The Value of Space In 3 Check: Part 2

In Part 1 I demonstrated how powerful an early Qg4 can be as White. Now I will show how this Queen maneuver can be just as effective as Black. Here are 2 games where I allowed my opponents to get a check in exchange for strong central control and the ability to quickly activate my Queen to a dominant square. 

Often you can provoke your opponent into playing g6/g3 in response to a Bishop pointing towards a castled King. When this happens you should play Qd2/Qd7 with the idea to get your Queen to h6/h3 as quickly as possible.

As you can see from some of these games, even some strong 1800+ players don't fully appreciate the value of space and central control. Here are 2 more examples of strong players neglecting to control the center.

Conclusion:

Neglecting to control the center with your pawns is one of the most common mistakes I see players make. The player who controls the center controls the game. Remember, when you have a space advantage your pieces have many more options than your opponent's pieces. This means that you can more easily create threats and prevent your opponent from creating threats. The concept of central control is so important that you can often even consider allowing your opponent to give a check in exchange for it.