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Types of Centers and How to Deal with Those

3
Posted by ChessMaster on November 10, 2009 – 11:30 am
Filed under Beginner Chess Tips, Chess Strategy, Chess Tutorials, Chess lessons, Chess tactics
Tagged as Chess Strategy, Chess tactics, chess tutorial

The article on Center Control in Chess tried to show the importance of this aspect in any chess game. But the type of chess strategy and chess tactics used for wresting control of the game varies with the different types of centers that may arise during the middle game. In one of his books, Russian GM Alexander Kotov wrote in detail about this issue with a large number of examples and I liked the way he explained the methods to deal with different center formations.

For the sake of beginners who may find it difficult to go through all the details, I am trying to summarize in a single article the discussions which needed a pretty long chapter by the GM. Obviously, it has been possible to touch only the salient points. I hope that the beginners can benefit from the ideas to try to apply the principles in their games without getting bogged in details. Those who are so inclined can go for the in-depth study by going through the Master’s treatment of the subject.

The types of centers that can arise have been broadly divided into five categories.

  • Closed center
  • Fixed center
  • Open center
  • Mobile center
  • Dynamic center

Closed center:

This is characterized by:

  • Pawns of both sides face each other with none able to advance or to capture opponent’s pawns.
  • No files are open for Rooks to operate or even if there is one file open, neither side is able to take advantage of it.
  • Diagonals are blocked by own or enemy pawns, restricting Bishop movements.
  • There is no immediate prospect of opening a line or diagonal.

How to deal with such centers

  • Start actions on the flanks through maneuvering of pieces and advancing pawns.
  • This is usually started by the player who has the greater advantage in terms of space or availability of pieces on that flank.
  • The defending side either waits to see the action and then try to counter it, or start his own action often on the other flank.
  • Under favorable situations, try to break open the center. This is usually done through sacrifices to utilize the breached positionn.

Fixed center:

The central pawn(s) of both sides face each other and their positions cannot be changed without application of significant forces. This type of center may seem to be same as Closed center discussed above. But unlike Closed centers, all files and diagonals are not blocked and pieces can be moved around the pawn center.

How to deal with such centers

  • Attacking side will try to achieve superiority of forces around the center, forcing opponent’s forces to retreat.
  • Gaining this advantage enables attack on the flanks.
  • Defending side will oppose the above plan and try to neutralize the attack by exchange of pieces, if necessary. If this is successful, counter-attack can be planned on the wings.

Open center:

There are none or only a few pawns in the center files and those which may be present are not playing any important role.

How to deal with such centers

  • Instead of flank attack and attempt to surround enemy position as used in Closed centers, Open centers call for direct attack by using the pieces.
  • This is initiated by the player who has the greater advantage.
  • Identify and exploit weak positions or create weakness in enemy position and then attack those positions.
  • Pawn storming is usually avoided as the resultant weaknesses in the King’s position makes it very vulnerable with an open center.
  • The defense lies in warding off such attacks and trying to launch one’s own attack if the opponent overstretches his resources.

Mobile center:

When one player has a pawn chain at center with at least two united pawns whereas the opponent has none or only one pawn facing the pawn chain, it becomes a Mobile center.

How to deal with such centers

  • The player who has the strong center pawns should advance his pawns with aim to create a passed pawn.
  • If the above is not possible, then he should use his pawns to drive away enemy pieces from key positions to facilitate an attack on the flanks.
  • The tactics of the defending player is to block the center and to try to decimate it.

Dynamic center:

This is the situation when the pawn positions in the center have not yet stabilized into one of the aforesaid types. The position remains unclear till the moves by the players transpose it to a more definitive type. It behoves each player to assess the type of center that will be favorable to his position and try to achieve it by moving his pieces and pawns to that end. Once the center formation crystallizes, appropriate tactics can be followed as described above.

 

Chess Opening: Control of Center – Part 3

7
Posted by ChessMaster on August 12, 2009 – 1:05 pm
Filed under Beginner Chess Tips, Chess Basics, Chess Opening, Chess Strategy, Chess lessons
Tagged as Chess Opening, chess opening tips, Chess Strategy, chess tutorial

In continuation of Chess Opening: Control of Center to show how different openings aim to control the center squares, we now examine the opening strategy behind Queen’s Gambit Declined. This opening has been considered as one of the most reliable defenses of Black against White’s d4. The position reached by the moves described here can be achieved through many other sequence of moves. All these QGD openings are covered under ECO codes D30-D69 and all aim to create a foothold in the center by advancing pawns or using pieces while developing them.

The main idea for White is to offer a gambit of QBP as a temporary sacrifice, which weakens Black’s hold on the center whereas Black declines this offer and goes for a solid build-up. His pawn move e6 helps in this and facilitates the development of his KB but has the disadvantage of blocking his QB, the freeing of which remains a headache for Black.

QGD1
1. d4 d5   White takes control of the central square e5 and semi-central c5. Black does same for e4 and c4.
 
QGD2
2. c4 e6   White offers a pawn but this sacrifice is only temporary as White can recapture the Black pawn soon. This gambit and refusal by Black to accept it gives the name to this opening. Black just continues to strengthen his center position.
 
QGD3
3. Nc3 Nf6   The development of these Knights cancels out each other’s influence on e4 and d5 squares to maintain status quo at center.
 
QGD4
4. Bg5 Be7   White creates an indirect pressure on e4 and c5 by pinning Black’s KN and nullifying the Knight’s influence on the center. Black simply removes the pin while developing his KB and clearing the way for castling.
 
5. e3 0-0   White goes for strengthening his center and opening the lines for developing his KB. Black takes this opportune moment to safeguard his King.
 
QGD5
6. Nf3 Nbd7   These create pressure and counter-pressure on e5 square. Additionally, White Knight supports d4 pawn and the QB and Black QN supports KN and the c5 square. White should remain aware that his QB is in the firing line of Black’s KB and Queen.
 

 

White will try to take advantage of the inactive QB while Black has to find a way to activate it or exchange it to free his position. One way to free the QB is to push KP to e5 but Black first needs to exchange his QP to avoid its getting isolated. Other alternative is to bring it out via b7 after playing b6, but it becomes essential to play c5 to maintain a balance at center.

Black usually refrains from exchanging his QP with White’s QBP as it surrenders the center, but can do so when he gets some advantage out of it like gaining a tempo in attacking White’s KB if it moves to d3. Black also uses pawn move c5 to attack White’s center. After an exchange of Black’s QP and White’s QBP, White gets a majority in the center While Black gets a Queenside pawn majority and each player tries to utilize the respective advantages to launch their attacks.

Chess Opening: Control of Center – Part 2

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Posted by ChessMaster on August 12, 2009 – 5:14 am
Filed under Beginner Chess Tips, Chess Basics, Chess Opening, Chess Strategy, Chess lessons
Tagged as Chess Opening, chess opening tips, chess strategies, chess tutorial

In Chess Opening: Control of Center – Part 1, we looked at two popular KP openings to understand how those resolved the tussle between White and Black for control of the center. Here we take a similar look at a common QP opening to realize the chess tactics involved in this case.

Nimzo-Indian Defense
The classical theories on the strategy of chess openings, as formulated by the first undisputed World Champion Wilhelm Steinitz (1836-1900), was further refined by Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch (1862-1934). These stressed the importance of center control by occupation or by direct application of pressure on those squares by using pawns, developing pieces to support that control, and playing to obstruct opponent’s plans in this regard.

It was Aaron Nimzowitsch (1886-1935) who challenged these conventional and fairly universal ideas with his own in My System, which was probably the most widely read book on chess theories. His system found expression in several openings that bear his name, and Nimzo-Indian Defense happens to be the most important among his hypermodern theories and very widely used in master games till today. It appears that the defense was first played in a Rubinstein-Alekhine game at Leningrad in 1914 (won by Black in 28 moves).

What is significant in this opening is that Black does not commit any pawn structure at the start, thus retaining considerable flexibility. Black exerts control on the center indirectly from a distance by use of his pieces and also undermining the influence of enemy pieces on the center.

Let us see how all this is accomplished.

 

nimzo-indian1
1. d4 Nf6   White wants to control the central square e5 and semi-central c5. Black applies pressure on d5 and e4 by the Knight (a direct control would need Black to play d5, which normally leads to Queen’s Gambit opening).
 
nimzo-indian2
2. c4 e6   White now counters Black’s pressure on d5 by his pawn move and Black uses his KP to strengthen his hold on d5.
 
nimzo-indian3
3. Nc3 Bb4   White develops his QN, adding to the pressure on d5 by his QBP and exerting a measure of control on e4. Black again goes the indirect route to nullify the influence of White QN on d5 and e4 by pinning it. Black also creates the possibility of exchanging his KB with White’s QN, surrendering the advantage of Bishop pair to create a liability of doubled pawn for White on c-file.
 

 

In this defense, Black generally puts his QB in fianchetto by playing b6 and Bb7, applying the Bishop’s influence on the long diagonal including the center squares d5 and e4 in harmony with his KN.

If Black exchanges his KB with White’s QN, his strategy will be to close the center to minimize White’s advantage of Bishop pair. You know that an open game gives a great advantage to player having two Bishops and obviously White’s strategy will be to go for such a game.

At this stage, 4. e3, a quiet looking move, is considered to be White’s most potent weapon against Nimzo-Indian Defense. 4. Qc2 (with the idea to retain Bishop pair without doubling of pawn) and 4. a3 (a venturesome continuation and forcing Black’s hand to play 4. … Be7 or 4. … Bxc3) are also playable. Kasparov used 4. Nf3 (a kind of wait-and-watch move) to considerable success against Karpov in their championship match.

To remain within the ambit of our article, we will consider the normal variation only.

 

4. e3 0-0   White consolidates his QP and goes for development by opening a line for his KB.
 
nimzo-indian4
5. Bd3 d5   White is building up his pressure on e4 and will aim to place his KP there. Black continues with his center control by advancing QP.
 
nimzoindian5
6. Nf3 c5   White KN increases his control on e5, but Black undermines the pressure by threatening White’s QP with his QBP.
 
7. 0-0   White has completed his initial development and in case of doubled pawn due to Black exchanging Bishop with Knight, White can hope to undo it if Black takes his QP. Otherwise White can capture with his Knight to position it centrally. Black does not have any problem in completing his development and his share of center offers many chances of counterplay.

 

In Chess Opening: Control of Center – Part 3, we will see how the another important QP opening viz. Queen’s Gambit Declined goes about the struggle for the center.