Amateurs often have no clue of how to use center/space advantage, instead keen on forcing continuations, and unjustified attacks.
Rules of center#
Rule 1. Full pawn center gives control and space.#
A full pawn center gives its owner territory and control over key central squares.
Rule 2. Owning a center is responsibility.#
Owning a full pawn center is a responsibility. You must make it indestructible, and you will cramp your opponent.
Rule 3. Don’t advance center too early.#
Don’t advance the center too early! Every pawn move weakens some squares.
In the following example, advancing e-pawn allows the Knight jump to d5 and f5.
(FEN: 8/4n3/8/8/3PPP2/2P3P1/8/8)
Rule 4. Attack your opponent’s full pawn center.#
One of the most common cases of allowing a “string” center in order to attack it is in the Alekhine’s Defense.
Rule 5. If center pawn get traded, the open file is good for Rooks to use.#
In this example, the open e-file is nice for a Rook.
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5
(FEN: rnbqkbnr/ppp2ppp/8/3p4/3P4/8/PPP2PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 4)
Rule 6. If the center gets locked, then the play switches to wings.#
In this example, it’s easy to see that the center is a dead zone, and play should switch the wings.
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e5 4. Nc3 d6 5. e4
(FEN: rnbqkb1r/pp3ppp/3p1n2/2pPp3/2P1P3/2N5/PP3PPP/R1BQKBNR b KQkq - 0 5)
Rule 7. With a locked center, play on the wing where your pawns point to.#
The pawns point to the area where you have more space, and that’s where you want to control.
In the diagram below, Black’s pawn points to kingside. (c7-d6-e5). While whit’s pawns points to both sides.
For black, push …f7-f5 next to the most advanced e5 pawn.(gaining space and opening a file for the Rook).
For white, he should push a pawn to side-byside with his d5 pawn. c4-c5 is good: gaining space on queenside, and prepare to rip open files. Pushing f2-f4 would be bad, after …exf4, Black is very active, and e-pawn would be backward.
(FEN: r1bq1rk1/pppnnpbp/3p2p1/3Pp3/2P1P3/2NN4/PP2BPPP/R1BQ1RK1)
Rule 8. An open center allows you attack with pieces. A closed center means you must attack with pawns.#
Rules of space#
When you have more spcae, your pieces are easier to move/coordinate. However, as you advance pawns, some squares becomes weak. It’s important to not over-extend too early.
Rule 1. Avoid exchanges when you have more space.#
In the example below, black’s pieces are cramped and cannot even move. However, if we exchange and remove the pieces and only leave pawns, black would be perfectly fine.
(FEN: rnb2qr1/2p1nkb1/ppPp1p1p/3PpPp1/PP2P1PP/2NN2Q1/4BK1R/2B4R)
Rule 2. If you have less space, try to exchange to get room for your pieces.#
Rule 3. A spatial plus is permanent, long-term advantage. Don’t rush to use it.#
Games#
1750-Silman: passive White play not utilizing center/space.#
In this game, white(1750) has better space, but he was playing too passive, reacting to imaginary one-move threats with no plan on his own.
- Passive planless play leads to loss.
- Play on the center > wings.
- Know what the opponent is planning, but don’t allow yourself become mesmerized by his ideas. Your plans should prove stronger than theirs.
- Don’t make pointless one-move attacks!!! Always expect your opponent to see your threats.
2000-Silman: Modern defense: bad pawn push#
In this game, White has a strong center, but played aimless and careless, opening up the position while giving Black the bishop pair, costing him the game.
- Have a plan before your development, so you know where to best put your pieces.
- Carefully analyze the position, instead of checking random moves.
1600-Silman: Modern defense 2.#
- Don’t think moving (pawns) forward is good. It weakens squares.
- Games are often won by taking space and restricting opponent. You don’t need to attack like crazy to win.
- The side with space advantage should avoid trading, while side with less space should seek exchanges.
Fischer-Gheorghiu, 1970#
White takes control of the center, limiting Black’s pieces with no good forward moves, slowly improving position of his own pieces and eventually won.
Reti-Carls: King-side space.#
Reti won the position by: avoiding unnecessary exchanges, then making use of h-file and open whenever he wants.
Due to the space advantage, White can double/triple Rook/Queen on h-file, while black can’t do the same. Once white has enough pressure, he opens the h-file and breaks through. This example shows how to use space advantage.
1700-Silman: White wrongly closes the h-file and lose.#
In the same position, the student closes the h-file on the first move. (engine evaluation jumped from +2.x points to 0).
Silman-Barkan, 1981: how White gains space everywhere.#
In this example, White already has space advantage on Queenside. However, he sees the chance to gain space on center and King side, and did so by some excellent moves. Once he has the space advantage everywhere, he can improve his pieces, move then to strike hard with greater mobility.
- 1500-Silman: He failed to stop Black’s counterplay at center, allowed black to gain space on King side and storm there, allowing the game becomes a race.
- 1650-Silman: Identified white should stop Black’s plan to break at center.