[blind-chess] Chess Article #62: The Chess Middlegame

From: Roderick Macdonald <rmacd@xxxxxxxx>
To: Blind Chess Mailing List <blind-chess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2010 20:02:31 -1000 (HST)
Chess Article #62:
The Chess middlegame
Adapted and Condensed from
Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia

The middlegame in chess refers to the portion of the game that
happens immediately after the opening (usually the first move after
the procession of moves that make up a standard opening) and blends
somewhat with the endgame, usually when queens are traded, although
if several pieces remain on the board one can talk about a
"middlegame without queens". During this time, players will attempt
to strengthen their positions while weakening their opponent's,
both by careful arrangement of the pieces for prepared attacks and
defenses and by whittling away at their opponent's numbers.

The demarcation between the opening and middlegame, and the
middlegame and endgame, is not always clear. Compared to the
opening, both players will usually have completed the development
of all or most pieces (except the king which will usually have been
brought to relative safety.) Compared to the endgame, the
middlegame has several pieces on the board, and the strength of
these forces makes the kings' roles rather defensive. Factors such
as control of the center are more important in the middlegame than
the endgame. There are differing opinions and criteria for when the
middlegame ends and the endgame starts.

Theory on the middlegame is less developed than the opening or
endgames. Since middlegame positions from game to game are unique,
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 analyzed as can be done in
the endgame.

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 serious issue, a well-executed attack on the king can
render other considerations, including material advantages,
irrelevant.

Material is another important consideration. Fine notes that with
all other things equal, any material advantage will usually be
decisive. According to Fine, a material advantage will usually not
give a direct mating attack unless the advantage is very large (a
rook or more), rather it can be used as a means of gaining more
material and a decisive endgame advantage.

The issue of mobility is ensuring that the pieces have a wide scope
of action and targets to focus on. The concept is largely strategic
in nature, and involves concepts as space, pawn weaknesses (since
weak pawns can compel pieces to defensive duties, reducing their
mobility), and securing outposts for the pieces.
The strategy required for middlegame play varies considerably. Some
middlegame positions feature closed centers featuring maneuvering
behind the lines, while other middlegames are wide open, where both
players attempt to gain the initiative. Dan Heisman noted three
features which can seriously alter the way the middlegame is
played.

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

Second, positions where the pawn structure is static and locked,
can also feature mutual attacks, since players often elect to play
on the side where they have more space (playing on the side of the
board in which their pawns are pointing). Time is often less of a
concern in such middlegames, allowing lengthy maneuvers. Both
players need to be on the lookout 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 can usually 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 pursued in the endgame, and learning how to make favorable
exchanges leading to a favorable endgame is an important skill.

The last thing that happens in the middlegame is the setup for
endgame. Since many endgames involve the promotion of a pawn, it is
usually good to keep that in mind when making trades during the
middlegame. For example, World Champion Max Euwe considered a
preponderance of pawns on the queenside (queenside majority) an
advantage because this might be used to create a passed pawn.
==========The blind-chess mailing listView list information and change your settings: //www.freelists.org/list/blind-chessList archives: //www.freelists.org/archives/blind-chess=========
[blind-chess] Chess Article #62: The Chess Middlegame

Other related posts:
