Answers.Body: <p>Either is fine. <code>bxc3</code> gives you a strong chance to push in the center successfully. It leaves a dangling pawn on <code>a2</code>, but by playing <code>bxc3</code> you should already have resigned this pawn's fate to some sacrifice for a tempo later in the game. Note you can not play <code>6. d4</code> right away since black's response will most likely be <code>5. ... d5</code> or <code>5. ... Nf6</code> putting pressure on the <code>e4</code> pawn which is awkward to defend for you at this point. You should most likely respond <code>6. d3</code> which dashes any hopes you had for a pawn charge to <code>d4</code>. Also, black can exert pressure on the doubled pawn at <code>c3</code> which is also a bit awkward for you to defend. </p>
  
  <p>I personally would play <code>dxc3</code>. It is less committing. You no longer have to hope to pry open the middle with your pawn majority, and you have no dangling pawn you have to sacrifice eventually. You've opened up strong lines for all three of your white bishop, your dark bishop and your queen. Note this may seem not that important, but keep in mind your opponent just traded one of his bishops for your knight. If you can open up this game, you will have a strong edge on your opponent. Any attack on your <code>e4</code> pawn can now be refuted, such as <code>5. ... Nf6</code> comes in with a strong pin <code>6. bg5</code>. Also, it no longer looks silly for your white bishop to travel to <code>d3</code> to defend <code>e4</code>.</p>
  
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Answers.Body: <p><strong><code>bxc3</code></strong> gives you a <strong>majority of pawns in the center</strong>, and support for the pawn break <code>d4!</code>, possibly pushing <code>c4</code> and <em>still</em> having d4 pawn-supported. Big advantages in the long-term.</p>
  
  <p>With <code>dxc3</code>, you're right, the bishop is free, but with fewer pieces on the board, and Black to play, it's <strong>not much of an advantage</strong>. The file for the Queen, “attacking” the <code>♟d7</code>, which belongs on <code>d6</code> where it is well defended, is worth nothing, and the possibility of castling queenside is not very relevant either (e.g. Black traded his f2- and h2-threatening bishop)</p>
  
  <p>Also keep in mind that the <em>c</em> pawns are doubled for the time being, and you don't want this situation to last until the endgame. It will be a lot easier to <strong>trade the <code>♙c3</code> on the <em>d</em> file</strong> than trying to support the <em>b</em> pawn, or merely blocking the <em>d</em> file for Black.</p>
  
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Answers.Body: <p>Capturing toward the center with pawns is a general guideline that should be followed when appropriately, however, just like all the other positional guidelines. It should also be <em>ignored</em> when appropriate. In the specific case of the Ruy Lopez: Exchange Variation (the opening you mention) it is <a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/explorer?node=1112446&amp;move=4.5&amp;moves=e4.e5.Nf3.Nc6.Bb5.a6.Bxc6&amp;nodes=21720.21721.21722.21723.21724.21725.1112446" rel="nofollow noreferrer">more popular</a> to capture with the d pawn because it gives your queen an open file, and keeps your pawn structure a little better (two pawn islands instead of three).</p>
  
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Answers.UserDisplayName: retrodanny
Answers.Body: <p>In my opinion, always capture towards the center when possible in the opening with your pawns. There are caveats to this of course, such as making sure to immediately capitalize on your advances by ensuring no pawns remain doubled. Also if there are attacks or tempos gained from not taking towards the center then by all means go the other way.</p>
  
  <p>However, I would like to know why you would play <code>4. a3</code>. To me, it seems like a blunder. I think that you should probably play Nd5 there.</p>
  
  <pre><code>
  [fen ""]
  
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nd5
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I like this because it attacks the dark bishop for Black and gives White a nice tempo and some increased control over the center. More than likely Black will play Nf6 here, although Be7 would be possible to see as well. Either way it is beneficial to remove the bishop from the game.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
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Answers.Text: I just picked `a3` as a random move.
Answers.UserDisplayName: xaisoft
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Travis J
Body: <pre><code>[FEN ""]
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. a3 Bxc3 5. bxc3 (5. dxc3)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I usually see <code>bxc3</code> in this position and the main reason given is to capture toward the center, but doesn't <code>bxc3</code> weaken the queen side and take the option of castling queen side away from white.  What is wrong with <code>dxc3</code>?  Doesn't this open up the file for the <code>Queen</code> and the <code>Bishop's</code> diagonal?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2013-01-08T20:29:19.140Z
Comments.Text: in `1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.Bxc6 dxc6`, I always take with the d pawn, lots of good things can happen from here, also note that the pawn is poisoned, if he takes bring the Queen to `d4`
Comments.UserDisplayName: ajax333221
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2013-02-04T12:44:51.257Z
Comments.Text: My rule (not just in chess but in general) is "always isn't", meaning if someone says that something is always the case, he's usually wrong (there may be rules of nature). So here the answer is a clear NO, not always. dxc3 will open up both the bishop and queen, which can be a big advantage.
Comments.UserDisplayName: jwenting
Tags: <learning>
Title: Always capture toward the center?
ThreadText: # Always capture toward the center?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2013-01-08)
  
  [FEN ""]
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. a3 Bxc3 5. bxc3 (5. dxc3)
  
  I usually see bxc3 in this position and the main reason given is to capture toward the center, but doesn't bxc3 weaken the queen side and take the option of castling queen side away from white.  What is wrong with dxc3?  Doesn't this open up the file for the Queen and the Bishop's diagonal?
  
  **Tags:** learning
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: in `1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.Bxc6 dxc6`, I always take with the d pawn, lots of good things can happen from here, also note that the pawn is poisoned, if he takes bring the Queen to `d4`  
  > **username_2**: My rule (not just in chess but in general) is "always isn't", meaning if someone says that something is always the case, he's usually wrong (there may be rules of nature). So here the answer is a clear NO, not always. dxc3 will open up both the bishop and queen, which can be a big advantage.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 4 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2013-01-08. Score: 6 | Accepted answer
  
  Either is fine. `bxc3` gives you a strong chance to push in the center successfully. It leaves a dangling pawn on `a2`, but by playing `bxc3` you should already have resigned this pawn's fate to some sacrifice for a tempo later in the game. Note you can not play `6. d4` right away since black's response will most likely be `5. ... d5` or `5. ... Nf6` putting pressure on the `e4` pawn which is awkward to defend for you at this point. You should most likely respond `6. d3` which dashes any hopes you had for a pawn charge to `d4`. Also, black can exert pressure on the doubled pawn at `c3` which is also a bit awkward for you to defend.
  
  I personally would play `dxc3`. It is less committing. You no longer have to hope to pry open the middle with your pawn majority, and you have no dangling pawn you have to sacrifice eventually. You've opened up strong lines for all three of your white bishop, your dark bishop and your queen. Note this may seem not that important, but keep in mind your opponent just traded one of his bishops for your knight. If you can open up this game, you will have a strong edge on your opponent. Any attack on your `e4` pawn can now be refuted, such as `5. ... Nf6` comes in with a strong pin `6. bg5`. Also, it no longer looks silly for your white bishop to travel to `d3` to defend `e4`.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2013-01-08. Score: 5
  
  **`bxc3`** gives you a **majority of pawns in the center**, and support for the pawn break `d4!`, possibly pushing `c4` and *still* having d4 pawn-supported. Big advantages in the long-term.
  
  With `dxc3`, you're right, the bishop is free, but with fewer pieces on the board, and Black to play, it's **not much of an advantage**. The file for the Queen, “attacking” the `♟d7`, which belongs on `d6` where it is well defended, is worth nothing, and the possibility of castling queenside is not very relevant either (e.g. Black traded his f2- and h2-threatening bishop)
  
  Also keep in mind that the *c* pawns are doubled for the time being, and you don't want this situation to last until the endgame. It will be a lot easier to **trade the `♙c3` on the *d* file** than trying to support the *b* pawn, or merely blocking the *d* file for Black.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2013-01-09. Score: 2
  
  Capturing toward the center with pawns is a general guideline that should be followed when appropriately, however, just like all the other positional guidelines. It should also be *ignored* when appropriate. In the specific case of the Ruy Lopez: Exchange Variation (the opening you mention) it is [more popular](http://www.chessgames.com/perl/explorer?node=1112446&move=4.5&moves=e4.e5.Nf3.Nc6.Bb5.a6.Bxc6&nodes=21720.21721.21722.21723.21724.21725.1112446) to capture with the d pawn because it gives your queen an open file, and keeps your pawn structure a little better (two pawn islands instead of three).
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2013-01-09. Score: 2
  
  In my opinion, always capture towards the center when possible in the opening with your pawns. There are caveats to this of course, such as making sure to immediately capitalize on your advances by ensuring no pawns remain doubled. Also if there are attacks or tempos gained from not taking towards the center then by all means go the other way.
  However, I would like to know why you would play 4. a3. To me, it seems like a blunder. I think that you should probably play Nd5 there.
  
  [fen ""]
  
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nd5
  
  I like this because it attacks the dark bishop for Black and gives White a nice tempo and some increased control over the center. More than likely Black will play Nf6 here, although Be7 would be possible to see as well. Either way it is beneficial to remove the bishop from the game.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: I just picked `a3` as a random move.  
  
  ---
  
  