What To Play In The MIDDLEGAME?

Once I get into the Middlegame, I feel disoriented, I don't know what to do... !?

This is one of the most common questions students ask me. And certainly, it's a problem, since in the Opening everything is clear: Develop Pieces, Control the Center and Castle, bla bla bla ...   But we don't have so clear and famous Principles for the Middlegame. 

In this Post, I give you ideas and tips so you feel more confident and you never run out of ideas in this Phase of the Game. Let's get right into it.

What to do in the Middlegame
1) Improve your Queen: this is going to improve the Queen itself, but also is going to connect the Rooks. Your Queen should go to squares where it is both safe and active. In general, we avoid the Queen in the center early in the game, since you don't want to expose it or make it a target. 

2) Improve your minor Pieces: Especially the Knights can get better when they go to the Center. In the Opening, you shouldn't move twice the same piece; however, now we are in the Middlegame, and this is a very good moment for that. 

3) Improve your Rooks: Bring the Rooks to Open and Half-open files. 

4) Improve your worst piece: Spot your worst piece (maybe a Rook on a1 or a Knight on a4) and make it better.

What NOT to do

1 - Do not trade pieces with material disadvantage

2 - Do not advance the pawns in front of your King: Whenever you are not sure what to play, don't move pawns in front of your King. This just exposes your King for no reason.