Why is the center of a chess board so important?

My friends say that in chess, the center of the board is important and all but theyre never clear as to why. Why is owning the center important?|||In chess, the center 鈥?particularly, the "sweet center" (e4, d4, e5 and d5) 鈥?br>
is the most important area of the chessboard. Control of the center

鈥?鈥?鈥?allows more mobility for the pieces, as well as

鈥?鈥?鈥?easy access to all parts of the board.

Pieces that can move tend to be more powerful than pieces that can't move.

Attacks in the center also tend to be the most effective. These factors often

turn the opening into a fierce battle for central control between the two sides.|||Why do you need to control the 4 centre squares?





Think of the centre in terms of a very important network of interlinked paths whoever controls the hub of that network can send his or her men directly through the hub from one side of the chess board to the other with ease where as the player who doesn't control the centre squares has to find time consuming routes for his or her pieces.|||Denise gave an excellent answer. I can do no more than add an illustration of her points.





Move a knight from its initial square toward the center, the square in front of a bishop. Nf3 for example, if you understand notation. Now look at how many squares it attacks and defends. Count and you will see that it attacks or defends 8 squares.





Now take that same knight back to its initial square and this time move it to the side, in front of the rook. Nh3. Now look at how many squares it attacks and defends. Count and you will see that it attacks or defends 4 squares.





It's easy to see which is better; there is an old saying, "A knight on the rim is grim."





Cheers.|||Because it protects the center of your army. If you control the center, the opposition must work it's way around the sides which adds extra moves to their strategy. When you control the middle eight squares, you will be controlling the battle.