Opening family
Center Game Lines and Variations
The Center Game family contains 18 named lines in this opening book, spanning ECO C20 to C22. Use this page as the map, then open individual lines for exact move orders and diagrams.
How to study this family
White
White should use the move order as a checkpoint: finish development, identify the central break, and compare the continuations below before memorizing moves.
Black
Black should ask what White is threatening in the center, then choose development moves that prepare a clean pawn break or a useful exchange.
Start with the shortest line, then branch to the variations that change the pawn structure or tactical target. Memorizing every branch before understanding the family plan is usually wasted work.
Main named lines
- C20 · Center Game
- C21 · Center Game
- C21 · Center Game: Halasz-McDonnell Gambit
- C21 · Center Game: Kieseritzky Variation
- C21 · Center Game: Ross Gambit
- C21 · Center Game: von der Lasa Gambit
- C21 · Center Game: Kieseritzky Variation
- C22 · Center Game: Normal Variation
- C21 · Center Game: Kieseritzky Variation
- C21 · Center Game: Lanc-Arnold Gambit
- C22 · Center Game: Hall Variation
- C22 · Center Game: Paulsen Attack Variation
- C22 · Center Game: Berger Variation
- C22 · Center Game: l'Hermet Variation
- C21 · Center Game: Halasz-McDonnell Gambit, Crocodile Variation
- C21 · Center Game: Lanc-Arnold Gambit, Schippler Gambit
- C22 · Center Game: Charousek Variation
- C22 · Center Game: Kupreichik Variation
Deep theory branches
- 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qe3 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Bd2 O-O 7. O-O-O Re8 8. Bc4 d6 9. Nh3 — Center Game: Kupreichik Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qe3 Bb4+ 5. c3 Be7 — Center Game: Charousek Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. f4 Bc5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. c3 — Center Game: Halasz-McDonnell Gambit, Crocodile Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Nf3 Bc5 4. c3 dxc3 5. Bc4 — Center Game: Lanc-Arnold Gambit, Schippler Gambit
- 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qe3 Nf6 — Center Game: Berger Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qe3 f5 — Center Game: l'Hermet Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Nf3 c5 4. Bc4 — Center Game: Kieseritzky Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Nf3 Bc5 4. c3 — Center Game: Lanc-Arnold Gambit
- 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qc4 — Center Game: Hall Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qe3 — Center Game: Paulsen Attack Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Nf3 c5 — Center Game: Kieseritzky Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 — Center Game: Normal Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 — Center Game
- 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. f4 — Center Game: Halasz-McDonnell Gambit
- 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Nf3 — Center Game: Kieseritzky Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Bd3 — Center Game: Ross Gambit