Do the castle pawns openings have any names, or is this considered a bad move?

Question

We are talking chess here.

Answer 1

1. a4 and 1. h4 are both regarded as bad moves

(a) they fail to control the centre and concede the centre to the opponent without a contest or a struggle

(b) 1. h4 intending Rh3 is best met by 1. ... d5 so that if 2. Rh3 is played 2. .... B (c8) x h3 wins the exchange winning "5 points for 3 points".

Similarly 1, a4 intending Ra3 is best met by 1. ... e5 so that if 2. Ra3 is played 2. .... B (f8) x a3 wins the exchange winning "5 points for 3 points".

(c) rooks are best placed and are most powerful on open files and having moved the d- and e-pawns early on and some pawns having been exchanged, developing the a1 rook to d1 and the h1 rook to e1 (after castling 0-0) are effective moves.

Crucially. they get the rooks active more quickly than the laborious and convoluted manoeuvres implied by 1. h4 or 1. a4 in which a rook advances on a closed file and then tries to transfer to an open file in front of its own pawns, which it then blocks in.

Why not go to a open file, directly, once it is clear which files are the most suitable?

(d) Using the rooks in this way means that you cannot castle and your king can be left in the centre, exposed to attack.

Unfortunately there are players who are addicted to this bad habit, and they seem incapable of realising it is the reason they tie themselves in knots and lose so many of their games. To be blunt, they will never improve until and unless they kick the habit.

Answer 2

It's a bad move.

Moving the pawns in front of the rooks (castles) is not a good starting move, because it allows the opponent to take control of the center of the board. All other things being equal, making a move that threatens the center of the board is better than one that threatens the edges.

Answer 3

It's a bad move. You want to gain control of the center and free your major pieces as quick as possible. Getting control of the center is important because pieces are more powerful from the center of the board because they have greater flexibility and range to operate.

Answer 4

While (as others have pointed out) its a bad move against anyone who plays well, it can be an amusing move against someone who has just a bit of experience; its amazing how much it can throw someone who has just a bit of experience into confusion.

(They have to have enough experience to realize its not "normal", but not enough to know "oh, that was a dumb move").

Answer 5

Definitely a bad move. Therefore they are not named.

Answer 6

Bad move.