Summary
The Durkin's Attack begins with 1.Na3 (ECO A00). A knight to the edge of the board on move one. It controls almost nothing, blocks the a-pawn, and exists mainly because one player from New Jersey kept playing it.
Strategic Overview
1.Na3 sends a knight to the rim, where its scope is roughly half what it would be on c3. The knight covers b5 and c4 and not much else, and it blocks the a-pawn from supporting any future queenside expansion. Functionally it's a pass: White hands the move to Black and waits to see what they do. Black has no reason to be polite back. 1...e5 and 1...d5 are both strong, claiming the center directly. After 1...e5, White's one semi-coherent idea is 2.Nc4, eyeing the e5-pawn, but Black defends easily with ...Nc6 or ...d6 and continues normal development. The opening is associated almost entirely with Robert Durkin of New Jersey, who played it in over-the-board and correspondence games. Eric Schiller nicknamed it the Sodium Attack as a nod to the chemical symbol Na. The naming is the most interesting thing about it.
Key Ideas
A few ideas come up again and again in this opening:
- Black takes the center immediately — 1.Na3 doesn't pressure anything central, so Black can play 1...e5 or 1...d5 without concern. The knight on a3 doesn't cover d5 or e5, so nothing prevents a direct central claim.
- White's only follow-up is 2.Nc4 — After 1...e5, the knight wants to reroute via c4 to attack the e5-pawn. Black handles this with simple development like ...Nc6 and ...d6. There's no tactical sting waiting in this line.
- A knight on the rim blocks queenside expansion — With the knight on a3, the a-pawn can't easily advance, and any later b4 push needs the knight to move first. White's queenside is structurally hampered by its own opening move.
Common Mistakes
- Neglecting development — It can feel productive to make extra pawn moves early, but falling behind in piece development is what loses most amateur games — especially in open positions where active pieces find squares fast.
- Playing without a plan — Each Durkin's Attack middlegame demands a specific approach. Decide whether the position calls for attack, manoeuvre, or simplification before reaching for a move.
Practice on Chessiverse
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Robert Durkin of New Jersey championed 1.Na3 in over-the-board and correspondence play, but hardly anyone else has taken it up. Chess author Eric Schiller gave it the nickname Sodium Attack.
Named after: The opening carries the name of Robert T. Durkin (1923-2014), a New Jersey player who used 1.Na3 both over the board and by correspondence.
Notable players: Robert T. Durkin
