If you control and/or occupy the center of a chess board, then you can move to any place of the board faster than your opponent. The board's center is the high ground of a chess battle.
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[Event "rated untimed match"]
[Site "Pasadena"]
[Date "1932.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "R Fine"]
[Black "H Steiner"]
[Result "0-1"]
[BlackElo "0"]
[FEN "4r2k/pp5p/3q3r/5pp1/3Pb3/2PBP1P1/P2Q1R1P/5RK1 b - - 0 1"]
[SetUp "1"]
[TimeControl "0"]
[WhiteElo "0"]
1... Qxg3+ 2. Rg2 ( { White dare not try: } 2. hxg3 Rh1# ) 2... Qxg2+ 3. Qxg2 Bxg2 4. Kxg2 Rxe3 5. Bxf5 Rxc3 { Black wins with a large material advantage. } 0-1