1.c4 and 1.Nf3 fight for the centre from the side. White often fianchettoes the king's bishop and pressures d5 before committing the central pawns.
Key principles
- The g2 bishop and c4 pawn aim at d5
- Keep the central pawns flexible until Black commits
- Transpositions to 1.d4 openings are common
Common mistakes
- Playing too passively and letting Black take the centre for free
- Ignoring transposition tricks