h4 Opening?

Playing a game at the moment online with my father. I probably should wait until later in the game to ask, but why would somebody open with h4? It does little to benefit white and unless he's planning a suicide attack with his pawn to begin it won't deviate me from my game. I answered with d5 to prevent an early rook development, though I must admit I wouldn't be too concerned if he did develop his rook early. I've always felt the rook was more useful mid-end game. Does anyone know if this is an opening that's used at all anywhere? Wikipedia describes it as the Desprez opening.

1. h4 is an annoying move.  Best is 1..d5 and just take control of the center.  The only way any one will ever win with that opening is if you let it bother you so much you don't pay attention.  There are plenty of times that White can use the h pawn to effect.  It is a good way to relay the initiative to Black, while gaining kingside space.

H4 has four purposes

1. To try to play black openings instead of white ones (but white wins more often.  This is generally in combination with other considerations, since a pawn on H4 is unlikely to be useful)

2. To release the rook (A dubious waste of time)

3. Absolute chilling fear of scholars mate (again, its better to learn how to refute it)

4. Phychological effect (messing you up, and if you lose, humiliating you and possibly throwing you off for the next few games you play with him)

However, it clearly isn't as good as a standard opening.  It gives up whites first turn advantage.  Try to take advantage of blacks kingside castle being weak, try to anticipate a kingside pawn push or flanchetto.  Most start with 1. d5 to immediately stop a rook move, and emulate a flipped 1. e4.  NEVER play an opening where 1. h4 may be a useful move.

The point of 1.h4 is to avoid your opening study. If you've been spending time studying openings and he hasn't, he made an excellent choice... otherwise it's only a so-so choice (giving up the first move advantage doesn't mean too much at your level).

Yeah his moves are freaking me out, we play slowly and our current position is:

 Maybe we shouldn't pass on advice on a game in progress... it's not fair to play alone against all the brilliant minds of chess.com 

Lol...I don't think he is considering that...shouldn't he then wait until the game is over? I know what you are saying, but I think he doesn't.  But I guess maybe we should pose it this way...

grandgousier, do you want assistance on this game?  I am sorry if I gave you advice too quickly, but if you didn't want advice, then maybe next time we should wait until the game is over.  The best and most courteous idea is to wait, but I assumed you just wanted some advice...so I am sorry if I misunderstood your post.

I've used this tactic against people who have studied openings but are bad chess players. I know very few openings. I see no reason to let someone play highly analyzed moves against over the board moves a 1500 player like myself would make.

 h4 gives black the initiative, but also means I get to make 1500 moves against terrible players.

E4 means they get to make GM level moves against my 1500 level chess. I know the four knights opening, the first three moves of the Ruy Lopez, and a couple of lines in Sicilian.

If they play the Caro-Kann it means I'll probably lose. 

H4 doesn't give them the opportunity. 

[I would start with 1.d4 and get the queen out from behind the pawns]

H4 is the probably the most powerful move one can make, if you do not have much skill at chess.

H4/A4 opens a spot for the rooke to come out, or opens a space for an escape route for a future castle. By playing H4 as your 1st, 2nd or 3rd move, you open some side space for future moves. Why would you have 7 of the most powerful chess pieces trapped in the back of the board, caused by nowhere to escape? It doesn't make sense. Instead of opening D4, and getting a queen and bishop out for 2 turns, you can open up 2 ROWS for the entire game.

Have fun with the game :-) your father likes a joke and wants to confuse you, as he did seeing you post here about it :-)

ok

is that like the f5 opening?

I have developed the H4 opening into something I call "gabrichidze opening"(yes my name), which includes g4 and g5 moves to either block opponents knight at the bay for as long as possible, or screw opponents opportunity to do castling.

One may allow opponent to take the center in this opening, and move on with pawn attacks at the left flank, with same intention-either to block opponents knight at bay by pawn on b6, or to screw his castling at that flank too. Later on the game this formation allow deadly attack on the flanks by rock + queen combination(often backed by bishops), especially if opponent still castles. 

You can check my games here as examples. 

I am still an amature player, so I screw up with concentration (loosing piece etc) or endings sometimes, but formation itself works, more, it often allow to win against more experienced players.

I would play it to avoid anyone else's theory knowledge and opening study. I don't study theory since I play chess as a way to have fun, but if my opponent put effort into memorizing theory then I'd have no chance at winning, so as a way to restore balance I would play 1.h4, 1.a4, or something weird like that.

Tilt or maybe just to mess with the opponent's head.