Current position
Center Game: Halasz-McDonnell Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.d4
The Center Game starts with 1.e4 e5 2.d4 and is catalogued under ECO C20, in the open games & french half of the book. The catalog indexes 18 lines inside it, grouped into 15 named variations, and the position after those moves has 1 playable continuation to walk from here.
Root edges show how often each move is played around your Elo. Use the arrow on a position to reveal the next replies.
Current setup
Move ideas
Claims the center with a pawn and opens lines for the queen and king’s bishop.
Idea: Build quick development and make early castling possible.
Meets White’s center directly and opens lines for Black’s queen and bishop.
Idea: Fight for equal central space in a balanced, open position.
Advances to d4 to claim central space and control nearby key squares.
Idea: Give the pieces room to develop behind a durable central foothold.
Captures the pawn on d4 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.
Idea: Open lines in the center and reshape the center for the next phase.
Advances the f-pawn to gain kingside space and control new squares.
Idea: Create useful wing space while keeping the central structure flexible.
Waiting for Lichess game popularity.
Each line below is an indexed entry under Center Game. Open one to load it on the board and keep exploring from that position.
ECO groups openings by the structures they lead to, so these families tend to share plans with the Center Game.