Questions tagged [middlegame]
Questions about the middlegame. The middlegame is the stage of the game after the opening has been completed and most of the pieces have been developed, but before the endgame. In the middlegame, the plans usually revolve around trying to improve one's own position and win material from the opponent, or sometimes, to deliver mate to the opponent.
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What should my plans be in a Carlsbad pawn structure?
I often find myself in positions with the Carlsbad pawn structure, and I really struggle to come up with a plan. I am usually the one with the pawn chain pointing toward the queenside, so I assume ...
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Help needed to find the big mistake
Below is a a game in which I played as black. A chess engine analysis told me that I made big one mistake. Can someone point out what it is?
[FEN ""]
1. d4 b6 2. e4 Bb7 3. Nd2 g6 4. Bd3 Bg7 5. Ngf3 ...
3
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2
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Can someone explain the positional advantages for white?
[FEN "3r1rk1/7p/bq2ppp1/p1R5/Pp2P2P/4QB2/1P3PP1/3R2K1 w - - 0 1"]
As far I can see, Black’s bishop has more scope than the white one, White has some isolated pawns, and the Black pawns rule the 5th ...
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Why, in this Capablanca game, was this move considered bad?
Regarding this position:
[fen "r2qr1k/pbpn1pbp/1p1p1np1/4p3/1PP5/3P1NP1/PBQNPPBP/R2R2K1 w - - 1 1"]
I have 2 questions:
1)If the game goes 1..c5 2.b5 the engine shows white slightly better but if 1....
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3
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How to visualize in chess?
Skip to 2:08:27 in this video https://youtu.be/nK4SNEbMn7s.
What exactly is GMHikaru doing that?How can I be able to do that?Does it comes naturally with practice or their are exercises?
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How to proceed with the book "Pawn Structure Chess" by Andrew Soltis?
Should I memorize everything in the book, or use it in some other way?
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1
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Tips on The Greek Gift
I always have problems in executing The Greek Gift. This a position which I got in a recent game :
rn1q1rk1/1b1nbppp/p3p3/1p2P3/3N4/2NB4/PPP1Q1PP/R1B2RK1 w - - 3 13
Even though the Knight is not ...
- 1,098
2
votes
1
answer
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Advanced Caro Kann: Queenless Middlegame
I started analysing my games as a means to improvement.
I am trying to form my own opinion without looking at the engine that much, as I can't rely on it while analysing a position in game.
I really ...
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Going from a winning position to losing one [closed]
I often go from winning positions to losing positions. What could I do to stop doing this?
For an example, take a look at this games of in which I played as Black.
[FEN ""]
1. e4 {0} 1... e5 {4} 2....
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Queenless Imbalanced Middlegame(3)
In the following position white is down the exchange, but up a pawn. Stockfish 10 and Komodo 13.2 evaluate it at 0.00. My Question is essentially which side has the advantage(if any) and if so how ...
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1
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Queenless Imbalanced Middlegame(2)
I analyzed the following position with both Stockfish 10 and Komodo 13.2. The 2 monster engines evaluated it at a dead draw at 0.00. Is this really the case or does either side have some sort of an ...
- 2,168
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4
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Queenless Imbalanced Middlegame
I was analyzing the following position for one of the correspondence games that I am playing. In the position, white is up 2 pawns and with my limited understanding, I can't see any real compensation ...
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Tactics in Firouzja's game round 3
In round 3, Firouzja and Artemiev played a very interesting Caro-Kann game, with white constantly trying to open up the position even at the cost of pawns, in order to exploit black's exposed king ...
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1
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Winning middlegame?
The following is a winning middlegame for White from Capablanca's Chess Fundamentals. It's white to play.
[FEN "2nb1rk1/1pqrnppp/p2p4/2pQ1N2/6P1/1P1B1N1P/P3RP2/3R2K1 w - - 0 0"]
1. Nxe7+ ...
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Explaining middle game computer analysis
I was looking at the computer analysis for a game I played and I need some help to understand a line found by the computer.
After a balanced game (started with a Torre Attack) we arrived at the ...
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0
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Sites to learn the middlegame from [closed]
I have been going through some websites for practising my middle game so that I can get an advantage right away.
What are some good sites for practising the middlegame?
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Guarding my seventh rank and a king walk assualt
A few weeks ago. I won a game as Black on lichess.com..
[FEN ""]
[startply "48"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d5 3. Bd3 c4 4. Be2 e6 5. d4 cxd3 6. Qxd3 Nc6 7. exd5 Qxd5 8. a3 Nf6 9. c4 Qxd3 10....
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How to improve king safety
I really wish to improve my chess skills a bit, albeit I am pretty sure that I do not want to become a grandmaster.
One of my problem is my king's safety. Chess is very different from some other ...
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Why did the (Black) computer play 9. ... Ke7 here?
Not having played chess in ~5 years, I started playing against the computer on my phone at ELO~800 (I've since reached ~900). I do not know what engine the app uses (Chess for iPhone by Mastersoft Ltd)...
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Pawn Sacrifice Justification
A few weeks ago, Magnus Carlsen (White) played against Anish Giri (Black), and this position was reached on the board on move 17 after black had played exf4:
Here is the full game:
[White "Magnus ...
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Understanding Kramnik's play in game 1 of Candidates 2018
The position I'm studying is the middlegame part of the game 1 of Berlin Candidates 2018 between Kramnik and Grischuk, which Kramnik won with the white pieces.
In particular, I'm interested in ...
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4
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In the middlegame, can one avoid compromising the balance one's opening has achieved? [closed]
A polite duplicate asked last week by @57Jimmy mentions an incidental matter I find interesting:
But when all the pieces are out, well placed, and I have castled, I have no idea about what I should ...
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1
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General advice for middlegame [duplicate]
This is a very basic and general question (and my first on this website), so feel free to tell me if this is inappropriate.
Besides specific strategies and opening sequences, there are some fairly ...
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How to improve on the early endgame?
The late middlegame/early endgame is by far my weakest point.
I often get some kind of advantage in the opening, but then struggle to convert. I do study endgames, for example I am currently reading ...
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1
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What are the most instructive Zurich 1953 games? [closed]
I'm a club player that never really figured out the importance of studying master games. Since I want to improve my middlegame understanding I read that Bronstein's Zurich 1953 is an excellent place ...
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3
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Analysis of my recent King's Indian Defense game
I'm looking for any feedback on positional ideas I've missed on a recent KID game I played (as black). We were both about 1900 Elo, although I was slightly higher rated. I've obviously already ...
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Should one actively search for a checkmate ('hunt the King') in the middlegame? [closed]
My usual middlegame strategy is to gain an advantage, however small (say a pawn), and convert it to a win in the endgame. I position my pieces and plan attacks accordingly, so that I can grab the ...
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Middle game and endgame principles
In the opening, it's helpful for me as a beginner to remember some basic principles: develop your pieces, castle, knights before bishops (generally), don't move the same piece twice, etc. Are there ...
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Why are opening books so popular?
As title above, why are opening books so popular? I am sure that most players know that middlegame and endgame books are ultimately much more important for improving one's chess strength. That is not ...
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Why is `a5` a better move in this position?
I was playing with a friend and we come to the following position (me white):
My friend played b5 but computer analysis says that this is a mistake and he should have played a5. Now, I don't see why ...
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What will be the best move in this position?
I am a lower rated (1200-1300) player, and I am quite hesitant while making sacrifices. In the current game I see that black's king is unprotected and a bishop sacrifice at f5 can open up an attack ...
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What next? I'm stuck!
Sorry if this question is waaay too long, but I just want professional chess players to know exactly what I think and help me. I'd appreciate it if anyone interested went through my question ...
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Was I right to capture the pawn in this position?
I played a blitz game against a 1900 player which I won. I'm interested in this position, with me as Black to move.
The computer recommended to take the bishop, but I didn't want to take it ...
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2
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How to improve my early endgame / late middlegame?
When I search for books on the middlegame versus the endgame, I usually find discussions about positions that have almost nothing to do with each other: the former being rich with strategies with ...
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4
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Middlegame plans
It is said that today openings are connected to middlegame plans and even with potential endings. But I can't find those middlegame plans, except for some occasional comments in opening books. In fact ...
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4
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Are mind games effective?
If you want a quick match and need a way to put off your opponent early on, what sort of tactics can i use to mess with their head? I am specifically interested in the opening and middlegame, however ...
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King's Indian Attack - Middle game ideas
I've searched everywhere, however, I couldn't find what are ideas in KIA. I know about Neil McDonal "The King's Indian Attack: Move by Move" book. This book covers KIA against different openings. ...
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Best books on middlegame strategy?
What are the best works trying to systematically summarize all middlegame themes and strategies: e.g. space advantage, pawn structures, exposed king, minority attack, isolated pawn, hanging pawns, etc....
- 6,816
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Unclear endgame / late middlegame position: looks like advantage white to me, but engine analysis suggests draw
Came across this position as part of some variation analysis of one of my previous games. To me it looks like a noticeable (though probably not decisive) advantage for white -- based on pawn structure ...
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In the Ruy Lopez, does White play on the queenside or King side?
I always play on the kingside, but I recently heard from Expert class that White plays on the queenside. I also seen another Expert class play on the queenside. If this is true, then why does White ...
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How does one become a theoretician?
What does it mean to be an opening theoretician, and how does one achieve this status? Does it imply that one should not be an active tournament player? Apart from opening theoreticians are there ...
- 6,816
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What are examples of grandmaster games where both Black and White castle opposite sides and the queenside players loses?
I want to become better at attacking my opponent's king when they castle queenside. What are some grandmaster games where the player who castles queenside gets mated or loses due to a powerful attack ...
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3
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Top chess books and online software that would help me increase my rating
My current rating is 1200 and I had stopped chess for some time due to school exam pressure.
What steps should I take to increase my rating? I do tactics from chess.com everyday.
Please suggest some ...
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7
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What's a good middlegame book like My System for Expert Class? [closed]
I just finished reading My System. What's a good book to study afterwards for Expert Class?
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4
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Why are these sacrifices good moves? What are the winning follow-ups?
I was using a phone-app called Chessrating to get an estimation of my ELO rating. It gives me 16 chess positions and I have four attempts to find the best move. There were some positions that I did ...
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6
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What should my plan be in this middlegame?
This is a game I played recently. After 12. Be2, I really didn't know how to proceed. Eventually, after thinking for a very long time (>30 minutes, it's a correspondence game by the way), I moved ...
- 81
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3
answers
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What plan should I have followed in this particular position?
I played a game today where I feel that I had a nice positional advantage (the computer supports my opinion) but I only managed to draw it in the end. This is the position that I consider to be ...
- 1,597
4
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3
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What should I study?
My ELO is 2050. I had not played chess for 4 years until I moved to Amsterdam. In Amsterdam I joined a chess club which has many strong players. Every Tuesday we play 90min + 15sec incremental games ...
- 41
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2
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What is the best move for Black?
[FEN ""]
[startply "25"]
1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nc6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 d6 5. h3 Be7 6. d4 exd4 7. Nxd4 Bd7 8. O-O O-O 9. Bg5 h6 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. Nxc6 Bxc6 12. Re1 Re8 13. Qf3
What is the best move for ...
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votes
3
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740
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Choosing the best move in the given position
I was just guessing the best move in the position.(white to move).
I thought Rc1 would be the best move forcing white to exchange the white's dark square bishop and preserving the white's light ...
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