Centre Game against the ...g6 Fianchetto
Long castling and an h4-h5 assault on the black king.
1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Qxd4 Nc6 4.Qe3 g6 5.Bd2 Bg7 6.Nc3 Nge7 7.O-O-O d6 8.h4
Move by move
- 1.e4 – White occupies the centre and frees the queen and the f1-bishop. In the Danish and the Centre Game, speed of development will matter more than pawns.
- 1...e5 – Black replies symmetrically, contesting d4 and freeing the f8-bishop. Now White can open the game at once with d4.
- 2.d4 – White attacks e5 and opens the centre. After 2...exd4 White chooses between the gambit 3.c3 (Danish) and the immediate recapture 3.Qxd4 (Centre Game).
- 2...exd4 – Black captures: the most natural reply, since defending e5 with 2...d6 leads to a passive game. The d4-pawn becomes either bait or a target to win back.
- 3.Qxd4 – Centre Game: White regains the pawn at once with the queen. In return the queen on d4 is exposed and Black will gain time by attacking it.
- 3...Nc6 – Black develops while attacking the queen: White must move it and loses a tempo.
- 4.Qe3 – The most popular square: the queen stays central, controls e5 and g5 and does not get in the way. The c1-bishop will go to d2 to prepare long castling.
- 4...g6 – Black opts for the fianchetto: the bishop on g7 will hit the centre and the queenside, where White wants to castle.
- 5.Bd2 – The bishop clears c1 for long castling and prepares Bc3 to oppose the g7-bishop on the long diagonal.
- 5...Bg7 – The bishop settles on the long h8-a1 diagonal and, with the centre open, reaches all the way to b2.
- 6.Nc3 – The knight develops, defends e4 and blocks the g7-bishop's diagonal towards b2.
- 6...Nge7 – The knight goes to e7 so as not to block the g7-bishop, preparing short castling.
- 7.O-O-O – White castles long with the rook straight onto the d-file. If Black castles short, a race of attacks on opposite wings follows.
- 7...d6 – Black opens the c8-bishop's diagonal and controls e5, but still delays castling.
- 8.h4 – White launches the h-pawn at once: with h4-h5 the aim is to open the h-file against Black's fianchetto, where the h1-rook is already waiting.
How to exploit the position
White has castled long and launched the h-pawn, while Black has the bishop on g7 and the king still on e8. If Black castles short, the h-file becomes the attacking route; if the king stays in the centre, the d1-rook and White's pieces press on d6.
- h4-h5 and hxg6: open the h-file for the h1-rook against Black's short castle.
- Nd5: trade off the e7-knight and weaken Black's control of f6 and c7; then Bc3 opposes the g7-bishop.
- Qg3 or Qf4 followed by Bh6: with e3 freed, the d2-bishop reaches h6 to exchange the g7-bishop.
- If Black chooses ...Be6, ...Qd7 and ...O-O-O, mass your pieces on the d-file and the d6-pawn.
Master tips
Opposite castling: speed counts
With kings on opposite wings, whoever first opens a file near the enemy king usually takes the initiative.