Centre Pawn Opening

The Centre Pawn Opening[1] (or the MacLeod Attack) is a chess opening characterised by the moves:

1. e4 e5
2. c3
Centre Pawn Opening
abcdefgh
8
a8 black rook
b8 black knight
c8 black bishop
d8 black queen
e8 black king
f8 black bishop
g8 black knight
h8 black rook
a7 black pawn
b7 black pawn
c7 black pawn
d7 black pawn
f7 black pawn
g7 black pawn
h7 black pawn
e5 black pawn
e4 white pawn
c3 white pawn
a2 white pawn
b2 white pawn
d2 white pawn
f2 white pawn
g2 white pawn
h2 white pawn
a1 white rook
b1 white knight
c1 white bishop
d1 white queen
e1 white king
f1 white bishop
g1 white knight
h1 white rook
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Moves1.e4 e5 2.c3
ECOC20
ParentOpen Game
Synonym(s)MacLeod Attack

The opening was played 17 times in the New York 1889 tournament by 19th-century Canadian chess master Nicholas MacLeod[1] but has otherwise arisen rarely in tournament play.

Discussion

White's second move prepares to push a pawn to d4, establishing a strong centre. Play can potentially transpose to other openings, most likely the Ponziani Opening or the Göring Gambit in the Scotch Game. Eric Schiller states, however, that the opening is too slow, that Black can respond vigorously with 2...d5! to eliminate transpositional possibilities and solve all his opening problems, as after 3.exd5 Qxd5, the move 4.Nc3 is not available to chase the queen away and gain a tempo.

After 2...d5, MacLeod played 3.Nf3 in MacLeod–Gossip, New York 1889, which continued 3...dxe4 (3...Nc6 is the Ponziani) 4.Nxe5 Qd5 (4...Bd6 5.Nc4 Be6 6.d4 exd3=) 5.d4 exd3 6.Nd3 with an equal game after move 10 (Keres).[2]

After 2...Nf6 3.d4, Rusakov–Verlinsky, USSR 1947, continued 3...Nc6 (3...Nxe4 was tried in Morphy–Bottin, Paris 1858[3]) 4.Bg5 h6 5.Bh4 g5 6.Bg3 exd4 7.e5 dxc3, where 8.Nxc3! would have given White the upper hand with more space (Keres).[4]

References
The Wikibook Chess Opening Theory has a page on the topic of: Centre Pawn Opening
  1. Hooper & Whyld (1992), p. 72. Centre Pawn Opening.
  2. Matanović 1981, p. 122, n. 7
  3. "Paul Morphy vs. A Bottin, Paris 1858". Chessgames.com.
  4. Matanović 1981, p. 122, n. 2

Bibliography

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