There are a few factors that make the middlegame hard to define. For one, middlegames are difficult to study. Because middlegames are often messy and complex, with most (if not all) of the major and minor pieces still on the board, they don’t lend themselves to rigorous study or memorizable positions as with openings or endgames.

The nature of the middlegame will follow naturally from each player’s opening strategy. This makes it hard to speak in general terms about middlegame strategy or middlegame principles. If one or both players have methodically advanced their __pawn structures__ then the middlegame may revolve around relatively closed positions. In these cases, __knights__ may prove invaluable for hopping over ranks of tightly linked pawns. Here, players may spend a long time maneuvering for advantageous positions before launching attacks.

If the center is relatively free of pawns, however, then players may find themselves in an open game with wide open diagonals that favor __bishops__ and __queens__. These games may end up being more aggressive, with both players sacrificing material for momentum.
While it may be hard to talk about middlegames in a systematic way, there are still some basic principles you’ll want to keep in mind. Generally speaking, there are three factors to consider during the middlegame, though the exact balance of these factors will change depending on the strategy you’re pursuing.

1. __How safe is your king?__ In games where king safety is an issue, other factors will recede in importance. Remember, a well-timed attack on your opponent’s pieces can result in checkmate long before the endgame. The safer your king is, the more flexibility you have elsewhere.
2. __Are you maintaining your material?__ refers simply to your pieces. In the majority of endgames, a material advantage winds up being decisive, so you’ll want to make sure any trades you make in the middlegame are worthwhile. Material advantages tend to be especially important in highly __positional play__.
3. __Are your pieces mobile?__ Mobility is about giving your attacking pieces flexibility to threaten multiple targets. Opening up lines of attack (even at the loss of material) and establishing __outposts__ may be key to establishing an advantage in a highly open game.

Remember, the key to the middlegame is to develop a plan and stick with it. Once you’ve developed an ability to read positions, it’s time to put your tactical knowledge in practice. That said, there are a few general pieces of advice that may be worth keeping in mind as you begin to explore the middlegame.

1. __Get your rooks chatting__. One of the strengths of castling is that it gets your rooks connected. Rooks that are connected (also called “<a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/robin-robertss-tips-for-effective-communication' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/robin-robertss-tips-for-effective-communication","linkCopy":"communicating","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>communicating</a>” or “chatting”) have an open rank between them. This frees them to patrol the rank, supporting other pieces freely while protecting one another.
2. __Watch your weak squares__. A weak square is one that can’t be easily defended from an attack. Generally speaking, these are “holes” in your defense that a canny opponent can exploit, perhaps to create an outpost from which to launch their attacks. These squares are especially appealing for knights, and they tend to be especially effective along the center files.
3. __Try to keep your bishops together__. One quality of bishops is that they tend to become more valuable than knights once your reach the endgame. If you can hang on to a bishop pair through the entire middlegame, you may find yourself with an advantage over an opponent who only has two knights or a knight and a bishop.
4. __Make sure your trades are favorable__. Make sure every trade you make (or decline) fits into a broader strategy. What trades make sense will depend greatly on the nature of a game. In games with tightly locked pawn formations, even slight material differences can wind up being decisive. In more open games, however, it may be worth sacrificing a piece of valuable material for the sake of a devastating attack. 
5. __Mind your pawn structure__. The arrangement of your pawns will go a long way to determining what sort of middlegame you’re looking at. The better you’re able to keep your pawn structure intact, the more likely you’ll be able to pursue your chosen strategy. Remember, isolated, doubled, or backward pawn moves tend to create permanent weaknesses that your opponent may take advantage of.

Whether you’re an enthusiastic amateur or dreaming of going pro, mastering the game of chess is a practice in patience. No one knows this better than [Garry Kasparov](https://www.masterclass.com/classes/garry-kasparov-teaches-chess), who, at age 22, became the youngest world chess champion. In Garry Kasparov’s MasterClass on the art of chess, the master player shares the chess strategy that made him a six-time world champion, including his favorite openings and advanced tactics, and how to develop the right instincts and philosophy to become a stronger player.

Want to become a better chess player? [The MasterClass Annual Membership](https://www.masterclass.com/) provides exclusive video lessons from master chess players like Garry Kasparov.
Less easily defined or theorized than openings or endgames, the middlegame is still an important part of a chess game. Broadly speaking, the middlegame begins when chess players have moved their kings to safety and developed most of their major pieces. It’s the phase where each player’s positional understanding will be put to the test.

Note that it’s not always easy to mark the point where an opening becomes the middlegame. Likewise, the middlegame may transition seamlessly into the endgame.

Less easily defined or theorized than openings or endgames, the middlegame is still an important part of a chess game. Broadly speaking, the middlegame begins when chess players have moved their kings to safety and developed most of their major pieces. It’s the phase where each player’s positional understanding will be put to the test.

Note that it’s not always easy to mark the point where an opening becomes the middlegame. Likewise, the middlegame may transition seamlessly into the endgame. 

Chess Middlegame Positions and Chess Strategy Tips

There are a few factors that make the middlegame hard to define. For one, middlegames are difficult to study. Because middlegames are often messy and complex, with most (if not all) of the major and minor pieces still on the board, they don’t lend themselves to rigorous study or memorizable positions as with openings or endgames.The nature of the middlegame will follow naturally from each player’s opening strategy. This makes it hard to speak in general terms about middlegame strategy or middlegame principles. If one or both players have methodically advanced their pawn structures then the middlegame may revolve around relatively closed positions. In these cases, knights may prove invaluable for hopping over ranks of tightly linked pawns. Here, players may spend a long time maneuvering for advantageous positions before launching attacks.If the center is relatively free of pawns, however, then players may find themselves in an open game with wide open diagonals that favor bishops and queens. These games may end up being more aggressive, with both players sacrificing material for momentum.

What Is a Middlegame in Chess?

While it may be hard to talk about middlegames in a systematic way, there are still some basic principles you’ll want to keep in mind. Generally speaking, there are three factors to consider during the middlegame, though the exact balance of these factors will change depending on the strategy you’re pursuing.<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. How safe is your king? In games where king safety is an issue, other factors will recede in importance. Remember, a well-timed attack on your opponent’s pieces can result in checkmate long before the endgame. The safer your king is, the more flexibility you have elsewhere. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Are you maintaining your material? refers simply to your pieces. In the majority of endgames, a material advantage winds up being decisive, so you’ll want to make sure any trades you make in the middlegame are worthwhile. Material advantages tend to be especially important in highly positional play. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Are your pieces mobile? Mobility is about giving your attacking pieces flexibility to threaten multiple targets. Opening up lines of attack (even at the loss of material) and establishing outposts may be key to establishing an advantage in a highly open game. </li></ol>

3 Factors for the Middlegame

Remember, the key to the middlegame is to develop a plan and stick with it. Once you’ve developed an ability to read positions, it’s time to put your tactical knowledge in practice. That said, there are a few general pieces of advice that may be worth keeping in mind as you begin to explore the middlegame.<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Get your rooks chatting. One of the strengths of castling is that it gets your rooks connected. Rooks that are connected (also called “<a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/robin-robertss-tips-for-effective-communication' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/robin-robertss-tips-for-effective-communication","linkCopy":"communicating","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>communicating</a>” or “chatting”) have an open rank between them. This frees them to patrol the rank, supporting other pieces freely while protecting one another. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Watch your weak squares. A weak square is one that can’t be easily defended from an attack. Generally speaking, these are “holes” in your defense that a canny opponent can exploit, perhaps to create an outpost from which to launch their attacks. These squares are especially appealing for knights, and they tend to be especially effective along the center files. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Try to keep your bishops together. One quality of bishops is that they tend to become more valuable than knights once your reach the endgame. If you can hang on to a bishop pair through the entire middlegame, you may find yourself with an advantage over an opponent who only has two knights or a knight and a bishop. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Make sure your trades are favorable. Make sure every trade you make (or decline) fits into a broader strategy. What trades make sense will depend greatly on the nature of a game. In games with tightly locked pawn formations, even slight material differences can wind up being decisive. In more open games, however, it may be worth sacrificing a piece of valuable material for the sake of a devastating attack. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 5. Mind your pawn structure. The arrangement of your pawns will go a long way to determining what sort of middlegame you’re looking at. The better you’re able to keep your pawn structure intact, the more likely you’ll be able to pursue your chosen strategy. Remember, isolated, doubled, or backward pawn moves tend to create permanent weaknesses that your opponent may take advantage of. </li></ol>

5 Tips for the Middlegame

Whether you’re an enthusiastic amateur or dreaming of going pro, mastering the game of chess is a practice in patience. No one knows this better than <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/classes/garry-kasparov-teaches-chess' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/classes/garry-kasparov-teaches-chess","linkCopy":"Garry Kasparov","category":null}'>Garry Kasparov</a>, who, at age 22, became the youngest world chess champion. In Garry Kasparov’s MasterClass on the art of chess, the master player shares the chess strategy that made him a six-time world champion, including his favorite openings and advanced tactics, and how to develop the right instincts and philosophy to become a stronger player.Want to become a better chess player? <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/","linkCopy":"The MasterClass Annual Membership","category":null}'>The MasterClass Annual Membership</a> provides exclusive video lessons from master chess players like Garry Kasparov.

Want to Become a Better Chess Player?

Less easily defined or theorized than openings or endgames, the middlegame is still an important part of a chess game. Broadly speaking, the middlegame begins when chess players have moved their kings to safety and developed most of their major pieces. It’s the phase where each player’s positional understanding will be put to the test.Note that it’s not always easy to mark the point where an opening becomes the middlegame. Likewise, the middlegame may transition seamlessly into the endgame.

Less easily defined or theorized than openings or endgames, the middlegame is still an important part of a chess game. Broadly speaking, the middlegame begins when chess players have moved their kings to safety and developed most of their major pieces. It’s the phase where each player’s positional understanding will be put to the test.
Note that it’s not always easy to mark the point where an opening becomes the middlegame. Likewise, the middlegame may transition seamlessly into the endgame. 
