Holding the four middle squares — e4, d4, e5 and d5 — either by standing on them or by aiming pieces at them from a distance.
Why it matters
The four squares in the middle are worth more than any other four, because a piece standing there touches both halves of the board. A knight on e4 reaches eight squares; the same knight on a4 reaches four.
Controlling the centre is not the same as occupying it. Pawns on e4 and d4 occupy it; a bishop on g7 and a knight on f6 control it from a distance, and both are real strategies.
See it on a board
White occupies the centre with pawns on e4 and d4. Black does not have to copy that: the bishop on g7 and the knight on f6 aim at the same squares from outside.
Checked: the position really has the feature described.
How to play it
- In the opening, fight for e4, d4, e5 and d5 with pawns and pieces before doing anything on the wings.
- Do not push a wing pawn while the centre is still undecided — the answer to a flank attack is a strike in the middle.
- Once the centre is settled, the side with more of it should open lines; the other side should keep it closed.
At each level
The same idea, said the way it is taught at each age.
Pawn · ages 3–6
The middle four squares are the best place to be. Get a pawn there early. Bring your knights towards them.
Knight · ages 4–6
You can control the centre without standing in it. A bishop on the long diagonal does the same job from the corner of the board.
What goes wrong
- Grabbing a wing pawn in the opening while the opponent takes the whole centre.
- Pushing central pawns so far that they become weak and have to be defended by pieces.
Questions people ask
- Do I have to put pawns in the centre?
- No. Hypermodern openings deliberately let the opponent build a big pawn centre and then attack it with pieces and pawn breaks. What you cannot do is ignore the centre altogether.