The Centre Game - Chris Ward

**************************************************************

This thread is specifically meant for discussion on the centre game opening, not the game by Chris Ward shown below. I wanted to make this certain before I release you all into discussion topic hell.

**************************************************************

I think Chris showed us a magnificent game in his book, "Improve Your Opening Play."

I have studied numerous openings from that same book, and I have to say, his demostration on how well you could be playing the centre game was great. I would like to share that with you. Fortunately, I have memorized the entirety of his explanation from move one to mate, so I will be able to analyze some parts of the game for you to better understand it.

Now before goes pointing fingers at me saying I'm basically "financially crippling" Chris by showing one of his lessons, let me explain that in order for me to make him have a loss of income, I would need to show you all of his lessons and explain them. If you look at my rating, do you really think I would be able to do such a thing without copying down his entire book into PDF format? No, unfortunately, I am not a master at this game as of yet. Merely, I am a young male "living" in his parents "basement" who wants to discuss this opening in detail in order to better understand it myself with other people who may or may not be significantly better than I am. So don't shart your pants over this.

Here is the Centre Game Accepted.

Centre Game Declined.

How do you like the centre game? Games and discussion is really appreciated here. Don't be a square. Discuss! 

More specifically, the Center Game is specifically 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Qxd4.

1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 is the Goring Gambit

1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Bc4 cxb2 5.Bxb2 is the Danish Gambit

1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Nf3 - Thinking that this dodges the Petroff by switching the move order, is actually not good at all because of 3...Bb4+!! 4.c3 dxc3 and both 5.bxc3 and 5.Nxc3 are nothing for White.

As for the Center Counter Defense, better known as the Scandinavian Defense, is an opening I played briefly, but it has some major flaws.  After 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 (White's only good move, 2.d3 is utter crap and 2.Nc3, the only other viable option, leads to equality with best play, no advantage for White) Qxd5 (2...Nf6 is approaching a near dubious status after 3.d4!) 3.Nc3 (I find 3.Nf3! even stronger, but in this case, it's personal opinion, no factual basis like the other notes) Qa5 (3...Qd6 is also possible, 3...Qd8 and 3...Qe5+ are both dubious) 4.d4 Nf6 and here White has so many possibilites and many of the lines are full of traps, especially queen harassing lines like an early Bd2.

Lately I have steered clear of this opening, and stuck with 1...e5, the Caro-Kann, and the Modern.