How to force a closed game?

Hi,

I play chess regularly for about a year and a half ago, I have read a few books, saw a lot of chess videos, but it's not clear to me, that if is there any method - I mean general principles - to keep a game closed? 

I usually play 1.c4 as white, and though the English is considered one of the most closed system of all openings, in my experience white cannot prevent black from opening the position without getting a serious disadvantage.

The same goes for my usual response to 1.e4: ...c6 (Originally, I played the sicilian, but it was wide open for about 95% of the time)

I have the less experience on d4 games, I have tried many openings against it, almost all QGD lines, and a few indian lines - recently I play the English-defence (1...e6), because I'm kinda comfortable with the French, and if 2.c4 I can play b6, which is kinda hypermodernish - and that i like.

So, any suggestions on how to keep the position closed in general? I sure can use some advice

You can't keep the position closed. You have to be able to take the advantages you can get and run with them. You need to be able to play open positions no matter what opening you play, which is why most mans start by learning open positions first.

At first I only played open positions, just as you say, for about a year - and I'm okay with them. It's just that I feel myself so much comfortable in closed positions (the more strategic/positional the game, the more I like it), and wondered about if it's possible to force the game in that direction...

It's not.

The reason behind the age-old suggestion "learn how to play open positions first" is precisely that it's impossible to force a closed position in every game, while it's almost always possible to open up a closed position if you want. There is usually no way you can force a blocked pawn centre unless both sides agree on creating it, expecially if you're playing black.

Once again, just if both players want it to be closed. The me just how closed this common french position is: