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The middlegame is the middle stage of a chess game. It begins when the pieces are developed and the kings are safe, that is after the opening, and lasts until few pieces are left on the board — then the endgame begins.
How the middlegame is different
In the opening you can rely on general principles and knowledge of variations. In the endgame there are many precisely analysed positions. The middlegame is the “freest” part of the game: there are the most pieces on the board, the most variations, and the player has to assess the position and come up with a plan on their own.
How to assess the position
Before choosing a plan, it helps to compare the positions on several counts:
- Material — who has more pieces and pawns.
- King safety — whose king is better sheltered.
- Piece activity — whose pieces are better placed and control more squares.
- Pawn structure — who has weak pawns: isolated, doubled, backward.
- Centre and space — who controls the centre and has more room to manoeuvre.
- Open lines — who controls the open files and diagonals.
How to make a plan
The plan follows from the assessment. A few typical ideas:
- Attack the king if the opponent's king position is weakened or your pieces are aimed at it.
- Play on the wing where you have a pawn majority.
- Pressure a weakness — an isolated pawn, a weak square.
- Improve your worst piece — if you do not know what to do, find your worst-placed piece and move it to a better square.
- Exchanges — if you are ahead in material, simplify the position.
Tactics in the middlegame
Most tactical blows — forks, pins, double attacks — happen precisely in the middlegame. A good plan often prepares the ground for a combination.