We’ve all been there many times during our chess life:

You start a game of chess (either over the board or online) and you’re faced with some never-seen-before-opening-moves by your opponent.

How should you react in such a situation?

1. Do not panic

Just because you’ve never seen this opening before, it doesn’t mean that there is something wrong with your game. In fact, if you don’t recognize the opening, it may well be because it is not a popular one i.e. it is not considered a very good opening. After all, if it was a good opening, many more people would have played by now against you, right?

2. Slow down your playing speed and THINK

A never-seen-before-opening requires some deep thinking. You should spend more time than normal in your opening moves. Of course, you don’t need to think for hours analyzing the next 10 or 20 moves. Just remember the basic opening principles and try to play ‘normal’ moves focusing on development. You don’t even need to find the best moves. Good enough moves will be more than adequate.

3. (almost) Never accept sacrificed material

There are sacrificial lines in most openings. If you face an unfamiliar line, it is quite possible that your opponent has played this line before and he knows what the plans are from each side. Some of these plans may involve sacrificing material in order to launch an attack or simply as part of a tactical combination. This is why –unless you’re confident that you have calculated everything- it is usually safer to decline a sacrifice and calmly continue with your development

4. Neither play passively nor play aggressively

Faced with unfamiliar openings, many players either overreact with aggression or sit back and restrict their pieces. Both approaches are wrong. A balanced play is what is needed under these circumstances. Just play according to principles and aim to get a playable middlegame. From then on, it’s anyone’s game!