In one move, you gain as much control over the board as possible. That is also why in the opening you should try to place your knights on f3/c3 as white, and f6/c6 as black. On all these squares, it controls 8 squares. Remember this: a knight is best placed in the middle 4×4, thus from f3-f6-c6-c3.

The same piece, but a 4x difference in controlled squares (and possible destinations)! Now compare it to the absolutely sad knight on a8, which only controls 2 squares. That is why Chess players sometimes refer to a knight in the center as ‘octopus’. The white knight posted centrally on e4 has 8 squares under control. To visualize the difference between center vs side we can look at two totally different knights:ĭifference between a central Knight vs a Knight in the corner Controlling the center also diminishes the scope of the pieces of your opponent.Controlling the center helps you to win more space for your pieces.Pieces in the middle of the board have much more influence and potential than on the side.By controlling the center you can at any time switch your focus to the King- or Queenside.You take some valuable squares in the center under control and open up the way for your Bishop to develop towards the center.īut why is the center so much more important than either side? And with 1.e4 or 1.d4, you do exactly this. That is why you should fight from move 1. The reason is pretty simple: controlling the center of the board is crucial in chess. You might have asked yourself why most people suggest you start with either 1.e4 or 1.d4. I’ll just cry a little…Ĭhess Strategy #1: Control The Center Of The Board

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