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tactical_abyss 01-Dec-13, 11:03 |
 Deleted by tactical_abyss on 01-Dec-13, 11:15.
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tactical_abyss 01-Dec-13, 11:15 |
Deleted by tactical_abyss on 01-Dec-13, 11:22.
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tactical_abyss 01-Dec-13, 11:22 |
Some general overviews on opening & middle game play... Some general guidelines on your middlegame: No,no!.......... 1.Back up a moment!You must learn to walk,before you can run!In other words,study basic theory first with things like forks,skewers,pins,backwards pawns and more.These are the more simpler to understand.Then,move on to more complex things like light/dark square control,material imbalances(which I covered in the post"informative link on material imbalances")and this will be a nice combinational midgame recipe formula which is:tactics+strategy=middlegame play.Then COMBINE this with a small amount of openings(maybe 2 or 3 openings),and learn them well.How well?As best as you can!Which means what?Well,this is what separates the novice from the average player...to the master.Take a look at books and databases for your opening study.Take some serious time in playing the mainline opening as well as many of the subvariant lines(or tree's)in that database. 2.Now your still NOT into the middle game study yet!My suggestion is to play 3 ways.First,with those opening studies,learning them well will offer more advantage,domination and control on the board.The proper books and databases will help.But what do you do?Patience,trial and error,that's how!2.Playing against either a chess program or a tabletop chess computer first and setting the silicon on the very lowest or next to the lowest setting in strength and begin that play against the machine or computer program,or both.But pick a tree or subvariational line and practice,practice,PRACTICE!How?Find a variational line in the OPEN Ruy Lopez(for example)like..... The Exchange variation....1.e4,e5 2.Nf3,Nc6 3.Bb5,a6 4.Bxc6,dxc6. Then hide or block off the moves from # 5 onward(that you see in the database,book or program) and begin to try your OWN moves and see how you do against the program.Have you done better or worse?Moved out of book?Blundered?Found something new?Did fairly well?This is called "learning"!If you did poorly,then why?Back up your move and try to discover ON YOUR OWN WHY AND HOW YOU WENT WRONG.You can always look at the better database moves later!Patience! and #3:Try a few games(unrated)as an experimental test of your abilities using a combination of statistically strong book moves with one opponent,then purely your own type of moves with another opponent of equal or a bit less rating strength.Compare.How did you par?Pared great,even moving out of book?Then play one or two opponents that are higher rated than you by 50 to 100 points.Lost?Then back up,analyze your errors in those games by plugging them into a post game computer program or the tabletop chess computer.See EXACTLY WHERE AND WHY you went wrong,make a note on your personal database of records.Adjust your move in the software program and play on where you went wrong.Has the postion now equalized or improved?No?Then go back FARTHER into the line and see where you can equalize or stomp on your opponent.Patience! While opinions vary,I will suggest that learning "open type "openings before "closed" is key.Why?Because more amateur/beginner players do indeed practice and become efficient in open type games(like the exchange)and many other openings that are titled under"open",because there tends to be much MORE involved and complex theory to be comprehended in closed variations as opposed to open variations.Many amateurs avoid the closed variations(initially)to steer clear of the colossal amount of more involved theory required to play those closed variations.Walk before you run...remember?Theory wise!But again,opinions vary on this issue.If you prefer to study closed first,well,so be it! Later,begin to study some closed variations(for example the closed variation in the Ruy... 1.e4,e5 2.Nf3,Nc6 3.Bb5,a6 4.Ba4,Nf6 5.0-0,Be7 6.Re1,b5 7.Bb3,d6 8.c3,0-0 Touch on both open and closed systems.Perhaps even "semi open systems.1.Practice 2.See exactly which "style"of game you are better and more comfortable with....open,closed or semi open. Why? Because you must know what depth level of understanding you are at BEFORE you can define a more concrete middlegame strategy for yourself!!Are you,for example,better with your Bishop play or your Knight play?Bishops generally tend to be stronger than Knights(theoretically)in open games and Knights tend to be more efficient in closed games.But there is more to it than that! SO NOW YOUR INTO THE MIDDLEGAME STRATEGY: In no specific order..... 1.Do the "advantageous square counting"technique I mentioned in another club post.Who controls more light or dark squares?Find ways to alter who has more Sq control on the board.Increase your own square control through occupation or placing pressure on the open files,ranks or diagonals with a piece like the Bishop,even if it is not directly attacking anything. 2.Your pieces should be positioned on squares that offer a good defense,yet project an offense with other pieces. 3.Seek out any subtle weakness that your opponent may have like backwards or isolated pawn's or not castling.If your playing the white side,concentrate on that f7 square of theoretical weakness that black has.If your playing the black side,the f2 square of whites side. 4.Look for a long term forced positional advantage movement recipe when spotting those open,weak squares,flank Knights,centralized doubled pawns,hemmed in Bishops that your opponent has on the board and more.If your opponent blocked in his own Bishops,begin to move YOURS...it is like having an additional active piece on the board,while your opponent cannot move his Bishop(s).This involves some advanced techniques of "tempo". 5.Is the middlegame open or closed yet?Open?Make use of your Bishops,unblock them,keep them active!Closed game?Keep those Knights active and possibly begin a hidden slower strategy of Bishop maneuvering,maybe keeping pressure on the central long diagonals through fianchetto. 6.If you obtain a material advantage,you must determine at what point you would like to "simplify".This is not always that simple or obvious.It depends upon your strength level of play. When I was approx 1500 rated,I was fairly comfortable in starting to even exchange and simplify at being up 4 or 5 point values in a game.Say,a Knight and a pawn "up",or one Rook.Or perhaps 6 points...a Rook and a pawn 'Up".Some players require more material in a game on their side to begin simplification....like a Queen.But this is just a rough guideline and is not written in stone.Its depends upon the individual position and strength of one or both opponents.A 1500 player playing against me(a 2500+rated player)may need much much more material than a "Rook"to begin midgame simplification.Check my Q sac games for some of those examples! 7.Determine again,though constant square counting,who has the "spacial advantage" and a better attacking plan...it may not be you!Adjust,and build up a stronger defense at that point.If none is available,then counterattacking may be your only option. There is much,MUCH more to middlegame strategy,but I am not a chess trainer.Touching on some of the general concepts is what I will do for you,however. Looking into my personal library,I will suggest the following books for middlegame strategy reading: 1.Middlegame Strategy With the Carlsbad Pawn Structure by Robert Leininger 2.Understanding Chess middlegames by John Nunn 3.The middlegame in Chess(Knosko-Borovsky) Hope some of this helps!My formula is not for everyone,but if you have "no formula"for middlegame study(which includes the points I made above involving opening study first)then my method for you is better than no method! TA |
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tactical_abyss 01-Dec-13, 11:36 |
Excuse my deletions from time to time in my posts like this one.Sometimes I post something and then say to myself..."oh,I forgot to include that"or there may be a typo or something I wish to get rid of.So I copy/paste the entire post and repost it again with the modifications!Unlike other sites,GK does not have a way to edit my post after it is posted.I wish they had!Then you would not see the deletions! Oh well,another suggestive idea that will be washed down the drain by GK.... |