Clemenz Opening
title: "Clemenz Opening" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["chess-openings"] topic_path: "general/chess-openings" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clemenz_Opening" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox chess opening"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| openingname | Clemenz Opening |
| image | {{Chess diagram |
| moves | 1.h3 |
| ECO | A00 |
| nameorigin | Hermann Clemenz |
| :: |
| openingname = Clemenz Opening | image = {{Chess diagram|| |rd|nd|bd|qd|kd|bd|nd|rd |pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |pl |pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl| |rl|nl|bl|ql|kl|bl|nl|rl | moves = 1.h3 | ECO = A00 | birth = | nameorigin = Hermann Clemenz | AKA =
The Clemenz Opening is a chess opening beginning with the move: : 1. h3
This opening is named after Hermann Clemenz (1846–1908), an Estonian player. It is considered an irregular opening and is classified under the code A00 (irregular first moves by White) in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings.
Description
Like Anderssen's Opening, 1.a3, 1.h3 is a time-wasting move, as it makes no claim on the , nor does it aid . It also leads to a slight weakening of White's , albeit not as severely as Grob's Attack (1.g4) or Barnes Opening (1.f3). Since there is no need for White to make such a time-wasting first move, it is among the rarest of the 20 possible first moves. Nevertheless, IM Michael Basman has experimented with 1.h3, usually following it up with 2.g4 (transposing to the Grob), or 2.a3 followed by a quick c2–c4, a line that has been dubbed the "Creepy Crawly". The Creepy Crawly is also known as the Global Opening.
Black responses
Black has a number of responses, the most common being 1...d5 and 1...e5, which stake out a claim for central space. Another response, 1...b6 (or even 1...b5), intends to fianchetto a bishop to pressure White's weakened pawns and forestall a White kingside expansion with g2–g4.
1...f5 is probably not Black's best reply to 1.h3, since White can then play 2.d4, transposing to a sharp line against the Dutch Defense once tried by Viktor Korchnoi.
References
Bibliography
References
- Hooper & Whyld (1996), p. 81. ''Clemenz Opening''.
- "Viktor Korchnoi vs. Hansjuerg Kaenel, Biel 1979".
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