Sodium Attack

About this opening

With 1.Na3 White develops the knight to the rim: the Sodium Attack owes its name to the notation Na3, a nod to the chemical symbol for sodium. The knight may head to c4 to pressure e5 and d6, but the detour costs time and Black equalizes with 1...d5 or 1...e5. The Chenoboskion Variation 1...g6 2.g4 seeks Grob-style complications. Also called the Durkin Opening after the American Robert Durkin, it was later tried by Michael Basman, the specialist in eccentric openings.