caissora.com
CAISSORA
CAISSORA
THE LIVING BOARD•Fantasy Chess
HomeCaissora WorldChess Atlas
All subsections
Openings
5 / 6
ECO C20Open game

Center Game

The queen comes out early, and the fight begins

  • Open centre
  • Classical

White opens the centre with d4 and, after 2…exd4, recaptures with the queen. The queen stands in the middle, the d-file is open, and White looks forward to castling long and attacking on the kingside. White pays in time: Black hits the queen with the c6 knight. The opening has been out of fashion for a long time and is objectively level, but it makes a good surprise and works in quick games.

Interactive Opening Board

7…Re8

♚
Black
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
♔
White
7…Re8
Speed:

Moves

(14 plies • 7 moves)
7…Re8Tabiya
  1. 1–7moves
  2. 1.
  3. 2.
  4. 3.
  5. 4.
  6. 5.
  7. 6.
  8. 7.

Defining move

3.Qxd4 — the queen early in the centre

The move that sets the Center Game apart from the gambits

White does not sacrifice a pawn as in the Danish Gambit but takes it back at once with the queen. The queen takes the centre and looks down the d-file. But Black replies 3…Nc6 with a tempo, and the queen has to step back.

Tabiya

Opposite-side castling

White's king has gone long while Black's stays on the kingside. Black's bishop pins the c3 knight and the rook sits on e8. White wants to bring the queen to g3 or f4 and push the h- and g-pawns at Black's king. Black wants to wreck White's structure by trading on c3 and to strike in the centre.

White’s plan

  • Bring the queen to g3 or f4 and hit the kingside.
  • Push the h- and g-pawns at Black's king.
  • Use the open d-file and a bishop on c4 against f7.

Black’s plan

  • Trade the bishop on c3 and spoil White's pawns.
  • Strike in the centre with …d5.
  • Make use of the tempo won by …Nc6 and develop calmly.

History

The opening has been known since the late sixteenth century, and Philipp Stamma analysed it in 1745. It was largely abandoned after 1900, and in recent decades Shabalov and others have brought it back.

Notable players

Siegbert Tarrasch

Games in the Atlas

No games in the Atlas yet

Lines below