The game usually continues 3.Qxd4 Nc6, developing with a gain of tempo for Black due to the attack on the white queen. (Note that 3.c3 is considered a separate opening: the Danish Gambit.)
Typical position (Paulsen's Attack variation) with White castled long and Qg3
White's 2nd move challenges the center by attacking the e-pawn and also opening up the d-file for the rook and queen to attack, but at the cost of moving the queen early and allowing Black to develop with a tempo with 3...Nc6. In White's favor, after 4.Qe3, the most commonly played retreat, the position of the white queen hinders Black's ability to play ...d5. The back rank is cleared of pieces quickly which facilitates queensidecastling and may allow White to quickly develop an attack. From e3, the white queen may later move to g3 where she will pressure Black's g7-square.
Historyedit
The Center Game is an old opening. It was mostly abandoned by 1900 because no advantage could be demonstrated for White. Jacques Mieses, Savielly Tartakower and Rudolf Spielmann seemed to be the last strong players who would adopt it. The Center Game was rarely played by elite players until Alexander Shabalov revived it in the 1980s. Later, Alexei Shirov, Michael Adams, Judit Polgár and Alexander Morozevich also contributed to the theory of the Center Game by forcing re-evaluation of lines long thought to favor Black. In recent years, Ian Nepomniachtchi has also experimented with the opening.
Variationsedit
3.Qxd4 Nc6edit
The nearly universal sequence of moves in the Center Game is 3.Qxd4 Nc6 (ECO code C22). Now White has a choice of retreat squares for the queen. Although 4.Qa4 corresponds to a fairly commonly played variation of the Scandinavian Defense (1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5) reversed, it is rarely played in the Center Game because tournament experience has not been favorable for White in this line.
The best move for the queen seems to be 4.Qe3, known as Paulsen's Attack. White intends to castle queenside in this line. Black usually continues 4...Nf6 when a typical line continues 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Bd2 0-0 7.0-0-0 Re8. White may try to complicate play by means of the pawn sacrifice 8.Qg3!? intending 8...Rxe4 9.a3! – Shabalov's move. Black's best reply seems to be the quiet 9...Ba5. Even though this line gives White some compensation for the pawn, it is probably fine for Black.[1]
A more solid option for Black is the natural 5...Be7! intending ...d7–d5 (sometimes even after White plays 6.Bc4), opening up lines as soon as possible. Black also seems to get a good game with 4...g6, and 4...Bb4+ has been played successfully as well.
Postponing recapture of the queen pawn is a standard idea in the Scandinavian Defense (1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6), but 3.Nf3 is less commonly played in the Center Game. Black can safely transpose to the Scotch Game, Petrov's Defense or the Philidor Defense, or play a line recommended by Alexander Alekhine, 3...Bc5 4.Nxd4 Nf6 and now 5.e5 would be met with 5...Qe7. Similar ideas are possible after 3.Bc4, which is also uncommon. 3.Bc4 is referred to in older chess works as the Center Gambit.[2]
3.f4?! (Halasz Gambit)edit
The Halasz Gambit (3.f4?!) is another rare try. Although the move dates back to at least 1840, it has been championed more recently by the Hungarian correspondence player Dr. György Halasz. The gambit seems dubious but it has not been definitively refuted.[3]
Referencesedit
^. Archived from the original on 2009-08-17. Retrieved 2009-08-15. Arne Moll, Finding Nepo (on an old laptop) (2009) at ChessVibes.com
^British Chess Magazine, August 1898, page 324, article title The BCM Guide to the Openings. The Centre Game, by Hobart
^Budzinski, Glenn (1998). "Anatomy of a Gambit: Dissecting the Halasz". ChessCafe. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
Further readingedit
Soszynski, Marek (2021). The Centre Game Re-examined. MarekMedia. ISBN9781393536963.
External linksedit
The Wikibook Chess Opening Theory has a page on the topic of: Center Game
January 01, 1970
center, game, confused, with, double, wing, attack, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers. Not to be confused with Double Wing Attack This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Center Game news newspapers books scholar JSTOR November 2009 Learn how and when to remove this message The Center Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves Center Gameabcdefgh8877665544332211abcdefghMoves1 e4 e5 2 d4 exd4ECOC21 C22ParentOpen Game 1 e4 e5 2 d4 exd4 The game usually continues 3 Qxd4 Nc6 developing with a gain of tempo for Black due to the attack on the white queen Note that 3 c3 is considered a separate opening the Danish Gambit Contents 1 General concepts 2 History 3 Variations 3 1 3 Qxd4 Nc6 3 2 3 c3 3 3 3 Nf3 or 3 Bc4 3 4 3 f4 Halasz Gambit 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksThis article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves General concepts editabcdefgh8 nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 877665544332211abcdefghTypical position Paulsen s Attack variation with White castled long and Qg3 White s 2nd move challenges the center by attacking the e pawn and also opening up the d file for the rook and queen to attack but at the cost of moving the queen early and allowing Black to develop with a tempo with 3 Nc6 In White s favor after 4 Qe3 the most commonly played retreat the position of the white queen hinders Black s ability to play d5 The back rank is cleared of pieces quickly which facilitates queenside castling and may allow White to quickly develop an attack From e3 the white queen may later move to g3 where she will pressure Black s g7 square History editThe Center Game is an old opening It was mostly abandoned by 1900 because no advantage could be demonstrated for White Jacques Mieses Savielly Tartakower and Rudolf Spielmann seemed to be the last strong players who would adopt it The Center Game was rarely played by elite players until Alexander Shabalov revived it in the 1980s Later Alexei Shirov Michael Adams Judit Polgar and Alexander Morozevich also contributed to the theory of the Center Game by forcing re evaluation of lines long thought to favor Black In recent years Ian Nepomniachtchi has also experimented with the opening Variations edit3 Qxd4 Nc6 edit The nearly universal sequence of moves in the Center Game is 3 Qxd4 Nc6 ECO code C22 Now White has a choice of retreat squares for the queen Although 4 Qa4 corresponds to a fairly commonly played variation of the Scandinavian Defense 1 e4 d5 2 exd5 Qxd5 3 Nc3 Qa5 reversed it is rarely played in the Center Game because tournament experience has not been favorable for White in this line The best move for the queen seems to be 4 Qe3 known as Paulsen s Attack White intends to castle queenside in this line Black usually continues 4 Nf6 when a typical line continues 5 Nc3 Bb4 6 Bd2 0 0 7 0 0 0 Re8 White may try to complicate play by means of the pawn sacrifice 8 Qg3 intending 8 Rxe4 9 a3 Shabalov s move Black s best reply seems to be the quiet 9 Ba5 Even though this line gives White some compensation for the pawn it is probably fine for Black 1 A more solid option for Black is the natural 5 Be7 intending d7 d5 sometimes even after White plays 6 Bc4 opening up lines as soon as possible Black also seems to get a good game with 4 g6 and 4 Bb4 has been played successfully as well 3 c3 edit Main article Danish Gambit 3 Nf3 or 3 Bc4 edit Postponing recapture of the queen pawn is a standard idea in the Scandinavian Defense 1 e4 d5 2 exd5 Nf6 but 3 Nf3 is less commonly played in the Center Game Black can safely transpose to the Scotch Game Petrov s Defense or the Philidor Defense or play a line recommended by Alexander Alekhine 3 Bc5 4 Nxd4 Nf6 and now 5 e5 would be met with 5 Qe7 Similar ideas are possible after 3 Bc4 which is also uncommon 3 Bc4 is referred to in older chess works as the Center Gambit 2 3 f4 Halasz Gambit edit The Halasz Gambit 3 f4 is another rare try Although the move dates back to at least 1840 it has been championed more recently by the Hungarian correspondence player Dr Gyorgy Halasz The gambit seems dubious but it has not been definitively refuted 3 References edit Finding Nepo On an old laptop Chess news by ChessVibes Archived from the original on 2009 08 17 Retrieved 2009 08 15 Arne Moll Finding Nepo on an old laptop 2009 at ChessVibes com British Chess Magazine August 1898 page 324 article title The BCM Guide to the Openings The Centre Game by Hobart Budzinski Glenn 1998 Anatomy of a Gambit Dissecting the Halasz ChessCafe Retrieved 24 May 2016 Further reading editSoszynski Marek 2021 The Centre Game Re examined MarekMedia ISBN 9781393536963 External links edit nbsp The Wikibook Chess Opening Theory has a page on the topic of Center Game Tim Harding on the Halasz Gambit Tim Harding on the Center Game Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Center Game amp oldid 1146332684, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
