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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Choosing one move from the two moves
From the given position, is it better to take with rook or the a-pawn and why ?
Black to move:
The engine suggested the move axb4, why?
There must be some strategical or tactical point (ignore the ...
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How can I learn combinations without a chess book?
I would like to become better and stronger at spotting combinations. I can't buy any chess books at the moment. What's a good website for learning combinations?
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Was this sacrifice a good one?
Upon reviewing a game I played. I started to feel bad about exchanging my attacking bishop for my opponent’s useless one. But I believe that I had no other choices. I want your opinion about what I ...
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It's true that a middle game plan is to push the rest of central pawns?
A master 2250 said to me that i should put my pieces so all
my central pawns to be pushed.
For example if I have e4 d5 with white, a valid plan is advancing c4 and f4. Or with black if I have for ...
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Advanced Middle Game Attacking Tactics
Before I get into the details of my questions, I already know the f, g and h pawn attack tactics, bishops sacrifices such as the greek gift and Lasker's double bishop sacrifice among a few others and ...
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Longest period with each piece "hanging"
What is the longest period in a real game with a position in which all pieces were "hanging"? The game can also be rapid, blitz
or blindfold, but both players should have at least a 2000 ELO....
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Can someone describe a good/easy mental procedure to choose the best move here?
This is kind of like magic to me. Once they show you it becomes obvious :) :(
Can someone point out a good/easy strategy that a player can mentally train/use to decide what is the best move here for ...
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How can black exploit this lead in development?
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.Ng5 O-O 6.Bxf7 Rxf7 7.Nxf7 Kxf7
I understand that black should aim for d7-d5 to open up the game, but what else? Are piece exchanges good or bad? Can I get a ...
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Can Black perform a successful freeing break? If yes, what would be his long-term plan after?
I have tried to resurrect an old line and use it in my repertoire. Every single time I play it I reach positions similar to this:
[Title "White to move"]
[fen "r2q1rk1/pbpnbppp/1p2pn2/8/3PNB2/3B1N2/...
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Can playing against Computer help?
I am a begineer level player on chess.com with rating around 1500. I play daily 2-3 games with 15|10 mins time control for each player. I find it difficult to get time to study chess books, and was ...
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First play in middle game
I have a problem when I have developed all minor pieces and castled. The position looks perfect for me and my opponent. I don't want to move a piece since that would ruin the position and create ...
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Looking for information on PARADISE (software)
I am working on developing statistics around the middlegame. During searching I found a little information about PARADISE (PAttern Recognition Applied to DIrecting SEarch), which was developed by ...
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Need some helps with the tactics in the middle game
I sometimes find it very difficult to determine the accurate moves in middle game. When a tough opponent is in front of me I dont let to attack at first. I strengthen my defense. But if I ever try to ...
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How to work out quiet positions?
I am a good player when I have a plan. If I have a certain goal in mind, I can see the way to it. But in quiet, planless, positions, I have difficulty as an attacking and tactical player. What is the ...
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Plans in the Petroff Defense
What are the typical middlegame planes for black/white in the Petroff defense, more specifically in the variations:
Petroff three knights: 1. e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3.
Classical Variation: 1. e4 e5 2. ...
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Can't find long term plan for Black
I am working on multiple lines from Scandinavian defense, with the goal to resurrect them.
One line I'm working on is 3...Qd8, and I have managed to achieve quite playable positions ( the results are ...
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How can Black free his game?
What are Black's long term plans in below pawn structure?
How can Black free his game?
The position arose from the Rubinstein variation of the French defense:
[Title "White to move"]
[fen "r2rb1k1/...
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How to save black's position in this Game?
In this game black made some mistakes which leads to the final position.
While analyzing this game the engine is not willing to capture the bishop.
[Event ""]
[Site ""]
[Date "2014.07.05"]
[Round "-"]...
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The Anderssen v Zukertort game in the Yamie Chess kids' math boardgame
Spanish Game: Johannes Zukertort vs Adolf Anderssen 1865 - Berlin
[fen ""]
[White "Zukertort"]
[Black "Anderssen"]
[Event "Berlin 1865"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nge7 4. c3 d6 5. d4 Bd7 6. O-O Ng6 ...
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How to break through their "Great Wall of China"
It's my move as White. I have no idea what to do. I feel like I'm going to get squashed to death.
What would be my best move or strategy in situations like these?
[FEN "r2q1rk1/4b3/p1n1p1b1/...
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Can white recover? (midgame)
If someone could put a picture of the layout in that'd be great, I've looked (clicked edit) on posts with them and I cannot work out the format, also this is a setup, I didn't write down how I got ...
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Midgame Ideas in the Caro-Kann
Most of the writing I've found on the Caro-Kann online simply makes vague assertions about how "Black's endgame is better" or how White should try [some dubious move or other] to get a good attack in ...
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What are some good middle game plans or strategies? [closed]
The objective of the opening is quite clear - develop your pieces quickly, castle and bring your king to safety, etc. Once this phase is over, and you are into the middle game, the question arises - ...
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Queenside vs Kingside pawn majority: Looking for comprehensive resources
I am looking for a resource that describes plans for both sides in the following pawn structure:
[Title "Queenside vs Kingside pawn majority"]
[fen "8/pp3ppp/4p3/8/2P5/8/PP3PPP/8 w - - 0 1"]
This ...
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I would like to know if this game is winnable for black?
Black to move but unsure of the pieces that would give black a better advantage. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
r5k1/pp1qpr1p/3p2p1/2pP4/1n2P3/1P2N1Pb/2PQ1P1P/3RR1K1 b - - 0 1
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Carlsen vs Gelfand World Championship Candidates (2013). Could Gelfand have held it with 44...Bxf1!
[FEN "8/5p1k/1P4p1/2P4p/2b4P/5Q2/5PP1/4qBK1 b - - 0 44"]
This position occurred on move 44 in the Carlsen vs Gelfand game in the World Championship Candidates, 2013.
Here, Gelfand played the losing ...
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Chess book for kids (9-11 y.o.)
Are there any chess books accessible for kids in the 9-11 age range that don't waste the first half of the book teaching how the pieces move, castling rules and en passant capture? I am expecting some ...
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How many materially equal positions are there?
Reading about the Shannon number, I see that there are about 1043 positions in chess, but how many of them are even? That is, materially (as an approximation). A position with one king vs 8 pawns and ...
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Can the Black still win the game? How?
It’s Black to move.
[FEN "r3k2r/pppbn2p/4p1p1/8/3PNq2/2PB2P1/PP3P1P/R2QR1K1 b - - 0 1"]
Here's a picture of a groovy little portable chess set with the position above
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Is there a good method to come up with a plan during a game?
I have started to play chess more seriously recently by playing some tournaments. During all my tournament games, I faced serious problems coming up with plans during the middle game. Is there a ...
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Endgame player vs middlegame player: Is the result inevitable?
I recently asked this question: Why Anand and Carlsen insisted on playing the same opening/defense
FM Rauan Sagit answered:
In my view, in terms of opening preparation, the Anand team failed to
...
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Database of every possible move in chess
Imagine that there is a chess database of every possible move and position. This database contains all possible moves from opening to end game.
If I played using my intuition against a chess engine, ...
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At what point does the opening end, and middle game begin?
Just curious if there's a set of guidelines to determine when a player can call the opening pretty much done, and move into the middle game. I know some rules of the opening that would apply are
All ...
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How do I trap the queen once it pins my rook?
I am playing as Black in this game, and after 10. Qg4, I realize that White wanted my rook. I knew I could trap the queen once it went for the rook (11. Qxg7), but I forgot how. I went on to win the ...
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What are the middle game principles?
What are the middle game principles? I have already seen numerous principles regarding the opening and ending, but not the middle.
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Strategy in middlegame from boring positions
I get into these rather vanilla, or as I call them, boring positions. Not much is happening tactically, and I can't fathom what the right course of action should be strategically.
Here is an example....
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Is there an objective measure of how "complicated" or "tension-filled" a chess position can be?
Probably most chess players will have the intuitive notion of what kind of positions are not "tension-filled" and what kind of positions are. Usually these are middlegame positions.
Here's an idea of ...
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Sicilian Scheveningen versus Najdorf: What are some of the characteristics that differentiate the two openings?
I would like to compare the Sicilian Scheveningen
[FEN ""]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6
with the Sicilian Najdorf
[FEN ""]
1.e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6
...
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When does the middlegame end and the endgame begin?
Is there any specific point where the middle-game ends and end-game begins? E.g. after x number of pieces are exchanged, or say 40 moves, etc.
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