CENTER GAME PGN CHESS CODE

The Halasz Gambit (3.f4?!) is another rare try. Similar ideas are possible after 3.Bc4, which is also uncommon. 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. 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 also seems to get a good game with 4.g6, and 4.Bb4+ has been played successfully as well. d7вЂ“d5 (sometimes even after White plays 6.Bc4), opening up lines as soon as possible. ДЄ more solid option for Black is the natural 5.Be7! intending. Even though this line gives White some compensation for the pawn, it is probably fine for Black. Black's best reply seems to be the quiet 9.Ba5. White may try to complicate play by means of the pawn sacrifice 8.Qg3!? intending 8.Rxe4 9.a3! вЂ“ Shabalov's move. Black usually continues 4.Nf6 when a typical line continues 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Bd2 0-0 7.0-0-0 Re8. White intends to castle queenside in this line. The best move for the queen seems to be 4.Qe3, known as Paulsen's Attack. Although 4.Qa4 corresponds to a fairly commonly played variation of the Scandinavian Defense (1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5), it is rarely played in the Center Game because tournament experience has not been favorable for White in this line. Now White has a choice of retreat squares for the queen.

CENTER GAME PGN CHESS CODE

The nearly universal sequence of moves in the Center Game is 3.Qxd4 Nc6 ( ECO code C22). From e3, the white queen may later move to g3 where she will pressure Black's g7-square.

The back rank is cleared of pieces quickly which facilitates queenside castling and may allow White to quickly develop an attack. In White's favor, after 4.Qe3, the most commonly played retreat, the position of the white queen hinders Black's ability to play. 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 a tempo with 3.Nc6. In recent years, the young player Ian Nepomniachtchi has also experimented with the opening.

Later, Alexei Shirov, Michael Adams, Judit PolgГЎr and Alexander Morozevich also contributed to the theory of the Center Game by forcing re-evaluation of lines long thought to favor Black. The Center Game was rarely played by elite players until Alexander Shabalov revived it in the 1980s. Jacques Mieses, Savielly Tartakower and Rudolf Spielmann seemed to be the last strong players who would adopt it. It was mostly abandoned by 1900 because no advantage could be demonstrated for White.

Center game pgn chess