The Amar Opening or Paris Opening is a chess opening defined by the move 1.Nh3 in algebraic notation. The Parisian amateur Charles Amar played it in the 1930s. It was probably named by Tartakower who used both names for this opening, although the chess author Tim Harding has jokingly suggested that "Amar" is an acronym for "Absolutely mad and ridiculous".
Like the Durkin Opening, White develops a knight to a rim square without having much reason to do so, and such a development is quite awkward. (One of Siegbert Tarrasch´s proverbs is "A knight on the rim is grim".) Nevertheless, developing the king´s knight prepares kingside castling, and therefore 1.Nh3 is a more common move than 1.Na3. Since 1.Nh3 is irregular, it is classified as A00 by the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings.
Black´s most common reply is 1...d5 which threatens 2...Bxh3, ruining White´s kingside pawn structure. White usually plays 2.g3 to prevent this, and Black can then take a grip of the center with 2...e5.
There is one named gambit variation of the Amar Opening called the Paris Gambit: 1.Nh3 d5 2.g3 e5 3.f4, but with Black having a grip of the center in addition to a pawn, this gambit is extremely dubious.
References\´
- Hooper, David and Kenneth Whyld (1996). The Oxford Companion To Chess. Oxford University. ISBN 0-19-280049-3.
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