Chess opening · ECO C20
Center Game
1.e4 e5 2.d4 is the Center Game. White pushes a second pawn into the middle at once and offers to trade it for Black's e-pawn. Opening the center this early has a cost: White's pieces are still at home, so whatever recaptures on d4 can become a target. Black's first decision is whether to take on d4 or to keep a pawn on e5.
- Rank by weighted share
- #26 of 159
Key moves
1. e4 e5 2. d4
- 2. d4The d-pawn attacks e5 and clears d2, giving White's queen room on the d-file and the c1 bishop a diagonal. Black has to deal with the threat to e5 straight away, for example by capturing on d4 or by defending with ...d6 or ...Nc6.
Capturing on d4
2...exd4 removes White's d-pawn and hands White a choice about getting it back. Taking with the queen is the classical Center Game, where the queen in the middle is exposed to ...Nc6. Playing Nf3 first saves the recapture for the knight, and 3.c3 starts a gambit that is treated on its own page.
Keeping a pawn on e5
If Black defends with 2...d6, White can open the d-file and swap queens: 3.dxe5 dxe5 4.Qxd8+ Kxd8. Material is level, but Black's king has lost the right to castle and stands on d8.
With 2...Nc6 Black lets White commit first. 3.dxe5 Nxe5 gives Black a knight in the center, while 3.d5 gains space and pushes the knight back off c6.
Top replies by rating
Taking with exd4 leads every band, and its share keeps climbing up to the 1800 to 1999 band. Under 1200, d6 and Nc6 together take a much larger slice than they do higher up.
Questions
How is the Center Game different from the Scotch?
In the Scotch, White plays Nf3 first and Black answers ...Nc6, so d4 comes on move three with a knight ready to recapture. In the Center Game the pawn reaches d4 before any knight is out, which is why the queen often has to do the recapturing.
Related openings
Try it on the board. The first coached game and three analyses are free.