Chess: Central control is crucial in opening

Aug 6 2008 by Our Correspondent, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

THIS game illustrates the importance of the general principles of opening play irrespective of which opening is being played. It is generally good to develop your pieces harmoniously, put a pawn or two in the centre of the board and to castle.

After Black’s 11th move, we can see White’s complete strategic victory in the opening. He has developed all his remaining pieces and has captured much of the centre and is about to castle whereas Black is lacking in development and has less hold on the centre.

Black fails to develop or to castle; White does well to exploit this and by move 17, where he plays the slightly inaccurate e4 to exploit the centre rather than Bb5 to take advantage of Black’s uncastled King, he already has no end of good moves to choose from.

1.d4 d5

2.Bf4 Nf6

3.e3 a6

4.Nf3 e6

5.Nbd2 Bd6

6.Ne5 Qe7

7.Bd3 b5

8.Ndf3 Ne4

9.c3 h6

10.Qc2 Bxe5

11.Bxe5 Nf6

12.0–0 Nc6

13.Bg3 Bb7

14.a4 b4

15.c4 a5

16.cxd5 Nxd5

17.e4 Nf6

18.d5 Nd8

19.Bb5+ Nd7

20.Ne5 0–0

21.Nxd7 c6

22.dxc6 Bxc6

23.Nxf8 Bxb5

24.axb5 Qxf8

25.Qc7 Qe8

26.Rfd1 a4

27.Rd7 e5

28.Rad1 Ne6

29.Qxe5 Qc8

30.b6 Qc2

31.b7 Rf8

32.b8=Q 1–0

Spencer Tilbrook