The Center and Space with Pawns

There are five basic types of pawn positions in the centre and there are fairly precise plans of attacking and defensive play for each of these positions.

1. Closed Center with Fixed Pawn Chains. These arise after the Ruy Lopez, the French Defence or the Kings Indian Defence openings. The game moves to the flanks. Attacks take place on the side with open lines or where superiority of forces can be created in the shortest time. In the cases of Opposite side castling, the attack always occurs on the side where opponent's king is located. 

2. Static Center with Central Pawns fixed in pairs. Characteristics are a manoeuvring battle for the central squares and switching of the attacks to the flank at an appropriate moment. We need to keep in mind that a peaceful center is a necessary condition for flank attacks on the opponent king. 

3. Dynamic Center where final position of the pawns is not yet fixed. These arise after half open openings and Sicilian Defence games. These can transpose to any of the other four pawn positions. Thus we need to keep a careful eye on the center and to forsee upcoming changes. In fact, we shall convert this position to a position which suites our playing style or the playing situation (we want sure-shot win or draw is also acceptable). We need to be cautious towards opponent's flank attacks too.

4. Mobile Center where any of the central pawns can move. This is a feature of Evans Gambit, Alekhine's Defence, the Grunfeld Defence and some other openings. The main method to handle a mobile center is to blockade it. An attack on a central pawn forces it to advance after which it should be blockaded and the weakened squares in front of the pawn shall be occupied with our pieces.

5. Open Center where there are no pawns in the center: These arise after the Ruy Lopez, the King's Gambit, the Slav Defence and the Queen's Gambit Accepted. Absence of central pawns in this type of center takes the game to sharp active tactical piece play. Action plan is to take possession of central lines and important central squares.