Chess Middlegames

Thread by:  @imraghav2013 • @SPK1729 • @EnCroissantIsBrilliant

See also:  Chess Openings • Chess Endgames

A place to share, ask for advice on, or learn together about chess middlegames.

That's a very common issue. I was also facing this very often. You have to improve your visualization skills which is very important in calculating long sequences. You can use either lichess's coordinate training by following link :
https://lichess.org/training/coordinateOr you can chess.com's vision through following link :
https://www.chess.com/visionThere is a very useful video made by IM Danny and in that video he has given great ways to improve your visualization you should check that out also:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8_Rt_zW7Ys&pp=ygUuaG93IHRvIGltcHJvdmUgdmlzdWFsaXphdGlvbiBjaGVzcyBkYW5ueSByZW5jaA%3D%3DAlthough the video is 8 years old it is still helpful. You should also try doing some easy puzzles blindfolded.
I hope this will help you.

How do I take a space advantage in the middlegame and dominate the opponent in this way?

Also, how do I manage to open up lines for my rook to enter the game?

A third query I have is- Can I get an interesting way to spot a tactical blunder(losing a piece after 2-3 moves) by my opponent?

Taking space in the middlegame usually starts with smart pawn advances that restrict your opponent’s pieces. Look for chances to push central or queenside pawns when your pieces are behind them and ready to support. Gaining space isn’t about rushing pawns forward—it’s about gradually claiming territory while keeping your position solid. Watch how strong players use moves like c4, e4, or f4 to gain control and push the opponent backward.

To activate your rooks, try to open files by trading pawns, especially on half-open files where your rook can become powerful. Breakthrough moves like c5 or f5 often serve two purposes: they fight for space and crack open lines. Once you’ve opened a file, place a rook there and, if possible, double up with your other rook or queen. Rooks on open files can turn slow positions into full-blown attacks.

For spotting tactical blunders a few moves ahead, always ask: “What is my opponent threatening?” and “What pieces are hanging or undefended?” Right after they move, scan for forcing moves—checks, captures, and threats. These often reveal 2–3 move tactics. Solving simple puzzles blindfolded or with just coordinates has helped me a lot in sharpening this skill—it trains your brain to visualize threats without needing the board.

usually maybe use arrows or try blindfold. I usually nevver have problems in this so this is all i can recommend.

1. Space advantage comes in many forms and all I can say is you will have to look at model games.
2. the main way is doubled pawns or pawn sacrifices. for eg e4 c6 d4 d5 Nc3 dxe4 Nxe4 Nf6 Nxf6 gxf6 the bronstein larsen has doubled pawns but open g file
3. pattern recognition or muscle memory or just cca

also do keep in mind not to over extend your pawns

Thanks for your advice.

Currently, I am struggling with calculation and intermezzo. Also, tactical and calculation errors are heavy in my middlegame. Can you help me with suggestions on how to handle this?

Hey! I’d suggest doing 3 or 5 min Puzzle Rush regularly. it sharpens your tactical intuition, which is helps spot intermezzos quickly in rapid and blitz games. Also try Puzzle Survival — it forces you to calculate deeply and avoid those small but costly blunders. Helped me a lot with middlegame calculation!

thanks man for suggestion

The advice that helped me was “the king is the most important piece, then the queen and then the rooks. If you can attack one of them, then your opponent has to react to you” I used this to go from 1100 to 1400 in a few weeks

@SPK1729 chess.com has the feature called solo chess, it is built to improve your calculation. I have used it a lot, and its really helped me

Blindfold chess also helps

with my naked eyes only I will blunder and you are talking about blindfold chess...great...

😆

Doing puzzles. You can go into the Custom Puzzles section in Puzzles and choose a category from there. There are many categories of puzzles which can help in the middlegame.

Yeah, and more often than not, puzzles can help with your problem, which was calculating lines and visualization. It's not about finding the winning solution, it's about recognizing patterns, chess is all about that.

how do you know if a move is good that looks normal?

At our level, it's mostly calculating lines. When I was at 1250 level for a few days, I only needed to calculate like 4-5 moves ahead to be able to win consistantly.