Chess lessons › Chess strategy
Centralising the pieces
Pieces in the centre reach both wings: bring them there when they are safe, and the king too in the ending.
The idea
A piece in the centre reaches both wings; bring it there safely.
- The knight on b3 stands far from the fight.
- The pawn on e3 guards d4, and no black pawn is ready to chase a knight there.
- From d4 it reaches e6 near the king and b5 on the queenside.
In a game: Find the piece furthest from the centre, and a safe central square for it.
How the lesson begins
The centre is the four squares in the middle of the board, d4, e4, d5 and e5. A piece there reaches both sides of the board, and it is never far from where the fight moves.
This is José Raúl Capablanca against Alexander Alekhine, from their world championship match of 1927. White has a bishop and a knight for a rook, and one pawn less. White to move. Look at the knight on b3: it stands on the queenside, far from the black king.
Find the move
White to move. Bring the knight to the centre.
A hint
Which central square can the knight reach in one move, where a pawn protects it?
Show the answer
27. Nd4
Nd4 puts the knight in the middle of the board. The pawn on e3 protects it, and Black has no c-pawn or e-pawn left, so no black pawn stands ready to chase it away: d4 is an outpost. From d4 the knight reaches e6, near the black king, and b5 on the other wing. It is the engine’s first choice.