Middle Game

Excelling at technical chess is a quality rarely found below top level chess. The ability to convert winning positions into a full point with certainty is something every player should work on until it is polished at a medium/high level. As you already can imagine, this is easier said than done and even Grandmasters struggle with this issue at times. In this article, we wanted to shed some light in an endgame that may seem easy at first sight but still takes a fair amount of work in order to bring home the full point.

As you already can imagine, this is easier said than done and even Grandmasters struggle with this issue at times.

In this article, we wanted to shed some light in an endgame that may seem easy at first sight but still takes a fair amount of work in order to bring home the full point.

Perhaps the most common structure arising from the majority of queen’s pawn openings (1.d4) is the structure known as the Carlsbad pawn structure. It is a structure rich in ideas for both sides with many hidden subtleties and unique methods of playing.

Of course, if you have followed our articles in the past you may know the different plans for white in this particular structure. If not, you can read about it here and here.

Akiba Rubinstein is probably a familiar name to every chess player, having left behind a precious legacy of games that new generations of chess players still study and learn from. Born in 1880, Rubinstein is one of the players who never got to be a World Champion due to the simple fact that he never played a match for the title, but his strength is undeniable. Between 1907 and 1912 he won a number of strong events that established him as one of the best players in the world, but in those times it was usual for the World Champion to handpick his future challenger.

The middlegame is something that many club players are struggling with because there is no clear way to improving it. You can work on tactics, memorize openings and drill the endgames, but the middlegame understanding is something that comes only with experience. In order to get that experience, you need to both study the classics as well as try applying that knowledge in your own games.

Knowing how to attack is an essential part of the chess struggle. An attack can emerge for several reasons – a poor coordination of the opponent’s pieces or a weakness in his king’s shelter could be enough to launch a direct offensive. However, there are other types of attacks that arise very often and this is the situation when the kings are castled on opposite wings. In such positions, the most common method of starting an attack is by throwing the pawns at the castle in order to create weaknesses in the opponent’s pawn structure and open the lines.

When preparing an attack against the enemy king it is important to know the typical sacrifices and attacking patterns. We have already covered most of the ways to start an attack and the most common tactical ideas in our previous articles and today we will take a look at another potential target of attack – the g6/g3 square. The main purpose of this sacrifice is the complete demolition of the kingside pawn structure in order to use the newly open files and diagonals to deliver mate.

The art of exchanging pieces is one of the most important and effective tools in a chess game. Knowing what piece of yours and which one of your opponents should be taken off the board is something that one learns through experience and deep study of classical games. However, for beginners and club level players this may be a difficult task.

Checkmate is an ultimate goal of the game. Ability to deliver a checkmate is closely tied to tactics. It is a very important skill that chess players of all levels, and especially those under 2200 should focus on. The best approach studying checkmates is to carefully understand the ideas and remember the key pattern. Pattern recognition is the key concept here. It is well known that chess masters know 1000s of tactical combinations and are able to instantly identify them. Today we will learn 10 must-know checkmates.

Chess is a game of ideas, where the players have to carefully build their position and find weaknesses in the other player’s camp that will allow them to break through. It is easily understood why being able to find a good plan and working on developing certain skills, both tactical and strategic, is very important in order to improve your play.

Many of you may have read before about the principle of two weaknesses, but for beginners, it might still be a concept difficult to apply, although very easy to remember. This principle is the most important one to remember in positions when you’re trying to materialize an advantage, either material or positional.