It’s simple: A good center helps you put good pieces on the right squares.
Rafael Vaganian White
George Botterill Black
Hastings 1974-75
Trompowsky Attack A45
1 d4 ♘f6 2 ♗g5 g6 3 ♗xf6! exf6 4 e3 ♗g7 5 ♘e2!
The center tells White that the knight will watch more important squares on f4 than on f3 and that Black cannot oust it with ...e7-e5.
5...b6 6 ♘f4
The center also makes ♗c4 good. Another game went 6...♗b7 7 h4 0-0 8 h5 ♘c6 9 ♗c4! ♘e7? 10 hxg6 hxg6 11 ♘xg6! and wins. (11...♘xg6 12 ♕h5).
6...d5 7 h4! h5
White could have met 7...0-0 with 8 ♘c3 ♗b7 9 h5 and then 9...g5 10 h6! ♗h8 11 ♕f3 (11...gxf4?? 12 ♕g4+).
8 c4! dxc4
Worse is 8...c6 9 cxd5 cxd5 10 ♗b5+! (10...♗d7 11 ♗xd7+ ♕xd7 12 ♘c3).
9 ♗xc4 ♗b7 10 ♘c3
Necessary is a safety step like 10...♕d7.
Question 27: Why not 10...♘d7 followed by ...f5 and ...♘f6 ?
10...♗h6?? 11 ♗xf7+! ♔xf7 12 ♕b3+ ♔e8
Not 12...♔f8? 13 ♘e6+.
Question 28: What is fastest after 12...♔e7 13 ♘xg6+ ♔d7 14 ♕f7+ ♔c8 ?
13 ♘xg6 ♕d7 14 ♘xh8 ♕g7 15 ♕e6+ ♔f8 16 ♘d5! ♘d7
Or else 16...♕xh8 17 ♕e7+ ♔g8 18 ♘xf6+.
17 ♘e7! resigns.
Joszef Brindics White
Miklos Mincsovics Black
Hungary 1999
1 d4 ♘f6 2 ♗g5 g6 3 ♗xf6! exf6 4 e3 ♗g7 5 ♘e2 b6 6 ♘f4 ♗b7 7 c3 0-0 8 h4 f5 9 h5 ♗f6 (9...g5!) 10 hxg6 hxg6 11 ♗c4 d5 12 ♗d3 ♔g7 13 ♕f3 ♗g5 14 ♘d2 ♘d7 15 g4 ♗xf4 16 ♕xf4 fxg4 17 ♕h6+ ♔f6 18 0-0-0 ♔e6 19 f4 ♘f6 20 ♕g5 ♖g8? 21 f5+ gxf5 22 ♕xf5+ ♔e7 23 ♕e5+ ♔f8 24 ♖df1 ♘d7 25 ♕f4 f6 26 ♖h7! g3 27 ♕h6+ resigns.