The center

Five types of center and the plans for each of them

The fight for the center is one of the main themes of chess strategy, but "holding the center" does not simply mean occupying it with pawns. The pawn structure in the middle of the board decides which squares the pieces get, where the play on the flanks will go, and which plan makes sense at all. Handing the center to your opponent is not a mistake in itself either: what matters is what you get in return.

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Playing with a mobile centerWhat a mobile pair of central pawns gives you

An isolated pawn in the center

Playing with hanging pawnsThe strength and the weakness of two pawns standing side by side in the centerPlaying with a closed centerWhat happens when the central pawns block each other

Pieces in the center, pressure on the center