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Control of the Center

Control of the Center

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Have you ever wondered why Experts and Masters always open with either e4, e5, d4, d5, nf3, nf6, c4? It's because they all control the strive to control the CENTER. The center consists of 4 squares on the chessboard, e4, e5, d4, and d5.        

1. Provides quick and easy access to all parts of the board


The center is fiercely fought over in all games ranging from beginners up to Grandmasters! Why is this you may ask? Their coach told them to? They wouldn't get candy after the game if they didn't? It is because the center is where all pieces, pawns, rooks, queens, bishops, knights, and even kings (only in the endgame) enjoy the maximum freedom of movement because they can reach to the kingside and queenside at the fastest route. 

              Notice the knight on e5 controls 4 squares on the Queenside: c4, c6, d7,  and d3. 4 squares on the Kingside: f7, f3, g4, and g6. Even if you change the piece, it can be any piece, lets say a light square bishop on e4. It controls d5, c6, b7, a8, d3, c2, and b1 on the Queenside. On the kingside it controls e4, f5, g6, h7, f3, g2, and h1. Thats a lot of squares for one piece! 99.2% of the time, the player who controls the center vs a player who just plays on wing, the center prevails.           

                         

Black lost this game because he didn't exert as much pressure on the center after he played dxc4, and after that white got a nice space advantage with a pawn on d4 which controls e5 and c5, notice the strangling effects Chekhover's control of the center gave black. 

                    2. The more control of the center the more you hamper the opponent    This is true because the opponents pieces are cut off from there most mobile posts which results in you being in more control of the board. In the most extreme cases, you have pieces up to the 5th rank while the opponent is confined to only 3 ranks. 

  
Yes, this is the same example as the previous one, I just couldn't resist showing the fine points and strategies Chekhover exhibits in this game. Notice how black never got a free game and had to suffer with a passive position the whole game because the d4 pawn in combination with the other white pieces, helped stop black from grabbing some air with e5 or c5. This game also shows the consequences if you surrender the center early in the opening and if you don't play in the center with enough energy. Here black played 

     3. How to punish your opponent for not playing in the center

 Black wanted to attack the king by advancing his pawns to g5. But instead black got checkmated. Why is that? Because black weakened his king by playing the moves g4 ,f5, white just played in the center and opened it which opened routes for white's pieces to get to the king.  A great illustration of how play on the wing is met by play in the center! Even in 1 blink of you ignoring the center your game can burst into flames just because of that slight reaction. Now we realize the fight for the center is not only based on logical moves that control the center, its also based on willpower to do everything to control it and to never give up and give in to your emotions. Psychology is one of the main differences that separate chess masters from amateurs. This is a complex but important topic we will discuss in future blogs. You need to want to control the center, a good mindset to have is "I want to control the center with all my power, and nothing is gonna ever stop me! Of course there are exceptions to this. This doesn't apply to situations where the center is closed.                 

                                 4. When not to play in the center                                                   

                                         This is a KID (Kings Indian Defense) structure where the center is closed, and play must be found on the wings. Black plays on the kingside and try for the pawn break f7-f5 with hopes of getting an attack on the kings while white will try to demolish black's queenside by the pawn lever c4-c5. No play can be found in the center because the pawns e4, d5 for white, and d6, e5 for black are blocked, they can't move, which is why this pawn structure is referred to as "blocked"       

                                         

                              Notice how no play occurred in the center. Black followed through his plan with f5 and an attack on the white king, and white tried to counter by getting in c5 and openings the c file.  Another closed structure where play on the wings is called for is the when there is a pawn chain of white pawns on d4 e5 and black pawns on e6 d5.    

                               

This pawn structure is common in the French Defense and Caro-Kann openings. White's plan is to play on the queenside with the pawn break c7-c5 and white will try for a mating attack with f2-f4-f5.   
Here Black followed through with his plan of breaking with c5 and playing on the queenside and he stopped f5 from happening but it wasn't enough to counter the mating attack. 

                             5. How it affects chess strategy   

The strategies the center affects are attacking, and basically playing on the win. One of the major factors of the success of an attack is the situation in the center. If the center is closed, the attack is likely to succeed, if its open, then the opponent can seek counter play in the center.   

                           

In this position, the center is closed and black cannot generate any counter play on the center because there is a bishop on f6. So an attack is bound to succeed in this position.   
Because black had no counter play on the center white was able to make use of the weak dark squares around black's king, and score a brilliant victory.  
Note how instead of a closed position, black prevented any counter play on the center with his c4 and e4 pawns. 

                    

 Now black had sufficient counter play because he had a pawn on c5 which creates tension with the central d4 pawn and with it, he has able to open the c file, and gain enough counter play and ultimately win.      

           6. How the center can limit the mobility of the opponent pieces. 

                             

The g7-f6-e5 (g2-f3-e4 for white) pawn chain is a good way to neutralize white's or blacks queens bishops. Usually the bishops on the a1-h8 or h1-a8 diagonal enjoy a long diagonal pointing to the king. But here not only will the king be safer, but the bishop is biting granite on this diagonal. Having more active and useful pieces than your opponent is always a plus in any position!      

                         

Summary
  • The center gives pieces the greatest mobility when posted there  
  • Provides quick and easy access to any part of the board
  • Limits the opponents piece mobility 
  • Greatly affects chess strategy                               Feel like you have the concept iced? Then feel free to try out the 2 puzzles below and test your knowledge of the center.