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Subject: Re: Why a Pawn Center?

Author: Soren Riis

Date: 10:44:07 01/20/99

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On January 20, 1999 at 13:22:39, William H Rogers wrote:

>On January 20, 1999 at 12:58:08, Laurence Chen wrote:
>
>>This is one of the elements in chess which is very difficult to understand, it
>>still puzzles me a lot. The problem is how do you know that you got control of
>>center? Is there a way to measure this, if so, how? This is an interesting
>>question because chess engines nowadays are "taught" or at least programmed to
>>play for the control of the center, so how does one measure this control? Chess
>>textbooks tell us that it is imperative to play to control the center, and show
>>examples of what happens when one side totally ignores center control. I would
>>be interested in the point of view to this question from all levels of
>>chessplayers, from novice to master, and chess programmers, too.
>
>I can not speak for the rest of the members, but from what I have learned, the
>pawn in the center attacks two squares,

So does a b-pawn or a g-pawn

> and if it is the King pawn, you have
>increased you mobility, that is, you have given yourself more move options than
>any other move that you can play.

What has that to do with control of the center?

>Before your first move, you only have 20 possible moves, and after the KP, you
>have 29 choices.

Why do I need all those choices? In my next move I am only allowed to make one
move.

> This does not speak for different opening lines of play, but
>old chess masters recoginized that it was an important choice.
>Over the years, many different lines of opening have been tried with sucess,
>based upon deep lines of strategy in hopes of gaining more control of the chess
>board.
>Control of the center is likend to a real war situation, where as if you can  get
>control of the highest ground, you have an advantage over your enemys. It gives
>you more possibilities to smash your opponent and if you plan carfully, beat
>your enemy and win the game.

I think this is more to the point.

The reason most chess players castle is that they have realised/experienced that
it is pritty hot place for a king to be in the center. This fact is related to
the fact that stategy in chess so to speak is centered around the center.
I rember I won many games over crafty (around 1994) on the ICC. The main reason
was that crafty (at that time) had a bad understanding of the importance of the
center. The sicilian defence is one of the best examples of mobility (white)
versus center (black). The Sicilian defence shows it is wrong to equate mobility
and control in the center. Only in the endgame (if black survives whites middle
game attack) we will expect to see a transformation of black stronger pawn
center into higher mobility. In the Sicilian defence it is the longterm treat
which in many variations forces white to burn all bridges.

Soren Riis  (strong amature, 2300 elo)









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