central transpositions (e.g., Queen’s Gambit-like structures after 2. d4 d5).
• Practice rook-lift tactics—this is one of the few genuine upsides to the early a-file advances.
• Use it sparingly at serious time controls; its surprise value diminishes sharply once opponents know the straightforward antidote of rapid central occupation.

Related Concepts

• Flank Openings – openings defined by side-pawn moves on move one.
• Central Control – the strategic principle most directly violated by 1. a4.
• King’s Indian Attack – a flexible system some players reach after 1. a4 a5 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 etc.