Flank openings

Ware Opening

1.a4

The Ware Opening starts with 1.a4 and is catalogued under ECO A00, in the flank openings half of the book. The catalog indexes 7 lines inside it, grouped into 7 named variations, and the position after those moves has 1 playable continuation to walk from here.

Opening repertoire map

Root edges show how often each move is played around your Elo. Use the arrow on a position to reveal the next replies.

Current position
Ware Opening
4 plies
Wing Gambit
Popularity by Elo
Share of Lichess blitz, rapid, and classical games that continued with each move.
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Current setup

Move ideas

  1. 1.a4

    Advances the a-pawn to gain queenside edge space and control new squares.

    Idea: Create useful wing space while keeping the central structure flexible.

  2. 1…b5

    Advances the b-pawn to gain queenside space and control new squares.

    Idea: Prepare a fianchetto or discourage the opponent’s expansion on that wing.

  3. 2.axb5

    Captures the pawn on b5 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.

    Idea: Open lines in the queenside and reshape the center for the next phase.

Book continuations

Waiting for Lichess game popularity.

1 move
Bb7Ware Opening: Wing Gambit1 named lineDevelops the bishop to b7, bringing it into the game.Idea: Improve piece coordination and clear the back rank for castling and the rooks.

Named variations

Each line below is an indexed entry under Ware Opening. Open one to load it on the board and keep exploring from that position.

Openings from the same volume

ECO groups openings by the structures they lead to, so these families tend to share plans with the Ware Opening.