How or when to make the first "kill" after the opening?

Hello all,

I have many weaknesses in chess, openings alone being one (though I am reading John Emms Discovering Chess Openings to try and remedy this) though have further determined one of my weaknesses in being where and when to make a kill in the immediate, post-opening mid-game stage. IE, after my back-row pieces are moved and king castled, typically the board is laid in such a way that any move results in lots of simultaneous exchanges, it is here where I lack vision.

Is there any means of practising this particular stage in the game?

Any advice here would be greatly welcomed!

EDIT: I provided a link unbeknownst it would be forbidden. I was not and am not seeking input for any games! Rather, it was one particular game that prompted the post. Thanks.

Erase the link now and probably the whole post so that you can't be accused of asking for advice.

Thanks, wasn't aware that was a thing. @notmtwain, I hope this is now done sufficiently. Cheers.

Speaking generically, your best bet may be to subscribe to the Grandmaster Course at www.chessmasterschool.com.

I know someone who is about 1900 that has subscribed to it.  In the feedback area, a 1200 player subscribed and it got him up to 1750 in a very short period of time.  I subscribed in November, being stuck at 2050, looking to reach 2200, and one of my weaknesses was heavily covered in the 5th month (which I completed around mid-April).  I am now on the 8th month of it, and I can tell you that in the 15 games that I have played since a loss I had on April 17th to a 2150 player, I have not lost a single game to anybody below 2600.  I have 9 wins, 5 draws, and 1 loss in that stretch of 15 games, the loss coming against a 2647.  My rating has gone up about 50 points in the last 2 1/2 months, which is a lot when you are talking over 2000, and the only real luck that I had in that stretch was one of the 9 wins should have been a draw, but my opponent blundered late.  Many of the topics covered in the first 7 months I recognized during these games.  It takes a lot of work, and is not something you can rush through and expect to succeed.  I have averaged about 7 to 10 hours per week every week since early November.

If you are looking for a "quick fix" on your issue, you aren't going to find it because there is no cookie-cutter approach to what you are looking for.  What you need is a clear understanding of strategy, not opening theory or tactics, and that's what the first 9 months of this course is, strategy.  Then the last 4 months are on Analysis, and then there are two subsequent one-year courses that are in-depth game analysis, one based on common errors and recognizing errors made, the other in depth analysis of 12 of the most common openings with in-depth game analysis.

I plan to complete all 3, and in essence, that's my commitment for 2018, 2019, and 2020.  I figure to finish by end of year 2020.

I would suggest you take the same approach.  It's not free, but it will help you out a lot.

Hey Thrillerfan do you mind telling us what your weak point in your play was and what kind of exercises you were doing to get better at this academy?

yes thank you @ThrillerFan and @testaaaa for the good question