I once heard not to castle right in the begining in the Pirc, but to develop your QS pieces first, so you don't give your opponent your king's adress.
Mid Game
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It's a myth. Like pawn to queen 3 is going to be anything else.
Also, I went through a whole set of games Hector (I think) put up and in every black win they had castled early.
Having to push the rooks pawn to absord the play holds my castle off a move and it really bugs me!
if you are wanting to improve your middle game, then i would highly recommend "Art of the Middle Game" by GMs Keres and Kotov. there is even a section that is all about pawns in the center and another on how to attack on wings. there is a section on how to defend difficult position, which is great read for positional players, and Keres ends the book with a epic section on analysis. I would almost guarantee your game will improve after reading this book!!
Pirc players especially, good day, this is for anyone with an opinion to share.
I'm fresh off taking down a Spark player rated +1000 pts. higher and took 329 points. 15-3 in the past two days and undefeated all day Monday.
So what's the problem?
I'm waiting to make the "second to last mistake wins" instead of putting a good mid game together. There isn't even a book for it on a books recommendation that popped up.
Specifically, what to do on the queenside. Piece development after the fianchetto and 0-0 are done and how to set the pawns to make the action happen queenside.
There is an annoying, but somehow effective, tendency to push rook's pawns to the 3rd rank. Holds off a lot of skewers, but should be inferior.
Then there's a lot of early queen engagement. That would have warrented a head slap 20 yrs ago!
The effort some go to to make a bisop for knight trade on queen's bishop 3, to take away a pawn push on them but, really, a bishop for a knight early in the game?
I'm playing again after 20 years. I watched Fishers last game. Been Pirc ever since. Really needed a break when it got to be no fun.
Anyone that can help an old piece pusher? 1503 USCF.
Thanks,
Rick Pucko, RadRick on Spark.
P.S. You all do go beat up Spark players before Chess.com play, don't you? It's a great warm up and you'll know right away if its not going to be your day and adjust accordingly.