What it takes to win the Middle Game

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This video teaches you how to play chess after the opening. That stage is know as the middle game. Especially beginners and intermediate players often struggle with the Middlegame, strategy and positions. Subscribe if you want to see more.

[@chesspage1real]

When I was talking to people on the calls, many many beginners said that they think they need to learn middle game strategy. So I decided to make a video like this, specifically adressing that feeling and giving them basic advice, but also taking a moment to explain why they actually need tactics more. Otherwise they‘d be lost in some random grandmasters strategy guide that’s way above their heads

[@whatanamazingspawn6782]

Do ya still remember me?

[@Darkness_Drain]

THE VIDEO I WAS WAITING FORRRR THX A LOT

[@personhuman2239]

Thank you so much man

[@tessa8230]

Wonderful, wonderful work. I thought your early videos were great, and they only keep getting better!

[@personhuman2239]

Yo, do you have a discord? You said you talked over voicechats with people

[@menace202]

After you told me not to blunder, I went ahead and won 45 games in a row! Thanks, ChessPage1!

[@seemmeriast]

My goodness, what an idea. Why didn't I think of that?

[@pandaelon2]

How much elo?

[@troway6108]

kramnik wants to know your location

[@influentia1patterns]

I listened to him twice and I won 10,000 games in 3 seconds… In my mind. But, I’m also what some may call “delusional” so…

[@Manu-rt3mp]

Bro hikaru shit?

[@austynrose2286]

Honestly the “don’t blunder” advice as funny or simple as it sounds it helped a lot. Just make a move that isn’t detrimental, it doesn’t have to win you the game in the spot it just has to make you not immediately lose. Just win two games in pretty brutal fashion. Thank you very much for the videos.

[@phil4863]

When I play blitz I have this "I must win" mentality and I blunder. Blitz is not good

[@tripat_singh828]

I lost interest in chess about 2-3 months ago and then I found your videos. Needless to say my elo has gone up by about 100 points

[@mohammadtaurezkhan2442]

Us bro

[@arsalannamnanov1820]

Same. Caro-Kann and London vids are a huge W. Chess Page is a fucking gigachad

[@valeriekeefe8898]

300 is a tough nut to crack.

[@potatlerr]

Bro taking up chess and getting your 100 starting elo does not count 💀

[@mitigamespro8757]

@@arsalannamnanov1820 Lmao those are exactly the two openings I like the most now. London for white and Caro-Kann/KID for black all from chess page1.

[@martelogr4225]

Things to keep note to not blunder in the middlegame: Rupture pawn chains to weaken pawn structure; Moving pawns weakens squares; Always check what pieces can be placed on better squares; Simplify when winning; Complicate when losing; Counter flank attack with central attack; Move king out of exposed diagonals or columns; Always look for active moves before passive moves; When two or more of my opponent pieces is looking to one square on my side, it’s an threat that needs to be controlled or countered; Try to get control of opponent light squares or dark squares (especially if they don’t have a bishop or have a bad bishop); Categorize every opponent move, attacking, defensive, neutral or mistake; Pinning the knight on the opening is a mistake if you have no plans of taking and the opponent hasn’t castled RULES FOR TRADING Do not define tensions on the board except when you get clear advantage (weak square or ruining opponent pawn structure for example); Exchange weak pieces for strong pieces Exchange defensive pieces for attacking pieces DO NOT EXCHANGE GOOD PIECES OR GOOD PAWNS FOR BAD PIECES OR BAD PAWNS; In a trade think about the pieces that will be left over; Antipositional exchanges that gives us something more valuable (a open file, blocking opponent pieces) Try to trade pieces that defend squares to get that weak square for my pieces; Focus on attack the pawn on my most in front pawn (rupture)

[@FredPlanatia]

"Pinning the knight on the opening is a mistake if you have no plans of taking and the opponent hasn’t castled" Ruy Lopez: "Bruh...."

[@aldwinferaer2796]

@@FredPlanatia I'm also 50/50 on this statement..for example when pinning a white knight on f3 (say in a caro kann game) and you forced your opponent to kick your white square bishop by them playing h3 then g4 seems like a slight win for me since you made their h pawn weak if they decided to castle king side (1100 elo scrub here btw)

[@mitigamespro8757]

@@aldwinferaer2796 Yeah I share the same feeling, especially when you know to not trap your bishop by making an escape square for it whenever the g pawn makes a move.

[@FredPlanatia]

@@aldwinferaer2796 well, in chess no rule (except the king may not move into check) is sacrosanct.😄

[@peterinq]

Tldr don’t blunder

[@akulsharma9027]

"Just don't blunder" man I can't tell you how much i needed to hear that. As a 1400 rated player, I blunder a lot of material without even realizing. This guide really helped.

[@fossiltortoise]

How are you 1400? I’m 800 and rarely blunder

[@akulsharma9027]

@@fossiltortoise you do realise when you start reviewing each and every game of yours

[@Elamado97]

​@@akulsharma9027only review better games with low elo, you don't need to review every single game unless you are a GM, we lower rated players make tens of mistakes

[@jefftaylor1186]

I just straight up can’t tell how well I’m playing sometimes. I just played a rapid game where I won but it took me like 50 moves to win and I was thinking that I had to pull that one out of my ass, but when I looked at the game review, it said I was never in trouble and I actually had an accuracy of 91% and I had a performance rating of 2300. Thought I was completely losing the whole game

[@duckieboi]

Same. I win a chess game and felt like I played bad only to find out I only got 3 inaccuracies

[@mitigamespro8757]

I mean you could be right about that feeling, the position might be pretty difficult to play, the engine doesn't see the game the same as we do. So if you kept making good moves, but one slight inaccuracy would be losing, then the game would be hard to play with the engine saying you were doing completely fine. But you still made very good moves since your performance rating was high.

[@RoundShades]

pretty much every game, the evaluation is going to wonder what either of you are doing, while both of you are reading the board in a whole nother language.

[@holdenhenry6789]

Humble brag

[@jaideepshekhar4621]

Relatable.

[@Kingslayer-64]

Thanks for your videos - I went from 400 ratings to 100 💯

[@bitsandbobsfromthe7blobs629]

Try not to watch it upside down

[@CHAIMINHERNMoe-cw2kw]

try not to watch it backwards

[@probablypeenuts]

100,100 elo? thats 25 stockfishes

[@BloontoniumWizard]

Piece activity and maneuvering: Rooks on open files, bishops on open diagonals, and knights on outpost. Find a passive piece and move it to a better square where it is more active. Remember to make threats, that is how you get tactical opportunities. Do study master games: Studying master games and taking note of what they do in the middlegame is a very good way of learning the middlegame. You shall Analyse games of players who play the openings you play. So for example, if you are a London System player you can for example analyze Magnus Carlsens games in the London.

[@mitigamespro8757]

This piece of advice "Find a passive piece and move it to a better square where it is more active" actually got me from 750 (I had fallen from my starting elo to there) up to 950 elo, with 10 games having 8 wins 2 losses. On top of a game where I had 96.8% accuracy along with the london opening.

[@BloontoniumWizard]

Learning middlegame plans and analyzing grandmaster games along with training puzzles got me to 2000 in under a year.

[@mitigamespro8757]

@@BloontoniumWizard Nice! I'm two months in, and tbh my long term goal is also to reach 2000.

[@BloontoniumWizard]

@@mitigamespro8757 A rating of 1000 in only two months of playing is amazing! Remember to not chase elo points though, it will slow down your progress if you play too many matches per day whilst being tilted. My goal is to get a rating of 2000 FIDE when I’m 15 years old.

[@IsaacAlcocer763]

00:01 Understanding positional strategy in the middle game is essential for strong gameplay. 01:04 Studying the endgame is crucial to improving your middle game in chess 02:07 Improving tactics is essential for chess strategy. 03:06 Avoid blunders and spot opponent's blunders to become a good chess player. 04:04 Basic middle game principles that actually matter 05:03 Occupying the open file is crucial in the middle game 06:03 Avoid weak squares and isolated pawns in your pawn structure. 07:07 Occupying the center and protecting advanced pieces is crucial.

[@Z1VA]

Yo spoilers bro 😂😂

[@manishv1730]

I started playing chess after watching your videos. Chess is just fun now. Can't wait for more of your videos. You're awesome.

[@coreysanders4852]

The first game after watching this, and not blundering, I beat a 2000 elo bot. Thanks ChessPage1 👍

[@anasgame5685]

Thank you chesspage 1 for your educational content! before i started watching your videos i was 500 elo, and now im 400 elo.. thank you chesspage1!

[@curious_banda]

Lmfao

[@XPerTsX]

Just don't blunder

[@ghifarjr16]

let's do less blunder!

[@tirraent2172]

Men, I have a chess tournament on Saturday, you are saving me with this absolute masterpiece, thank you for this video and the one about the London system, greatings from Switzerland.💪

[@trannel73]

Good luck! 🍀

[@soyelteddy]

Thanks man, i started playing about 3 months ago, just doing random moves and stuff, thanks to you i started actually learning while having fun, and also thanks to you i went up from 800 to 1400 on those 3 months tks mate ❤❤

[@nileshyadav0216]

Always waiting for your videos, really loved the kings Indian video and the queen's Gambit. This was much needed!

[@user-dl6wg6jt4c]

Bro, you cannot imagine, how happy and curious am I getting note about your new video. Thank you a lot, keep going please!

[@tenok8145]

I swear to god the advice to let your opponent decide which move to play is so fun. I ended up winning because my opponent blundered or because they had no time left so many times. Great tip, thanks man

[@jeanneslepeshau]

Everyone knows, how to play middlegame properly, but sometimes it needs to be said, and you do it perfectly my guy

[@joakin5191]

thanks to your previous videos about opening now i have a solid opening leading me to a better middle game which i am good at

[@rick2402]

one of your best videos man. straightforward and entertaining

[@KusanagiUrie]

These videos are so much fun! You are doing gods's work teaching chess. Keep it up!!

[@avluky82]

Thank you for the video and the lovely funny format! I'm a fan now!

[@jimmyjazz2063]

I’m really glad to see some content that isn’t opening theory. :) Can’t wait for more of these videos

[@eastoncampbell4863]

i listened to this and lost 12 games in a row

[@LinkClickEditz]

Skill issue

[@galaxz7430]

Lol

[@stephentropy]

I just wanna say thanks for what you do because your London system video single handedly improved my games as white by about 10 rating points on average. 👍🏻

[@joshuamphande2272]

Dude, you're freaking awesome!!!❤ I haven't laughed this much while learning If only school were like this😂

[@AdamBittner]

No joke, this is the best chess advice I think I've ever heard. Freaking epic.

[@detectiveh7399]

My new favourite chess channel. Loving this 😊

[@KingsteveTV]

Not only are u informative but you are also very comedic

[@atariwashik9223]

Always fantastic, Chesspage1! I don't miss your videos ❤

[@mr.niceguy1706]

After I clicked on the video, I played a game and got a brilliant move, really helpful, thanks!👍

[@fernandozaldivar7435]

Wtf. I have found the best non spanish chess chanel. You aregood man

[@justaguywhozonesoutalot9328]

I've been waiting for this for so long!

[@calmsongs2745]

i looked for this for so long... glad it is here

[@craoriginals]

Never fails to entertain us while teaching as the best coach ❤ - I love that line - " Low elo mindset"

[@Itachi-uq9xc]

Your tips ✅ Your jokes ✅✅❤️

[@GeorgeTutmost-gm4cv]

Love these tips! One suggestion though. You teach us openings with strong foundation but why not teach us multiple attacking ideas out of each one?If there is a reason please let me know do I don't go down the wrong path. Just a suggestion, love your vids!

[@akivaragen]

Wow, this is great. Thank you.

[@Powerandre2]

@ChessPage1 I'm from the south of Brazil, I would just like to congratulate you on the fantastic work you are doing with this channel, I have never seen such a cool channel about chess in my entire life, fun and actually useful. fantastic, fantastic, I hope the channel continues, I wish you every success.

[@doanphuocnhanvo9577]

Hope you up lots of video in future! I love watching your videos

[@Thanhnguyen-vt7ds]

Very good and useful video. Super thank

[@astramorikes224]

As fun as aducating as always. Thank you Sir!

[@visweshparameswaran6049]

Dude.. you are at a freaking next level❤🔥

[@mcxi]

Best one yet. As always

[@theimmux3034]

i used to blunder pieces all the time until i saw this video. Now i only play against stockfish since i find other humans just boring to play against. Thank you chesspage1!

[@Xardas2222]

Love it! Waiting for more videos

[@MrKingoverall]

Love this channel

[@randytiet9133]

another big tip I have would be to find an outpost for your knight in the middlegame! it makes it so much more powerful and will improve your tactics

[@B11TENCOURT]

what an amazing video!

[@petitpanierdosier3206]

we need more videos of this guy

[@Mike-qd9sm]

Brilliant video!! Please keep going

[@hansthegrenadier6411]

Damn. nearly 200k subs. When I was first here it was under 1k or something near that. Bravo!

[@_toddzx536]

That's the video i was looking for many years

[@farouqbaiti4315]

Even thought I am an intermediate,I found something new.So thanks for the video.

[@CheesyV1676]

Thanks to this video, I made my first brilliant move!

[@ImriGD]

Me when i get a notification for a chesspage1 vid: CLICK CLICK

[@ImriGD]

thanks for heart chesspage1 :)

[@MrBeeper_YT]

As promised u gave us the best video about middlegame

[@adolf1532]

This guy is great.

[@ismaelevangelista2644]

Waiting for the tactics video :)

[@nandacheruvanthala1052]

you are underrated. You deserve more subs.

[@fergferguson7370]

I always blunder before my opponent …I like to make them feel better

[@ALiRAZA-mg8bd]

Thank god i was waiting for this video

[@joeypham4890]

I laugh so hard and learnt so much from your video, where were you been for a whole time where I have to watch GothamChess xD

[@thatonegaminglatias4345]

Thank you dude!

[@shivanimishra6890]

This dude is a legend.

[@gm2407]

Strategy is a conception of priorities. Often part of planning and preperation. Tactics are practiced methods from your tool box to achieve strategic ends. So in game you have a plan that narrows from your preperation as the situation develops. You follow the game plan or narrow for the situation until your enemey makes a mistake, then you use your toolkit to take advantage and tidy up the situation. Noob the blunder is hang checkmate, blunder queen or several pieces. Midrated, the blunder is hang a minor piece. Higher is hang a few pawns or an unfavourable exchange. Title player is being down a pawn with a structural disadvantage moving towards an endgame. Usually because pieces are to stretched to defend.

[@worets1501]

I played like 10 games with your tactics. I lost every games that i played with your opening. But i won all games that i played with your tactics (with my favorite opening)

[@badshanoordeen9300]

Can you make a video on pirc defense? Your videos are really entertaining and very easy to understand too

[@Varunagent-0606]

Best chess page ❤

[@user-po8xq2wd1t]

It was really useful. After i watched this video,i've won 9 games in a row

[@peroastinghandal2733]

this is the best Channel to learn chess lmao (Why did I only find out now?)

[@akshaypatyal3228]

Great work sir

[@unndingvid2453]

I was waiting for this...

[@mohamedaminebadawi]

Am i the only one who think this is the best chess learning channel I was 500 elo now i am 1100 thx for your advice

[@tasek7446]

Thats acctualy pretty solid advice, thanks Chesspage1. As a 1500 rated player i find myself lost in tactics that don't exist and then giveaway game i may have won. Also what is your peek elo, you seem to know a lot about chess, and how to explain complex topics in simple terms

[@ivermectinpatient5325]

i almost died when i got this notification. i cant wait for the tactics video

[@Pharmaceutics]

Man i love this page

[@brycicle775]

Bro has been teasing the heck out of the next video, but I'm here for it

[@chesspage1real]

it's not even the next video though, I'm still running an experiment so the tactics video might come in 2 weeks or even later. I have other video planned for in between

[@ALiRAZA-mg8bd]

I had a 300 elo for the last 6-8 months but i stied London System from this channel and now it has really gone upto 500

[@andywang7262]

As a lichess 2200 player, I would say how I play the early part of the middle game is just like I play in the opening,memorizing the moves and plans.Truth to be told,without knowing the plan in advance,I often get outplayed by my opponent.

[@Akeru_Kurugari]

Your explanation made me understand what sun tzu meant between tactics and strategies

[@parsphere6357]

great video!

[@altairezgame9222]

"So if you can be the guy who just doesn't blunder and also spots the opponent's blunders, you can easily become a very good chess player without having to pull off some complex mastery game plan. Just don't blunder. This will make the big confusion fun. You don't have a game plan, your opponent doesn't have a game plan. Everybody is confused. But confusion means high probability of blunders. And if you don't blunder, you will crush 99% of your opponents." I was nodding my head the entire time I was watching this and can't agree enough how true this is especially in lower ELO. Guy is a true legend

[@Moha_Games104]

One of my games in the middle game was brilliant

[@pidimsbirdsworld8644]

I grew from a 700 to 1000 elo just by watching your videos 💙

[@condor5912]

Personally, I think all this is right, and I might add something: in the opening, you have three tasks - develop you minor pieces, castle, and connect your rooks. Once you’ve done that, you have to jump into the opponent’s half of the board, and play a move that forces them to defend, or any move that makes their position more passive. After that, continue attacking, and set your sights on the king. Most beginners set their sights on the centre of the board, but I reccomend grabbing space, locking the center and launching an attack.

[@ElGranFuriosoo]

I m trying to get you à french player audience 😂 keep going the good work teacher 👍

[@luowastaken_]

just splendid

[@Lazy_crazy_07]

I am ur fan!

[@AnasheXD]

You can make a video about the nimzo indiam defense?

[@rorowwa1]

I love the epic music in the background xd

[@navyaad7826]

wow i watched this and won three games in a row amazing now i have jumped from 630 to 684. thx alot

[@fullserviceportland]

HARDCORE AMAZING VIDEO

[@mgildersleeve]

Fantastic. I have found my teacher.

[@PickleCODM-hw6cj]

Thanks so much! without this video i wouldnt have been able to hit 1600, i was stuck in 1800 for months

[@YoBoyTreasure]

“You’re not just wrong, you’re the opposite of right.” How did I feel offended but also laughed at the same time ?😅😂😂😂😭😭

[@fatemehmoshkabadi148]

I

[@Naman-ii4ly]

best chess channel.(please teach me chess)

[@daisybrown5579]

Please make video for the endgame as well😊