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Basic Middlegame Strategy

by S. Evan Kreider

Introduction

Middlegame strategy is a complex, subtle, and difficult subject. As a beginner, you shouldn’t be overly concerned with it yet; after all, you have more important things to worry about like remembering how the pieces move and trying not to make really careless moves like letting your Queen get captured or your King checkmated! However, a brief overview is still in order, if only to help you get your feet wet and give you a taste of the subject. As your skill in chess grows, middlegame strategy will begin to play a much larger role in your games and a basic grasp of its fundamentals will add to your strength.

I’ll begin by briefly describing a few of the most basic elements of middlegame strategy. After that, I’ll take you move-by-move through three actual games from amateur players and show you how these elements influenced the course of each game. Finally, I’ll give you some practical playing tips and advice appropriate for the chess newcomer.

This should be more than enough information to start you playing with some confidence. Then when you feel you’re ready to tackle the subject in more depth, you can start reading Chessville's continuing series “An Introduction to Chess Strategy for the Novice Player.”

Next: Strategic Elements - Material