Hello all...

I'm a novice at Chess, and I've been developing a theory about the game; it may be nothing new. But, if you look at a chessboard as a battleground and Chess as a wargame, in my view the 4th and 5th ranks are the "battleground" to be won by establishing a powerful piece or pieces at one or both ranks such as: bishop, queen, rook or even a good pawn development.  A player who can do this I believe has the advantage. So my questions about my budding theory are:

1. Am I thinking wrong about the 4th and 5th ranks?

2. If I'm slighty on target, in your experiences, what piece or piece would you want at the 4th or 5th rank to control the battleground?

3. Are there chess play theories already out there that emphasizes occupation of the 4th and/or 5th ranks? If so, can you name few that you feel are good to study and practice?

Any positive and constructive suggestions/thoughts are welcomed. Sorry if this is a silly question.

Thanks,

Billy

You just solved chess!!

Don't be cheeky

LoL yes you are right about the center.

I suggest you go buy some chess books.

You'll learn all you need.

Yes, these ranks are very important. The typically established theory is that you want to control the center, and depending on interpretation, this can mean the center files, or the center squares. Either way, getting pieces in the center strengthens them incredibly, and is a central strategy to controlling the board, and the game. Blocking pawns with knights and forming attacks with rooks in the center in endgame are some of the most powerful strategies one can use in a chess game, so yes, your thinking is correct. I usually use knights to control the center, but any piece is good at it (the worst probably being a bishop).

Since this is a central theory in chess, I can't think of specific openings or theory about it, just know that it is important.

Why the not bishop?

Think about the fact that each piece on each square has certain "powers" and certain "weaknesses". The  literature always says that the center is the pace to occupy and control because these four central squares are the ones that each touch 35 other squares by way of vertical, horizontal, diagonal, and knight-move lines, but all of the squares touch a certain number of squares, so...the point is to control the right squares at the right time, right?