How to retain a center majority?

I've played a few games on this site now and one of the things that's been coming back every time is this: when I manage to gain a strong pawn presence in the center in the opening, I feel this should be an advantage for me. But my opponent then just advances and trades off a few of his own pawns, resulting in a stronger center for him. Why is it that I cannot hold on to my stronger center and exploit its advantage, that it is so easy for my opponent to undo my hard work?

For example here is one game where I gain an e5+d4 center as White.

Answers:

1. this is basically opening theory in this example. The pawn march 5.e5 is too early. e5 is easily attacked with d7-d6 and an exchange makes your pawn structure worse.

2. technically, you don't have a pawn majority in the centre. Black has the same pawns you have. You have here more space in the centre. But space alone is not enough. Which squares are controlled by your pawns and pieces? Remember, the squares your pawns and pieces stand on are NOT controlled by you, unless they are covered by other piece(s) and/or pawn(s).

It's useful advice for many types of positions -- when you have a point you want to keep hold of, try not to capture or move your pawn off of that point.  Instead, add defenders too it.  In this case we're talking about the center, and moves like Bf4 on move 9 or 11 reinforce the squares you want to keep control of.  9.exd6 was also an idea, keeping your center space.

Although in this game there are other things going on, white really isn't in a bad position.  In exchange for breaking down your center and getting some open lines, he has an isolated e pawn you can play against... "it's a game of chess" as they say.

Lol. I guess the key is you should be prepared to exchange the pawn center for other advantages. In this case, there is the possibility of play against the e6 pawn as honda pointed out, also the opportunity to bring a Rook on d file, and it looks like the White pieces could become pretty active once they start moving.

Although, early e5 is rarely a good idea in the Sicilian and the Bishop wasn't well placed on c4, as it enabled the Black to play d5 with a gain of tempo. Also exf6 helped the Black develop a piece. (You can't prevent the Black from exchanging your e pawn, but you shouldn't waste a move to help him out.)

Simple Paulgt…

Put yourself in your opponent´s shoes (board) and you will not complain as you did a moment ago.

how i see this issue:

in this example, you're white, you begin with a strategy to take a control of the center, because youre white you bet you're 1 move away from black, its true in the beginning of the game but you lose the advantage.

as you notice, when black develops, he moves every unit only once at startup.

look at moves 4. c3 to 6. Be2. at this point your enemy is actually 1 move away from you cause you had to move bishop again, as your enemy continues developing without error.

edit:

however i sense that white is in better situation afterall

Here is a very early e5. This pawn now controls d6 and f6, and isn't going anywhere real fast, is it? Interesting how after three pawn moves from both sides, one pawn moving twice, that no pieces have been developed yet. It kinda goes against opening principles.

C02: French Defense: Advance Variation

A 'strong pawn presence in the center' is not an advantage. As freelunch pointed out, occupation is not control.

The correct central-control procedure is to place your Pawns on d4 and e4 and hold them there with the gathering support of your pieces until they're unassailable, cramping your opponent, and eyeing off both wings at the same time. Black wants to either destroy your center, force it to advance prematurely (thereby creating weak squares that can be occupied by his forces), or block it (a big center's potential for destruction is reduced if it cannot push forward when ready, and completely useless if the central Pawns are all locked up).

Don't be disheartened, 'controlling the center', one of the main opening principles, is easily said, but difficult to understand. If you think about the other opening principles, like 'get your pieces out', 'castle early', 'Knights before Bishops', 'don't move the same piece twice', they're all pretty easy to understand; but 'control the center', what the hell does that mean!

Just about all chess strategy books have a section on central control. You could try Pachman's Complete Chess Strategy, Volume 2 - Principles of Pawn Play and the Center (same material is in his much lauded Modern Chess Strategy).

i agree with b2_, good post. e4 and queen pawn opening _as_ "having control of the center" seems overrated, same as having a piece in the center is not same as having control. white has an advantage when "taking control of the center", but why you have different strategy with black?

Now that I've spent a few months on this site, I can answer my own question.

Up until move 9 White was basically doing fine, but I should have taken on d6. Because my Knight was on f3, my f-pawn could not support e5 and Black was able to force a trade with his f-pawn. 

What I didn't know then was that pawn trades can always be forced, and that to retain a strong center you must take back with another pawn, not with a piece. If I had been able to play f4, taking on e5 would not have helped Black at all because I simply would have taken back and held on to e5.