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Middlegame position from the gameJoseph BlackburneSiegbert Tarrasch,Breslau, 1889, after 26.Qg5. Black played26...Nd6.

Contents

1 Aims of the middlegame

2 Transition to the endgame

3 See also

4 Notes

5 Reference works5.1 Classical middlegame textbooks

5.2 Modern texts

Chess middlegameFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The middlegame in chess refers to the portion of the game inbetween the opening and the endgame. There is no clear linebetween the opening and middlegame, and between themiddlegame and endgame. In modern chess, the moves that makeup an opening blend into the middlegame, so there is no sharpdivide. At elementary level, both players will usually havecompleted the development of all or most pieces and the king willusually have been brought to relative safety. However, at masterlevel, the opening analysis may go well into the middlegame.

Likewise, the middlegame blends into the endgame. There arediffering opinions and criteria for when the middlegame ends andthe endgame starts (see the start of the endgame). Factors such ascontrol of the center are less important in the endgame than the

middlegame. In endgames the number of pieces and pawns ismuch reduced, though even after queens are traded, one may talk about a "middlegame without queens". The key issue is often saidto be: when the kings are safe to play an active role, then it is anendgame.

Theory on the middlegame is less developed than the opening or endgames. Since middlegame positions areunique from game to game, memorization of theoretical variations is not possible as it is in the opening.Likewise, there are usually too many pieces on the board for theoretical positions to be completely analyzedas can be done in the simpler endgames.

Aims of the middlegame

The Middle Game in Chess by Reuben Fine lists three major factors in the middlegame: king safety, force

(material) and mobility, although not all of these factors are of equal importance. If king safety is a seriousissue, a well-executed attack on the king can render other considerations, including material advantages,irrelevant. Material is another important consideration, Fine notes thatif all other things are equalanymaterial advantage will usually be decisive. According to Fine, a material advantage will usually not give adirect mating attack unless the advantage is very large (a rook or more), rather it can be used as a means of

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gaining more material and a decisive endgame advantage. The issue of mobility is ensuring that the pieceshave a wide scope of action and targets to focus on. The concept is largely strategic in nature, and involvesconcepts as space, pawn weaknesses (since weak pawns can compel pieces to defensive duties, reducingtheir mobility), and securing outposts for the pieces.

The strategy required for middlegame play varies considerably. Some middlegame positions feature closedcentres featuring maneuvering behind the lines, while other middlegames are wide open, where both playersattempt to gain the initiative. Dan Heisman noted three features which can seriously alter the way themiddlegame is played. [1]

First, if the kings are castled on opposite wings, and queens remain on the board, the position can be veryviolent, with both players aiming to assault the enemy king. Material considerations are often secondary topursuing the attack, and it can even be advantageous to lose pawns in front of the enemy king in order toopen up lines for the rooks and queen.

Second, positions where the pawn structure is static and locked, can also feature mutual attacks, sinceplayers often elect to play on the side where they have more space (playing on the side of the board in whichtheir pawns are pointing). Time is often less of a concern in such middlegames, allowing lengthy maneuvers.

Players attempt to strengthen their positions and weaken their opponent's. Both players need to be on thelookout for pawn breaks, and the possibility of taking advantage of the open files which may arise from them.

Third, if one player has an overwhelming material advantage and is clearly winning, the stronger player canusually afford to violate several of the normal middlegame principles in order to trade down to an endgame.For example, trading queens even at the cost of a ruined pawn structure may be a viable option.

Transition to the endgame

Not all games reach the endgame, since an attack on the king, or a combination leading to large material

gains can end the game while it is still in the middlegame. At other times, an advantage needs to be pursuedin the endgame, and learning how to make favorable exchanges leading to a favorable endgame is animportant skill.

The last thing that happens in the middlegame is the setup for endgame. Since many endgames involve thepromotion of a pawn, it is usually good to keep that in mind when making trades during the middlegame. Forexample, World Champion Max Euwe considered a preponderance of pawns on the queenside (queensidemajority) an advantage because this might be used to create a passed pawn. [2]

See also

Chess terminology

Chess strategy

Chess tactics

Opening

Endgame

Chess piece relative value

Pawn structure

Notes

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^ Heisman, Dan. "Novice Nook: The Six Common Chess States" (http://www.chesscafe.com

/text/heisman09.pdf). chesscafe.com. Retrieved 2009-03-21.

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^ "Pawn Majority" (http://www.chesslodge.com/2007/02/pawn-majority/). chesslodge.com. February 17, 2007.

Retrieved 2009-03-21.

2.

Reference works

Classical middlegame textbooks

Works mostly written before 1970.

Euwe, Max and H. Kramer 1964; 1994. The Middlegame . 2 vols: McKay; Hays. ISBN

978-1-880673-95-9

Fine, Reuben [1952] 2003. The Middlegame in Chess . McKay; Random House. ISBN 0-8129-3484-9

Keres, Paul; Kotov, Alexander (1964). The Art of the Middle Game . Penguin Books.

Nimzowitsch, Aron [1927] 1987. My system . B.T Batsford Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7134-5655-4Pachman, Ludek [1963] 1975/78. Complete chess strategy . Doubleday. 3 vols from the first edition of

2 vols. ISBN 978-0-346-12321-2; ISBN 978-1-880673-96-6; ISBN 978-0-679-13252-3.

Tarrasch, Siegbert [1895] 1999. Three hundred chess games . Hays. ISBN 978-1-880673-18-8

Znosko-Borovsky, Eugene (1938; 1980). The Middle Game in Chess . Dover. ISBN 0-486-23931-4.

Modern texts

Averbakh, Yuri 1996. Chess Middlegames: essential knowledge . Cadogan, ISBN 1-85744-125-7

Dvoretsky, Mark & Yusupov, Artur 1996. Positional play . Batsford, London. ISBN 0-7134-7879-9

Silman, Jeremy 1998. The complete book of chess strategy . Siles Press. ISBN 978-1-890085-01-8.

Sokolov, Ivan (2009). Winning Chess Middlegames . New In Chess. ISBN 978-90-5691-264-2.

Suetin, Alexey (1976). A contemporary approach to the Middle Game . Hippocrene Books.

ISBN 978-0-7134-3123-0.

Tisdall, Jonathan 1997. Improve your chess now . Everyman, London. ISBN 978-1-85744-156-7

Watson, John 1998. Secrets of modern chess strategy: advances since Nimzowitsch . Gambit London.

ISBN 1-901983-07-2Watson, John. 2003. Chess strategy in action . Gambit, London. ISBN 1-901983-69-2

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