Whether the center is open or closed determines the nature of the position. A closed center means less tactics, lots of maneuvering and searching for pawn breaks and piece activity.
For an introduction to pawn structures, watch this video: https://youtu.be/Ed7YLNLm8iY
The center is closed if the d and the e files are blocked by pawns (an open center is when the files are open, and semi-open when one of them is free of pawns). This means that the players have locked down their central pawns and blocked the center from opening using them. So it’s going to have to be open using flank pawns – pawn breaks. Either c4/c5 or f4/f5 are going to be necessary to ever move the e and the d pawns.
Closed Center positions have certain traits and things to know about them. Firstly, one side is always going to have more space than the other. Most often it’s going to be white. Whoever has more space has the advantage, albeit small, but still an advantage. In regards to this, whoever has more space also has more piece activity because the pieces have more scope. Hence the player with more space should strive to keep the minor pieces on the board. Rooks are inactive in closed center positions, and cannot exploit space, but the minor pieces can. The side with less space, conversely, should try and exchange as many minor pieces as possible to reduce the significance of the space disadvantage.
The only way to gain activity and create attacking chances is to open the position up. If the center is closed, your best and only chance is a timely pawn break. You always want to break open the position in the direction where your pawn chain is facing. This is generally the direction in which you are going to attack. Look for pawn breaks and open up things for your pieces.
At the same time, try to prevent your opponent from doing the same thing. Closed center positions are often slow and maneuvering, and any progress is going to be made incrementally and in several moves. This means that you can often see what your opponent is planning to do. Once you do, prevent it! If your opponent just played a6, that means that he is probably going for b5. What should you do? Play a4! Stop it!
In closed positions, knights outweigh bishops almost every time. Bishops thrive in open positions in which they have diagonals to control and abundant space. When the center is blocked, the bishops are half dead. So the general rule is that you want to keep your knights and trade of your bishops if possible.
When playing a positions with a closed or blocked center, be patient. Take your time to create a plan. Never rush and don’t let your opponent gain an edge because you missed a timely pawn break or played it when it was too dangerous. Be patient and think ahead!
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