Tactics

What does control of the center mean in chess?

  • Tactics
  • Forcing
  • Pattern

Control of the center: Having one or more pieces that attack any of the four center squares; an important strategy, and one of the main aims of openings.

Control of the center FAQ

What does control of the center mean in chess?

Control of the center: Having one or more pieces that attack any of the four center squares; an important strategy, and one of the main aims of openings.

Train this pattern on your own games

Reading a definition is not the same as spotting the pattern with a clock running. Chessiro's free PGN analysis runs Stockfish 19 over every move you play, names the concept behind each mistake, and turns the positions where it cost you into training puzzles. You can also see the idea in action in the classic games collection, where the greatest players in history demonstrate it.

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