Center Game

Why the Center Game is worth training

The Center Game starts with 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Qxd4. White opens the center on move two and takes back with the queen right away. Black gains a tempo with 3...Nc6, so the queen steps to e3, where it guards e4 and stays out of the way of the minor pieces.

Chessmate has a Center Game course for White. White develops quickly, castles long, and plays for an attack on the kingside while Black's king is on the other wing.

The Paulsen-Winawer main line in the White sample line

In the White sample line, Black plays 4...Nf6 5.Nc3 Bb4, pinning the knight that defends e4. White answers with 6.Bd2, which breaks the pin and clears c1 so the king can go to the queenside. After 6...O-O 7.O-O-O Re8, the rook on d1 already stands on the half-open d-file.

8.Bc4 develops toward f7 and makes ...d5 harder to play. After 8...d6 9.Nf3 Be6, White trades with 10.Bxe6. Black takes back with the rook, and 11.Ng5 attacks it at once while the knight also eyes f7. With the kings on opposite sides, White's pieces are ready for a kingside attack.

When Black grabs e4 with 8...Bxc3

Black can take the e4-pawn instead of playing 8...d6. After 8...Bxc3 9.Bxc3 Nxe4, Black is a pawn up, but White has kept both bishops. The bishop on c3 points down the long diagonal at Black's kingside, and the bishop on c4 aims at f7.

10.Qf4 attacks the knight on e4 and adds a second attacker to f7. Black must deal with the knight before the extra pawn can count, and White has the faster development and the open lines.

Quiet setups: 5...Be7 and 4...g6

When Black develops quietly with 5...Be7, White follows with 6.Bc4, 7.Bd2, and 8.O-O-O. Black's knight comes to e5 and hits the bishop, so White drops it back with 9.Bb3. After 9...Be6, 10.f4 chases the knight and claims more of the center. Following 10...Nc4 11.Bxc4 Bxc4 12.Nf3, White's knight heads for d4 and the queen later lifts to f3.

Against 4...g6, Black fianchettoes the bishop on g7. White still castles long, then pushes the h-pawn with 8.h4. After ...h5, the knight jumps to g5, where it eyes f7 and the weakened squares around the king.

The Charousek check and the h-file mate

In the Charousek Variation, Black checks with 4...Bb4+. White blocks with 5.c3, which also attacks the bishop. After 5...Be7 6.Bc4, White simply develops and castles. After 5...Ba5, the course shows an attack.

Following 6.Bc4 Nge7 7.Qg3 Ng6 8.h4 O-O 9.h5 Nge5 10.Bg5 Qe8 11.Bf6, the bishop presses on g7. 11...g6 looks like it holds, but 12.hxg6 Nxg6 13.Qxg6+ hxg6 14.Rh8# mates. The queen sacrifice clears the h-file for the rook. Black needed 11...Ng6 instead.

What to train first

Start with the Center Game course for White.

• Learn the Paulsen-Winawer sample line first, from 4.Qe3 through 7.O-O-O and 11.Ng5.
• Then add the 8...Bxc3 pawn grab and the quiet 5...Be7 and 4...g6 setups.
• Finish with the Charousek check and the mate on the h-file, and notice which pawn moves open lines toward Black's king.

The Center Game rewards fast development and a clear plan. Train the lines until castling long and pushing toward the kingside feel automatic.