Why did the Center opening become obsolete?

[DrCaesar]

Hello everybody. I had a question about the Center opening. At some point it seems to have essentially disappeared from competitive play, although referring to the collected games of Harry Freedman, James Ferrie, and Richard Jordan, it was used regularly in the late 19th century. Irving Chernev described it as a favorite of Jordan, and also documents it being used at the Brooklyn Checker Club in the late 1920s. Liam Stephens told me that he has never once encountered it in casual or serious play.

Anyone have any thoughts about why the Center essentially disappeared by the Forties? Unless I am mistaken, Ryan doesn't analyze it in his Modern Encyclopedia of Checkers. Fraser doesn't mention it in his Inferno of Checkers. Wiswell omits it from Let's Play Checkers. It is one of the few 11-15 openings that Fortman completely neglects in Basic Checkers.

Chernev includes several outstanding Center games in his Compleat Draughts Player book, but I wonder if that is because he seems not to have been active in checkers after the late '20s and didn't realize it was an anachronism thereafter.

Thanks for your time!

[George Hay]

DrCaesar, I am surprised and intrigued by your post! I was also a bit reluctant to respond since I consider two things that could wreck my game are studying openings and blitz play! But for a gifted young checkerist who one day aspires to be GAYP World Champion, studying the Center Opening could prove to be a productive use of study time!

11-15, 23-19, 8-11, 22-17, 15-18 is the Centre or Center Opening, with 15-18 being the key move. My impression is there are many transpositions and variations to the Center Opening.

Checker Cruncher (https://www.checkercruncher.com) has a nice database of games.
The second game listed chronologically is a variation on the Center Opening theme from 1842, W. Hay vs J. Wyllie.

https://www.checkercruncher.com/games/2

This is a nicely played old school game!

--George Hay

[DrCaesar]

Hi George: Thanks for your reply. Yes, 15-18 is the key move for the Center, as 11-16 is for the Glasgow. Chernev mentions that, like Dick Jordan, James Moir was partial to it.

Liam Stephens told me he thinks it faded in popularity due to a lack of winning options for Black. I enjoyed the game you shared--and it's interesting that Checker Cruncher has no other Center opening games after 1893.

Here is a Center game from the 1896 Scottish Tourney in which Richard Jordan defeated George Buchanan. This was the only Scottish championship Jordan ever won, I believe because he did not participate in those that followed.

11-15, 23-19, 8-11, 22-17, 15-18, 19-15, 10-19, 24-8, 4-11, 28-24, 11-15, 24-20, 7-11, 26-22, 6-10, 30-26, 9-14, 26-23, 12-16, 32-28, 1-6, 28-24, 3-8, 17-13, 5-9, 22-17, 2-7, 25-22, 18-25, 29-22, 16-19, 23-16, 8-12, 31-26, 12-28, 26-23, 28-32, 20-16, 11-20, 23-18, 32-23 BW

In his opening index to GAYP world championship matches from 1976-2003, Pask mentions that the only openings that do not make an appearance are the Switcher and the Center! As you mention, it could be a fruitful line to explore for the budding GAYP expert.

[George Hay]

Hello DrCaesar, thanx for this incredible example of a Center game won by the great Richard Jordan!

--George Hay

[chipschap]

Interesting too that Richard Pask's CC:I doesn't mention it either.

Just for fun I ran out the KingsRow opening book on this:

1. 11-15 23-19 2. 8-11 22-17 3. 15-18 19-15 4. 10x19 24x8 5. 4x11 28-24 6. 12-16 24-20
7. 6-10 17-14 8. 10x17 21x14 9. 11-15 20x11 10. 7x16 *

9. 11-15 is the last "book" move. After the exchange KR calculates the position as a probable draw.

[Richard Pask]

I agree with the positive comments made with regard to the Centre opening. Derek Oldbury did a great deal of work on it, but interestingly was only prepared to use it if it could be a nominated development (11-15 23-19; 8-11 22-17; 15-18) - that it, it would have to be played with both sides. This is not of course strictly GAYP. DEO was a strong believer in nominated openings - he also thought 3-move ballots should be selected by the two players - but to me this emphasizes prepared analysis far too much and was the very thing 3-move was designed to avoid. In CC: I I give a strong nod to it in Lesson 33.

[chipschap]

I should have typed CC:R instead of CC:I!