Useful Tips for Beginners and Intermediates in Middlegame and Endgame
Hi there!
First, I have to say… what the heck! It’s already summer in Madrid, we jumped straight from winter to summer with no pause in between!
Anyway, today I thought I’d write a post that can help beginners and intermediate players navigate one of the trickiest parts of the game: The Middlegame!
Very often, when I start working with a new student rated under 1200, they tell me their biggest struggle is not knowing what to do after the opening. Most of them say something like:
“I managed to start well ... I develop my pieces properly, castle my king safely, and place my rooks in the center…. but then I think… ‘Now what? How do I continue?’”
And honestly, that’s normal. There’s no quick fix or simple answer, learning how to handle the middlegame takes time and experience. But what I try to do with my students is help them feel more confident by sharing mini-plans and practical tips that can guide them as they improve.
So, if you’re still reading, it probably means you’ve faced the same question, and that’s exactly why I’ve written this post. Today, I’m sharing some helpful tips to guide you through what to do once the opening is over and the real battle begins: the middlegame. (Some of these tips can also be useful in the endgame, but if you're curious about that, I already did a full post on endgame tips, which you can check out here: https://www.chess.com/blog/checkycheckyrumba/endgame-tips-that-might-change-your-life-or-not)
As I mentioned, these tips are meant to help you organize your thoughts and improve your play. Of course, truly mastering planning takes time and effort, but in the meantime, these ideas can give you a great starting point.
For each tip, I’ll share examples so you can see how to apply the ideas in real games, let's start with them:
Activate your least active piece
Eliminate your opponent's most active piece
Control the center
Break your opponent's pawn structure
Eliminate your opponent's key defenders
Exchange queens to transition into a favorable endgame
I hope these tips offer you a better understanding of what to do in the middle game. But as I said, relax and enjoy the learning process. The middlegame phase takes time (and sometimes even a little blood!) to master.
If you try any of these tips, or have your own to share, drop a comment and let me know if you enjoyed this post!
Let’s keep learning together. See you around, and I wish you a lot of checkmates!
