What do I do against an opening I do not recognise?
These answers restate the rules implemented by our open-source engine, which follows the WXF laws for movement, checkmate and both repetition rulings: a side that forces a repetition by perpetual check or perpetual chase loses rather than drawing. The chase half has not been validated against the official casebook. Where an answer refers to a specific position, that position lives on the linked reference page, where the build verifies it before publishing.
Direct answer
Fall back on the general opening principles rather than worrying about the name. Every sound opening, named or not, is still built from the same handful of ideas: answer real threats, develop a new piece each move, and get a chariot onto an open file. You do not need to recognise a system to play correctly against it.
Ask what the move actually does
Ignore what the opening is called and ask the only question that matters: what does this move threaten, and what does it develop? An unfamiliar-looking cannon swing is still just a cannon aiming somewhere, and the same defensive logic that answers a Central Cannon answers most cannon-based tries.
Where recognition genuinely helps
Named systems save time because their plans are known in advance, not because they are impossible to meet otherwise. Once a game leaves known territory for both players, which happens often below expert level, the players who rely on principles rather than memory are the ones still finding good moves.
Related questions
Should I look the opening up after the game?
If it is worth it, yes, but only after finding your own answer during the game.
Is it risky to play principled moves against a sharp system?
Less risky than guessing at a memorised line you do not understand and get wrong.
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