New answers tagged middlegame
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The biggest clue is the pawn structure. Allure's first diagram hints that is was a Grunfeld due to the queenside pawns. (Although since there are so many transpositions that the opening can change on a move's notice.) The further the game proceeds, the harder it becomes to guess the opening.
As a teen, I played the Blackmar–Diemer Gambit, which had the ...
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Some positions have clues which at least rule out certain openings, even if they don't identify one specific opening. For example, if a pawn is still at home, then the opening wasn't one in which that pawn moves or gets taken.
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the absence of Black's C pawn and the fight against the D5 square
That's more or less it. This kind of position is most probably the result of a Sicilian. Could it be something else? It can, but the Sicilian is the most likely opening.
can we reverse engineer every middle game position to an opening
No. This position for example is a middlegame with no ...
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The non-technical answer is that once you have such a winning position, the "winning difference" between the best (e.g. winning material) vs a good improving move evaluated by the engine is based on the fact that your position is already extremely winning. You could literally play any decent move and it would not be a mistake. An extreme example ...
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Ne5 was not a poor move, but indeed not the best. When Ne5 is played, white has an extreme attack with knight, bishop and if needed, queen and can still easily win an exchange after 1. ... Rd6 2. Nc6 Rf6 3. Be5 (close to stockfish play) and easily win the game because blacks defence is not enough, even to Stockfish standards
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