The 10 Best Chess Plans For The Middlegame - Chess Strategy For The Middlegame - Midgame Strategy

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Stuck at 1000 elo? Not anymore: chessvibescourses.thinkific.com/

[@RandomMusik]

Signed up today love your videos

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I sure am :)

[@UhmActually.]

Definitely not anymore! My elo has become lesser! Thank you so much!!

[@mikeymcmikeface5599]

2:30 That's actually not yet mate.

[@subarunatsuki1902]

@@UhmActually. Congrats! :D

[@dukesublime4178]

“ Play the opening like a book, the middle game like a magician, and the endgame like a machine “ Rudolf Spielmann

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Right on 👍

[@santanu7849]

"I forget everything when I start playing"- Me

[@brucewayne2184]

@@santanu7849 gotta relax

[@Tasklizando]

@@brucewayne2184 good to know that batman is also interested in chess

[@brucewayne2184]

@@Tasklizando He is known to, yes.

[@giulianoerli6438]

"The opening Is over, what do i do now?" I usually just lose

[@ruthwik9010]

😂🙌

[@harishg9687]

😋👍🤭😁😆😄🤣😅😂👏

[@mikkey246]

Midgame 😋

[@scp049leplaguedocter3]

SAME UR NOT ALONE BUDDY

[@magnolia8626]

😅😅

[@samuelichovec4474]

1 break open the centre 2 attack opponent's king with a pawns 3 trade your weak pieces for opponent's stronger ones 4 create a battery on a half-open or open file 5 create a battery on a long diagonal 6 rook lift 7 relocate a knight for an outpost 8 locate opponent's weaknesses 9 eliminate weaknesses before get attacked 10 make opponent's pieces innefective

[@kobe51]

Spacebo

[@aminecraftplayer9642]

Thanks for saving our time 😇

[@EarthSurferUSA]

AGAIN!!! :)

[@TintinMinh]

Thanks

[@danno1800]

Thanks

[@keyb9926]

I like that he knows how the average player thinks and explains chess concepts so we get the point rather than trying to memorize them

[@eliasaquino2152]

TOTALLY!!! He's so great at that!

[@terrysouth7201]

I think that’s because he was an average player who became an excellent player by virtue of his diligent study and efforts to understand the nuances of the game. He motivates me to improve!

[@mikkey246]

Huh?🥹

[@mysteryGuySaysHi]

Nelson: 10 plans for the middlegame Me: run after his queen Opponent: checkmate

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Lol that's another option I guess =P

[@Zenitself]

0:43 Break open the Centah 1:39 Pawn Storm hiz az 2:55 Trade Up: your weak piece for his strong piece 3:45 Create a Battery 🔋 on open and 1/2 open files 4:47 Create a Diagonal Battery 🔋 6:04 Rook Lift 7:14 Knight Outpost 8:20 Weakness stack attack 9:20 Prophylaxis: Eliminate weaknesses before opponent can attack 10:50 Crystalize enemy piece

[@argenysgarcia5100]

Pawn storm "hizaz" 😂👏🏻

[@Christiaan1958]

...his az...pffft

[@MarkLawry]

As a beginner, I find your explanations easy to follow.

[@OleFanaego]

Man I am in love with this video. I’ve been playing chess since I was 10, I’m 25 now. I’m fallling back in love with the game again. I’ve came to a stalemate and an awkward stage at this point because I never developed my game after the opening. And it was super frustrating because I wanted to get better and better develop my game. I finally stopped being stubborn and ended up going to KZbin and man am I in awe. Much love from Chicago my man

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Thanks man, glad you found the channel!

[@mikkey246]

Updates?

[@sebastiangonzalez3825]

@@mikkey246 he’s probably still trash

[@rajeshpandey2198]

Quality content as always

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Thanks, Rajesh!

[@InstantRamenX]

Always scan the board for vulnerabilities, watch out for pins, look for forks and pins yourself, and try to push pawns to promote, pushing pawns always puts pressure on your opponent and forces them to focus on blocking the pawn.

[@douwehuysmans5959]

One thing I'd like to add about pawn storms is that there often isn't enough time to storm with multiple pawns, often it's better to just storm the h or the g pawn alone and sacing it for open files / diagonals

[@dkpandey1996]

That was a great lesson. Even though I knew about most of these strategies, I still feel I learned something from this video. And now I have a handy checklist to decide what plan to go ahead with in a game. Thanks a lot.

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

No problem!

[@jjbasson]

a great book on this is 'how to reassess your chess' which teaches you to identify the in the position and make them work for you. you have a bishop and they have a knight? exchange pawns to open up the position. they have attacking chances but you have better pawn structure? try to exchange off pieces, play defensively, and make it to the endgame. etc

[@garyl1000]

Nelson Lopez is hands down the best online instructor I've seen. Clear explanations, interesting and just plain helpful. Thanks Nelson!

[@timothykennett5976]

Just discovered your videos and appreciate the attention to detail and thought you put into each. For example, you adjust the videos to incorporate various opening lines to accommodate different playing styles or analyze hundreds of intermediate-level games then provide thereby providing an analysis that's substantiated and credible.

[@kiddtoroi9473]

Man I hope you get more popular. Your videos have helped me a lot.

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

I appreciate that! Glad you're learning!

[@randyking9489]

Absolutely the best videos. Concise with no rambling. Glad I found these. Thanks for posting!!

[@eliasaquino2152]

Agreed!

[@SirSidi]

This is like the most instructive channel for intermediate chess players.. it has all I have been missing all along.. thank you Nelson

[@Cousinsjay]

One of the most helpful exercises that I've seen in 20 years. I am probably rated around 2,000 but found this tremendous to bring those thoughts into the front of my mind as I play

[@rohanpatel3476]

You are a master?

[@stevendavis2247]

@@rohanpatel3476 2000 isn't a master just an expert. Lowest master level is 2200 at that point you can get the National Master Title or Candidate Master Title depending on where you live.

[@erenjaegerbomb8653]

"probably"?

[@TS-pt4yt]

Nelson, one of your best. I have a chess coach, and he’s great. And this is what such chess coaches do but you’re not charging us all 40 or more usd per hour. Well done and thanks!

[@matteovrizzi]

this was one of the best short courses i've ever seen bravo!

[@KamenKr]

Really, the best channel for learning chess. streight to the point. Clear. Perfect

[@yyyyyk]

This was an excellent video! I would love to see more about these early middle game (right after the opening) plans and how to execute them. (Like show more examples of these plans in action, in scenarios when they work, and show when they don't work/are not applicable). Thank you very much, NM Nelson!

[@stephensinclair3771]

Found this really useful. The tips "break open the centre" and "eliminate dangers" are incredibly useful. The trade off thing is also good. For filling the "what the hell do I do now?....its a good thing for us average players to focus on. The "battery" thing is what Napoleon would have called "concentrated force at the decisive point. On a 12 game winning streak online. Partly with the help of this channel. Was a TERRIBLE player for a long time.

[@devanarayanababu1996]

good for you ❤️

[@stephensinclair3771]

@@devanarayanababu1996 thanks. I find I CAN beat higher rated players on a regular basis. Still make rookie mistakes. But. I immediately see them lol. Working to eliminate them.

[@randyking9489]

Absolutely the best concise videos. Straight to the point with no ra mbl

[@jonasherman9195]

Really an amazing video! There are more videos on how to make a plan but no single one except this one clearly structures a number of plans to consider. You did an amazing job structuring that!

[@adriantarngriffin]

Excellent strategies for the middle game. Very helpful. Many thanks.

[@gerrylast3553]

Honestly NM Lopez is a fantastic instructor. His videos need to be considered standards for chess education. Clear, concise, and easily digestible education to even the worst patzers like myself. Thank you for the rating points Nelson!

[@ryanodonnell4184]

A great teacher right here! So easy to understand, short, and to the point.

[@prasadshrivatsa6126]

Most of the chess videos I have watched were game analysis. Very few chess videos discuss games plans. I can say that this video will be helpful to many who are trying to improve their Chess skills. Thanks for the video.

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@raghvendrasinghsengar8360]

it's Just amazing 😊 And thumbnail is also pretty beautiful , thanks...this gonna help ALOT

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Really appreciate it!

[@ricklee7732]

Perfectly presented valuable information, as usual.

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Thanks Yurik!

[@itsjustme8308]

@@ChessVibesOfficial yurik!?

[@davidgeorge6278]

How are these videos only getting 1k views? These videos have been a game changer for me.

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

I'm still relatively unknown I guess? 🤷‍♂️ Thanks, glad they're helping!

[@thestoryteller3516]

I found this really helpful, as i often make blunders and don't know what to do in the middle-game, giving me a disadvantage in the end-game.

[@AmitKumar-ze4tv]

Important, informational and impressive video. Thank you sir...

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Thanks Amit, glad you liked it!

[@zachhaywood1564]

I'm finally getting back into chess again, this really helped dust off some of the mental cobwebs.

[@iPlayDrums025]

Love the way you explain these things

[@davidewing3024]

This guy is great! He tells you the principle or the concept, gives an example and moves on. I've filled an entire page with notes derived from his videos. Maybe other learners are different, but I don't get that much out of Rosen's or Levi's commentary of the games they present. Hanging Pawns is good too but sometimes too lengthy for me.

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Thanks, David!

[@mariuszstanisawwota257]

I'm a 700 guy that came back to chess after about 15 years, undusted his chessboard and started playing with people. I really like your videos. I start realising more and more things the more I play. I like your approach, really practical. Getting rid of a potential weakness before your opponent starts milking it is my favourite. I will try and have a sharper look at my potentially weak points to avoid exploitation and possibly further my development while preparing for it. Love you videos as I said. Great for my level, mate. :)

[@hello37175]

Thanks man. I’m very happy to have stumbled upon your channel. Your lessons are so accessible and easy to understand for lower ranked players (like myself!) and yet the info is expert level. Thanks heaps.

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Welcome, John!

[@darrylkassle361]

You ry have a way of getting to the core of what lower rated playsrs need to know . This was incredibly helpful. I have watched umteen number of chess channels aimed at sub 1600 elo players and have rary come across a channel like yours that explains thigs in a simple straight forward way and offers the info we actually want and need to know. I think a lot of channels dont realise some info needs bt explained and made aware without making the assumption that the info is a given and that we already know such things. Keep it up you should have a great following in no time. Also you should get patreon or something. I am sure a lot of people appreciate what you are doing and would slip you a few bucks here n there for your efforts.

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Thanks a lot Darryl for the kind words. I did add PayPal link in the description of the videos and I have channel memberships as another option to support, but will look into Patreon also. Appreciate the feedback!

[@freddy_norway]

Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!

[@Daniel-G-P]

Brilliant video! This is such a fantastic channel, so pleased I found it.

[@emilydivis6369]

I have a bad habit of just playing what feels right without coming up with a plan first - or worse, making up a plan for the purpose of justifying the move I want to do. That's backwards; make the plan, then decide on the move. Something that's helped me with my chess is to play correspondence games (or whatever they're called when there's no turn time limit, or the time limit is days instead of minutes) and make a word document keeping track of the moves. After every move my opponent makes, I write down why I think they made that move, what I notice about the position, and why I'm choosing the move I'm choosing. It takes time, but it forces me to stop just playing arbitrary "this feels right" kinds of moves. Great video as always! (And thanks for reading my long-winded tangents.)

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Thanks! Keep that up and I imagine you will continue to improve, I've never used Word like that but that's a great idea. Thanks for sharing!

[@mortenjacobsen5673]

@@ChessVibesOfficial dosent chess come down to caus and effect? And since eatch piece has a limited range of moves, there is no need knowing every possible combination of moves that will never be played during a set, since other pieces ol the bord is taking up space, and futher a piece realy has 3 options of play :attack, hold or defend. One could argu that beeing taken is a fourth. Is it not then better to play the what if game and play fast games to cycle trough more scenarios? After all if you play the same opening options are reduced as game goes on.

[@seppukun208]

This is pure gold for a beginner like me. Thank you!

[@GetOffTheLawn]

Number 10 was an eye opener. I love it.

[@samlutz858]

Great tips thanks Nelson!

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

You bet!

[@clydecyruzalcaraz6063]

rooting for you, NM Nelson. every nugget of information is so so so useful.

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

I appreciate that, Clyde!

[@clydecyruzalcaraz6063]

Am actually trying to imitate your way of teaching whenever I teach chess to my students. So calm but so smooth and substantial. Salute.

[@boringfive3856]

Thank dude

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

No problem!

[@danielhudon9456]

“Yeah, we got a pawn, it’s good, but it’s not as good as checkmate.” Word. And another great video, thanks!

[@dinogiancola6261]

Possibly your most helpful video great stuff. Don’t run out of things to think of in the middlegame like I used to

[@hurfery]

Super useful teachings. Thanks Nelson. :)

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Of course!

[@IMMndb]

i think few more could be added-- 1) Provoke ur opponent by placing ur piece- preferably a minor piece in opponent's territory, 2) Maximise ur activity by inducing mobility, flexibility (to ur Queen along 3rd/6th rank with no pawns on that rank), better piece co-ordination among ur piece (by maintaining connectivity between them from defensive perspective & aiming for common target for attacking purpose), penetration (by inducing ur attacking piece in opponent's territory), multiple Roles (capture with attack, develpement with capture, capture with check etc), multiple targets, 3) restrict opponent's activity (either controlling a square with ur pawn/piece or by inducing tactics).

[@SurvarSubair]

Excellent work. U deserve more subs. Keep up 👍

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Thanks, will do!

[@ratpshaminda2540]

Wow what a nice guide.... learned lots of things...thanks❤️

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ratpshaminda2540]

@@ChessVibesOfficial i am watching your all videos ..they are simple and useful.. and your voice is very clear... keep your work on youtube never give up...good luck❤️👊

[@BlunderBunny]

Wow, so much helpful information in a short video. Thank you for your clear and concise explanations.

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Thanks, Ellen. Glad it was helpful!

[@bombasticcat]

Wow... this was the most useful video i have ever seen in my life

[@itifonhom]

Some very helpful ideas, many thanks!!

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

No problem!

[@newtraineee1882]

Best Middlegame video ever. Better than most books👍

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Thanks a lot!

[@wildworldexplorerstv]

Thank you so much for the lecture master Nelson. I particularly apply all these things almost in every game i play but still have difficulties on defending.

[@cameronmoore136]

12:04 Looking at his face when that transition happened really messed my brain up lol

[@1877Pegasus]

Very good. Instructive and step by step. I have been watching many videos of other well known chess KZbinrs, but your videos give the foundation that they lack in their videos. Thank you

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@danno1800]

Nice lesson - thanks - much appreciated!

[@jrviade85]

I really like when you tell us to pause the video and try and figure out the best move That really exercises the brain n helps us improve in our game Thank you for that! 🙂

[@Danny-qh4su]

1) Open the center 2) Pawn storm 3) Trade off good opponent pieces 4) Create a battery 5) create diagonal battery 6) Rook lift

[@Daniel-G-P]

This is one of the best chess videos I have ever seen. Fantastic ideas. Soooooo helpful. You are such a good teacher.

[@DavidEmerling79]

Excellent explanation about these plans. What I particularly liked about it is that you didn't bog the viewer down with too many details. I'm sure your intent was for this to be a quick, cursory overview of potential plans and that's exactly what you did. You kept with the script. Oftentimes, the master gets too specific when he is really just trying to make a general point. Keep up the good work!

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Thanks, David👍

[@sebint4165]

Thank you sir.

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

No problem!

[@TheRizzGuyGaming]

I just got the coolest checkmate by watching this video.., Thanks

[@spd7693]

What you showcased in 10 is also a common plan in the Bogo-Indian Defense, something I may try at some point. The idea behind one of the common lines is play a5, exchange your dark square bishop for the knight and put all your pawns on dark squares (usually you play d6, e5 and b6 in that too). It kinda leads to some sort of a positional center game. However, it is kinda out of my comfort zone for the time being. Nevertheless, I do think it's a good plan.

[@robertogarrido8618]

Wow ¡ Finally, some powerful and practical advice for the middle game, which is usually covered with a lot of mystery by chess coaches. Many thanks, Nelson ¡¡

[@sequino8604]

The content you create is amazing. I'm surprised you don't have more viewers, but I'm sure it will come with time. I love the top lists format the most because the principles or plans are gathered in one place. I don't have to struggle finding them one by one on my own. If I forget about something, I can always come back and watch it again. Also, I think adding time stamps or a summary at the end would make the video more attractive for viewers. Just a thought. One more thing, do you have some advice on how to choose the best plan in a given situation? I knew most of them already, but I struggle with picking the right ones. Is there some way to identify the best thing to do when you don't know what to do? Or is it just a matter of experience? Thanks.

[@krishnathakre2476]

Matter of experience I guess .

[@hurfery]

time stamps and/or a summary: Seconded!

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Thanks for the feedback! I will see about adding timestamps going forward on videos like this. As far as choosing the best plan, a lot of it is experience and your ability to calculate out certain lines. The main idea is that you want to choose the plan that's going to have the best chance of success and most benefit. So what I like to do is ask myself "Is there an easy way for my opponent to stop what I'm trying to do?" If there is, then maybe I move on to the next idea. If not, then I consider it further and eventually make a move in that direction. Unfortunately there's not really a shortcut on this one, it does take a lot of calculating to come up with the right plan.

[@krishnathakre2476]

@@ChessVibesOfficial what's your rating in chess.com or linchess ?

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

@@krishnathakre2476 2300-2400 range usually on chess.com

[@raveendrancherupillil5439]

Very instructive ideas.

[@callumcavell4770]

Genuinely my favourite channel to come to watch great exposition. Love it mate, keep it up!

[@sammyoerth]

Hey if you are reading this, there is a mistake at 8:18 if you move the horse to a5 the bishop at g5 will take the pawn and gets a better position make it much more aggressive

[@simantagoswami49]

You're the best. This video is like reading a 400 page book.

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Haha thanks!

[@valtteri234]

Very good video. Especially those advanced positional ideas were helpful!

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Glad to hear!

[@pokey5428]

This was a great video. I'm relatively new to playing chess and can identify with being "stuck" after the opening. I have stumbled around and found my self using some of these tactics, but not in a planned way. Now I think I'll be more deliberate and create these positions rather than just hoping they occur. Thanks.

[@ChrisSmith-il5qe]

Getting more serious about chess and I've been looking for a video like this for weeks. Thank you!

[@pulemolefe6104]

Videos like this make me think I can go from this to playing like the instructor 😂😂

[@Elevator_Fudd]

This is the area of my game I think is the weakest. Of course at my level all areas are weak. But if I had to pick one where I truly felt overwhelmed it's the middlegame. And this video has given me some clarity on how to proceed. Every video I watch of yours, doesn't solve my particular problem, but it most definitely give me a solid direction plan of what to do moving forward. Once again keep up the amazing work!!!

[@omkarpingle690]

Learned alot, thankyou!!

[@10freks09]

What I learned from the Rook Lift was that you do not have to trade because you can even if it isn't threatend by anything, I always trade if I'm the white pieces, but I learned that you can create a bigger threat then just trading off your pieces and creating a end game quickly. Yes, I am not that great of the game, I am only 748 in elo but grinding for 800. Thanks for the lesson! ❤

[@luke46219]

One thing I keep trying to practice, particularly for those positional middlegames, is to identify my least active piece and figure out how to get it involved in the game.

[@the_eerie_faerie_tales]

The title/book Middlegame makes so much more sense now 🤦‍ glad I looked it up!

[@adwaitT]

your channel is so underrated!!

[@fortyfivedollars45]

Earned my subscription with this video alone, national masters make excellent chess teachers... keep up the amazing content!

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Welcome aboard!

[@talhasaimon2436]

Can you make a video about weak square? I have seen many videos but having a hard time learning it

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Will add it to list of potential upcoming videos! Thanks for suggestion 👍

[@talhasaimon2436]

@@ChessVibesOfficial Will be waiting❤

[@mortenjacobsen5673]

@@ChessVibesOfficial the inverse square law for chess..?

[@peterfelsburk1007]

Pls make a video about knights, I lose a lot of games because of them

[@ChessVibesOfficial]

Thanks for the suggestion Peter, I will make a note for potential upcoming videos.

[@proudbirther1998]

PETER Just take out you opponents Knights with yor Bishops if that is a weak part of your game. You may lose still but you wont have knights swarming around you.

[@Kneem]

@@proudbirther1998 okay but that kinda builds bad habits of giving up the bishop pair and it doesn’t even solve help him learn

[@josephsalmonte4995]

Me too mate. They're a forking nightmare!

[@jimbednash8647]

Thank you for the video. You are the best instructor on the internet.

[@cameronmckenna6939]

This video was exactly what I needed. Serious thanks

[@OregonMikeH]

Nelson, You are so good at teaching that I share your Ch. more often and with a larger group of people than any other Chess Creator. This includes Members of my Chess Club as well, "Coos Bay, Oregon Chess Club". Thanks for such outstanding style man. Blessings your way with a huge thumbs up every single night! SHARED & SHARED AGAIN.

[@004chestnut8]

This has been a game changer. I literally reached 1700 ELO rapid in two days at lichess. ( I was fluctuating from 1500 to 1600). All my homies love you Nelson. I wont ever forget about you if I become a master. No, maybe an international master hahahahah

[@jimmuncy5636]

Thanks: very helpful: I have no middle game; now I have some ideas. Thanks again.

[@rambutantravel8531]

Simply awesome - straight to the point off the bat. Rest is practice and loosing games a lot :-)

[@X00000370]

Useful video for beginners to intermediate chess players. Thanks...

[@MrCropper]

This was helpful. I feel like I'm stuck knowing how to open. I need to learn advanced mid-game stuff.

[@juanky0337]

Great video... it really helped with the middlegame and the outcome of my game was very satisfying.

[@dragadeyt]

Great video! Very helpful plans for the middlegame.