Hey Friends!

     I want to thank those of you who have offered suggestions and advice to the questions I have posed regarding improving one's chess game. As some of you know, I had taken a "leave of absence" from playing due to health reasons. I really want to get my game back. I know I'll never play as well as I did when I was twenty years younger. However, I do want to improve my playing. Since many of you have been so helpful with suggestions, I thought I would ask for further assistance.

     While I have been working with Chess Mentor and other training programs, I wish to seek the collective wisdom of my friends here on chess.com.

     In looking over my recent games, one of my problems seems to be with the all important "middle game." It's in the middle game that everything falls apart. I know that I don't have a strong opening (and I'm working on that as I write), but I try to remember the simplest principles such as development towards the center, Knights before Bishops, etc.

     Again, I loose any footing I have in the "middle game." Sometimes I end up matching my opponent's material, close to point for point, but again it falls apart.

     I would appreciate suggestions as to books on the middle game, training software, etc. In advance, thanks for your help and support. It's this kind of community effort that keeps me coming back to chess.com (that and Erik's promise of a free t-shirt after 1000 posts-ha,ha,ha). Send me that advice because I can sure use it now (before my rating drops into the negative numbers) Thank you so very much...Hugh

Combinations, combinations based on strategic positions that you many times create. You must create an exchange in your favor and that requires a minimum of having a plan and seeing at least 3 moves ahead, at times easy but many times difficult to very difficult to see the 4th moves because of all of the combinations possible and this is where your plan helps at times to play an intuitive positional move that will give you the edge. Do try moves as this will tell you the outcome, if you always pay defensive eventually you will have to exchange in your opponent's favor so do force the issue and try something rather than wait and be keen.

As far as books are concerned I could suggest some but I do find many of the links on this site to have much more valuable suggestions that I can make as a whole.

Here is one link to explore suggestions:

http://www.chess.com/search.html?q=strategy%20books

Use the search and refine your search for more options.

Dont put to much into your head mate. Work out one area u need to work on before worrying about the rest or u will be building a house without all the parts nailed in properly. As for books or other materials to help; "play winning chess series' by:- Yasser Seirawan  has helped my chess alot. Its easy to read and understand which worked well for me hahaha and u will get a general idea of the game. But like i said dont over do it just warm urself into it....

I know what you mean, littleman, you can becomed overwhelmed by the sheer number of books and programs center around all phases of the game. I'm examining the "Play Winning Chess" series. Thanks!