Demystify the Chess Middlegame (FREE Resources!)

 Conquering the Middlegame
 Essential Chess Resources to Sharpen Your Skills

The middlegame, the heart and soul of chess, is where strategies unfold, tactics unleash their fury, and the entire game's course can shift dramatically. Mastering this dynamic phase is crucial for chess players of all levels.

This comprehensive guide equips you with a treasure trove of valuable resources to elevate your middlegame prowess. We've categorized them for easy navigation, catering to both beginners seeking fundamental concepts and seasoned players aiming to refine their strategic thinking.

Why Focus on the Middlegame?

• Strategic Planning: The middlegame is your canvas to craft a winning strategy. You'll learn to exploit weaknesses, control key squares, and create imbalances favoring your piece activity.
• Tactical Awareness: Sharp tactics often come to the forefront. You'll develop your ability to identify and execute powerful tactical opportunities like forks, pins, skewers, and discovered attacks.
• Positional Understanding: Chess isn't just about brute force. The middlegame hones your positional understanding, teaching you the value of piece placement, pawn structure, and king safety.

---

Books (Free)

Chess blueprints : planning in the middlegame by Yakovlev, Nikolay  - 282 page PDF

---

Chess Middlegame Articles

• Chess Middlegame Strategy: The Ultimate Guide For Beginners  - Really Nice Guide (In-Depth) - This comprehensive guide, perfect for beginners, dives into the fundamentals of middlegame play. Learn where to best position your pieces and gain valuable general tips to build a strong foundation for success.
  
  
• General Middlegame Advice  - Nice in-depth Guide By Exeter Chess Club - Feeling overwhelmed by middlegame complexity? This guide, compiled from beginner's chess books, offers practical strategies to simplify your decision-making process.
  
  
• 16 tips on how to improve your middlegame in chess  -  Chess delights - Consider this a handy cheat sheet packed with actionable tips to elevate your middlegame prowess. Quickly reference these pointers to make informed choices during your next game.
  
  
• 9 Middlegame Concepts You Must Know - TheChessWorld - Overview of all the Major Middlegame Concepts w/ 40 min Embedded Video

---

Middlegame LiChess Studies

New to Lichess studies? These interactive tools allow you to explore chess concepts and variations move-by-move, perfect for testing your understanding and deepening your knowledge.

• Middlegame Strategies  -  11 Chapters  (495 hearts) - This comprehensive study delves into each piece's role, guiding you through the process of making a plan and exploiting an exposed king.
  
  
• The Art Of The Middle Game  - 11 Chapters (295 hearts) - Based on the renowned work by Alexander Kotov & Paul Keres, this study condenses the wisdom of the masters, teaching you how to form a plan and effectively attack your opponent's king in a castled position.
  
  
• How to WIN in the Middlegame - 9 Chapter Study  (777 hearts) - Harness the winning techniques employed by GM Igor Smirnov through this study, packed with insights gleaned from his video lectures.
  
  
• 11 Middle Game Plans - 12 Chapter interactive Study -Dive into an interactive learning experience where you'll learn a valuable lesson and plan from each carefully chosen position.
  
  

---

Chess Middlegame Video Lessons

Playlists

• Chess Middlegame - 53 Video playlist  - Remote Chess Academy
  
  
• Chess Middlegame Ideas - 50 Video Playlist  - Hanging Pawns
  
  
• The Middlegame in Chess - 35 Video playlist  - Jim's Chess Channel
  
  
• Learn Chess - Middlegame Strategy - 9 Video Playlist  - Chess Explained
  
  
• Miss Strategy's Middlegame Show  - 48 Video Playlist  - IM Anna Rudolph
  
  
• 50 middlegames master class - 23 Video Playlist - Gotham Chess

Lessons

The 10 Best Chess Plans For The Middlegame - Chess Strategy For The Middlegame - Midgame Strategy - 13 Min - NM Nelson Lopez - several examples of types of chess plans and strategies that you can use in your next game!

How To Use Pawns In Chess Middlegames - 15 min - IM Levy Rozman

Creating Strategic Plans | Chess Middlegames  - 28 Min - Hanging Pawns

Middlegame strategy - Using all pieces in the middlegame - 17 min Jozarov's Chess Channel - Today's theme is again the middlegame strategy with the principle of using all of your pieces in the attack.

Finding the best Squares for your Pieces with Maneuvering | Chess Middlegame | GM Sam Shankland - 16 Min - GM Sam Shankland will show you how to improve the placement of your pieces.

The Influence of centralized Pieces in the Middlegame | Chess Strategy - 15 Min IM Ostrovskiy - learn the influence of centralized pieces in the position based on practical examples.

The Golden Rules for the Middlegame |  IM Andrey Ostrovskiy - 27 Min - IM Andrey Ostrovskiy is teaching to you the golden middlegame rules that every chess player needs to know. (Video below)

Tactical Motifs MiddleGame

Middlegame Tactical Motifs | Full Lesson | Oxford University Chess Club - 61 Min

Secrets of the Middlegame 🕵 Unexpected Tactical Chess Opportunities - GM Danny Gormally - 40 Min - In this sample from his course Danny looks at the unexpected tactical opportunities that can arise in every game.

Middlegame Mistakes

Most Common Middlegame Mistakes of Club Players [FM Viktor Neustroev]  - 47 Min - Learn How to Avoid Mistakes in the Middlegame and Improve Your Performance! Covers Many middlegame topics.

Typical Mistakes in Practical Middlegame and Endings - 5 Min

NM Robert Ramirez

• Chess lesson # 91: Middlegame Strategy - 35 Min
• Chess Lesson # 118: Middlegame Mastery  - 23 Min
• Chess Lesson # 138: Master The Middlegame - 13 Min
• Chess Lesson # 101: Middlegame Strategy Playing VS The Isolani Pawn Structure - 46 Min
• Chess Lesson # 149: Middle-game Strategy Tip  - 14 Min
• Easy Opening With Easy Middlegame Plan | Chess Lesson # 191 - 16 Min

St.Louis Chess Club

Playlists

• Mastering the Middlegame Lectures  - 15 Video playlist - Ben Finegold 
• Saint Louis Chess Club | Mastering the Middlegame  -  47 Video Playlist - Assorted Speakers 

Middlegame Planning | Mastering the Middlegame - GM Josh Friedel  - 46 Min 
Develop a Middlegame Plan - FM Aviv Friedman - 2014.10.22  - 49 Min
The Early Middlegame: What to do?! | Road to 2000  - 52 min  NM Caleb Denby
Restriction: Shutdown of Pieces | Mastering the Middlegame - GM Cristian Chirila - 49 Min
Two Bishops in the Middlegame - GM Eric Hansen  - 47 Min
Endgames & Middlegame Exercises | Grandmaster's Choice - GM Yuniesky Quesada - 66 Min
Akobian at the 2014 Olympiad | Mastering the Middlegame - GM Varuzhan Akobian - 37 Min
My Great Middlegames of 1987 & 1988 - GM Ben Finegold - 41 Min
Ben's Wild European Days | Mastering the Middlegame - GM Ben Finegold - 43 Min
Thanksgiving Open Middlegames - GM Ben Finegold  - 45 Min

Game Videos (Emphasis On Middle-game Plans)

Developing a Plan in the Early Middlegame | Climbing the Rating Ladder vs. trhdude (1844) - 31 MIN

Middlegame Strategy of Anatoly Karpov by GM Ben Finegold  - 50 min - Analysis of 3 of Karpov's games

"Tactics is knowing what to do when there is something to do; strategy is knowing what to do when there is nothing to do." - Savielly Tartakower

Free Online Chess Study Courses

Chess Course Resources Online 

Chess Books (Free)

Chess Teaching Manual by IM Tom O'Donnell -303 page PDF
    (Produced by the Chess Federation of Canada)

A Course In Chess Tactics by Dejan Bojkov, Vladimir Georgiev - 193 Page PDF

Chess Visualization Course - Book 1: General Tactics by Ian Anderson - 328 Page PDF

Silman's Complete Endgame Course - 543 Page PDF

101 Essential Chess Tips - 101 Page PDF

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chess.com - Chock full of Free Beginner lessons.

Chessable Free Courses - Over 100 Free Courses. You set up an account and you can use any 5  FREE courses at one time. Also allows the use of Movetrainer.
(Hands Down one of the best Free Resources Online for Chess Study)  

Lichess Learn -  Lichess (Everything here is free) full of videos, interactive lessons and study plans.

Predator at the Chessboard - A field guide to chess tactics. Lots of Lessons on tactics with practical examples and quiz's. This is a really nice free site for anyone wanting to improve their tactics.

How to Get to 1900 - (A Rapid Improvement Chess Course for all Class Players)
by John Coffee
15 Steps From Intro - 1900. Each Step is broken into 3-5 parts.(Tactics, Opening, Endgame, Critical Positions and Reviewing Games) There is a great Deal of free info here for anyone trying to improve with Hundreds of problems and Lessons.

Building Chess Habits
 -  (Link is to 31 Video Playlist) A course on Improvement from 400 ELO - 2000 ELO    
31 Videos with over 60 Hours of FREE instruction by GM Aman Hambleton

Beginner Lessons

Chesskid.com  -  Offers Instruction to help Kids learn Chess (Lessons and Videos Very nice)
Chess Lab  - Basics are covered
US Chess Federation Beginner Course
Chess Corner Learn Chess Guide - Bunch of Very nice lessons right up to intermediate stuff.

Home of the Free Chess Course

ChessCourse.com - Beginner Course - 28 Lessons
ChessCourse.com - Intermediate Course - 30 Lessons

Pretty General Lessons for the Beginning Player

Free Guide to the Discovered Attack: Chess Tactics!

Enhance Your Chess Tactics: 

Mastering the Discovered Attack

The chessboard is a battleground of cunning strategy and tactical brilliance. Among the weapons in your arsenal, the discovered attack stands out for its deceptive power.

With a simple move, you can unleash a double threat, often leaving your opponent scrambling for defense. This guide equips you with a treasure trove of resources to master this tactic and elevate your chess game.

This section dives into a variety of resources, from free books and articles to interactive studies and video lessons. So, whether you're a seasoned player or a curious beginner, you'll find the perfect tools to hone your discovered attack skills. Let's explore!

---

BOOKS (FREE)

English Chess Federation Discovered Attacks - 6 Page PDF - This concise guide from the English Chess Federation provides a clear explanation of the discovered attack concept along with 12 problem worksheets to test your newfound skills.

---

Discovered Attack Chess Articles

Introduction to Chess Tactics: Discovered attack - (Nice Article with examples and Quiz): This article offers a clear introduction to discovered attacks, including examples and a quiz to test your understanding. It even delves into double checks and windmills for a well-rounded learning experience.

The Dreaded Discovered Attack - Improve your discovered attack mastery with IM Silman's insightful lesson on Chess.com. This resource dives deep with various examples and scenarios to solidify your tactical understanding.

10 Discovered Attack - Problems -  Sharpen your skills with this collection of 10 discovered attack puzzles.

Collection of discovered-attack exercises - Test your newfound knowledge with another set of 24 discovered attack exercises.

Discovered Attack: How To Make Your Opponent “Discover” That They’re About To Lose - Chess Journal Article - Spice up your learning with this engaging article from Chess Journal. It showcases 3 practical examples to help you see how discovered attacks can turn the tide in your favor.

---

Games Databases

Analyze real-world examples!

• OTB Games with Discovered attack Tactic - 57 Games
• More OTB Games w/ Discovered Attack - 52 Games 
• Discovered Attack with Check - 19 Games

---

Discovered Attack LiChess Studies 

New to Lichess studies? These interactive tools are fantastic resources for exploring chess concepts and variations move-by-move. Perfect for testing your understanding and deepening your knowledge, Lichess studies let you work through positions at your own pace. Here are some great options to hone your discovered attack skills:

• Discovered Attack -  10 Chapter  Interactive Examples - (Lichess Mate Practice Page): Get started with this 10-problem interactive page 
  
  
• Discovered Attacks and Checks - 60 Chapter Interactive Study - Delve deeper with this comprehensive 60-chapter interactive study that explores both discovered attacks and checks. (Highly recommended!)
  
  
• Discovered Attack - 12 Chapter Interactive Study -This 12-chapter study offers a fully interactive experience, including windmills and discovered checks, to truly solidify your understanding.
  
  
• Beginner Tactics Discovered Attack - 32 Chapter Study - This 32-chapter study caters to beginners by providing a more lesson-based approach with analysis for each position.

---

Discovered Attack Chess Video Lessons

Expand your visual learning with these informative video lessons on the discovered attack:

Chess lesson # 27: Discovered check and attack | Chess Tactics | Learn Chess the right way  -10 Min - NM Ramirez explores various scenarios where discovered attacks and checks can be applied, highlighting their effectiveness in gaining material advantage or delivering checkmate.

Creating multiple Threats with the Discovered Attack | Chess Tactics | IM Alex Astaneh - 20 Min -IM Alex Astaneh dedicates 20 minutes to demonstrating the power of the discovered attack. This lesson delves into the tactic's nuances, helping you understand why it's such a valuable weapon in your chess arsenal. 
The 5 Most Amazing Discovered Checks in Chess - 9 Min GM Williams - Take a fascinating journey through chess history with GM Williams! This 9-minute video breaks down the five most incredible discovered checks ever played, showcasing the brilliance of legendary players like Garry Kasparov and Viswanathan Anand. 

Chess Tactics Discovered Attacks - 6 Min  - Solidify your foundational understanding of discovered attacks with this clear and concise 6-minute video explanation.

Chess for Beginners with GM Ronen Har-Zvi (Discovered Attack!) - 30 Min -New to chess? GM Ronen Har-Zvi delivers a beginner-friendly 30-minute lecture (Video Below) at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, covering discovered attacks in all their forms.

See Through Your Opponent: Mastering X-Ray Tactics

 

Mastering the X-Ray Tactic A Resource Roundup

Master a powerful chess tactic that lets you control the board through your opponent's pieces! What is an X-Ray Tactic? An X-Ray tactic occurs when a ranged piece (queen, rook, or bishop) indirectly controls a square by attacking it "through" an intervening enemy piece. This sneaky maneuver can surprise your opponent and lead to significant advantages. Ready to take your chess game to the next level? Explore the resources below and become an X-Ray master!

Wikipedia Page 
with a nice explanation and 10 examples.
 

---

BOOKS (FREE) 

Tactical Patterns X-Ray Tactics - Download a free 43-page PDF with 20 instructive X-Ray tactic exercises to solidify your learning.

---

X-Ray Tactic LiChess Studies:

Sharpen Your Skills with Interactive Lessons

• X RAY ATTACK - 14 Chapter Study - This in-depth study delves into the X-Ray Attack strategy , providing a thorough exploration of the concept.
  
  
• X-rays: X-ray : basic concept - This concise 4-chapter study offers a clear explanation of the basic X-Ray concept, perfect for beginners.
  
  
• torontochesscoach's Study: Basic X-ray - Nice 15 Chapter Study (Probably the best) considered the best resource for mastering the X-Ray tactic fundamentals.
  
  

Lichess, a free online chess platform, offers unique learning tools called "studies." These interactive lessons guide you through chess concepts like the X-Ray tactic, helping you learn and practice at your own pace. Explore the studies listed above and unlock the power of the X-Ray tactic in your chess games!

---

X-Ray Chess Articles

X-Ray Attack - Learn the X-Ray attack strategy with a 4-page tutorial featuring examples and a video demonstration.

---

X-Ray Tactic Puzzles

Master the art of seeing through your opponent's pieces with these engaging X-Ray tactic puzzles!

LiChess Puzzles

X-Ray Attack - 13,274 Puzzles

Lichess offers various puzzle difficulty levels, allowing you to start with basic X-Ray concepts and gradually progress towards more complex scenarios.

---

X-Ray Tactic Chess Video Lessons

Chess Tactics X-Ray - 7 Min - Get a concise introduction to the X-Ray tactic in this short video.

X-Ray Attack (Petrosian vs Ree Wijk ann Zee 1971) - 3 Min - See how a legendary chess master utilized the X-Ray attack in a real game.

What is the X-Ray Tactic in Chess | Chess Beginner Tactics - 20 Min - Dive deeper with this comprehensive 20-minute lesson by International Master Astaneh.

X RAY 👉 5 Selected Puzzles - 5 Min - Test your newfound knowledge with these 5 selected X-Ray tactic puzzles.

 

X-Rays & Pawn Wedges | Tactics Time! - 50 Min - Expand your tactical knowledge by exploring how X-Rays work with pawn wedges in this extended video lesson from the St. Louis Chess Club.

  

Tactics- Forks (Double Attack)

Master the Chess Fork & Double Attack:
 A Comprehensive Resource Guide

The chess fork, a potent tactical weapon, can leave your opponent skewered and facing a difficult choice.

 This guide equips you with the knowledge and resources to exploit and defend against this critical tactic.

Fork (chess)
 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chess Fork Trainer 
Finally Here is the Chess Fork trainer. It took me a few trys to understand how to use this, you just pick what type of piece you want to fork with, and then click on all the spots on their game board it would fork the pieces that show up.

---

BOOKS (Free)

• English Chess Federation - Knight Fork - 6 page PDF - Master the knight fork with this free booklet by the English Chess Federation.
  
  
• English Chess Federation - Double Attack - 7 Page PDF -  Learn to identify and exploit double attacks with this resource.
  
  
• Knight Tutor - 4 page PDF Worksheet of Problem - Test your understanding of knight forks with this problem worksheet.
  
  
• The Double Attack - 12 Page PDF -  Complete Lesson Plan on Double attack for Kids. Lessons, Puzzles, fun activities.

---

Fork & Double Attack Chess Articles

Master the Art of Double Attacks:

•  Middle game - Double attacks - A well-structured article with puzzles and games
  
  
• The Double Attack - GM Daniel Naroditsky -Delve deep into the concept with a Grandmaster's insights. Learn to identify opportunities, prevent blunders, and study historical examples showcasing this powerful tactic.
  
  
• Double Attack - The Ultimate Tactical Concept - IM Jeremy Silman -Explore the concept with illustrative games and a  study. w/5 Puzzles at the End.
  
  
• Chess Tactic 1: Double Attack (and How to Survive One) - A practical guide to executing and defending against double attacks, including forks and discovered attacks.
  
  
• Double Attacks in Chess - Chess journal - Learn how to use double attacks effectively with examples and puzzles.
  
  

Expand Your Tactical Repertoire:

• Top 5 Types of Forks Every Chess Player Must Know - Chess World Article - Identify different types of forks you should be familiar with.
  
  
• Chess Fork (How to set Up, Play and Avoid): Chess Strategy - Chess Questions Article - An extensive guide covering how to set up, execute, and defend against forks with various pieces.
  
  
• Chess Fork Guide: How To Fork in Chess With Any Kind of Piece - Chess Journal - Master all types of forks with illustrative examples.
  
  
• 10 interactive Fork Problem Set - at Chess Kids - Solve the interactive fork puzzles.

   
Knight Forks

• Double attack, knight Fork,Seeing Potential Forks - 3 page article
• Chess Tactics Knight Fork - Big Article with Examples
• Tactics Knight Forks - 30 nice Examples (Click on bottom of page go go to next page )

Deep Dive with "Predator at the Chessboard" 
(Most Extensive place to learn Forks on the Internet)

 Keep clicking Next on the bottom of each page. Some of these Chapters are 30 Pages Long. 

2.The Double Attack.

[+]2.1.The Knight Fork.

[+]2.2.The Queen Fork.

[+]2.3.The Bishop Fork.

[+]2.4.The Rook Fork.

[+]2.5.The Pawn Fork.

---

Games Databases
Analyze Real-World Chess with Forks & Double Attacks

Chessgames.com

• OTB Games with a Fork -  56 Games from 
  
  
• OTB Games with Knight Forks - 184 Games
  
  
• OTB Games with Double Attack - 40 Games

Puzzles

WTHarvey.com

double attack and fork tactics. - 80 Puzzles - All puzzles from real games

LiChess Puzzle Themes

Fork Puzzles -  558,000 Puzzles  - All puzzles from games played on lichess (You can set difficulty)

---

LiChess Studies 

New to Lichess studies? These interactive tools allow you to explore chess concepts and variations move-by-move, perfect for testing your understanding and deepening your knowledge.

• Double Attack Study - 22 Chapter Interactive Study - This in-depth study delves into double attacks executed with knights, rooks, bishops, queens, and even pawns.
  
  
• Fork - KidsChessWorld - 31 Chapter Study -A kid-friendly and engaging study showcasing all types of forks.
  
  
• Tactics: Pins and Forks: Forks - 30 Chapter Interactive Study -The first 10 chapters focus specifically on forks, providing a strong foundation.
  
  
• ULTIMATE FORK PRACTICE - 32 Chapter Interactive Study (240 hearts) - This highly-rated study offers a vast collection of interactive fork puzzles for advanced practice.
  
  
• Opening Center Fork Trick - 6 Chapter  Interactive Study (150 hearts) - Master a sneaky forking trick you can use in the opening phase of the game. This study provides a detailed explanation of the concept.

---

 Fork & Double Attack Video Lessons 

St Louis Chess Club

• Double Attack Unprotected Pieces | Tactics Time! - 27 Min - NM Mclaughlin - Identify unprotected pieces and find double attack combinations, including checkmates. Inspired by Eugene Znosko-Borovsky's book.
  
  
• Find the Double Attacks | Tactics Time! - 45 Min - NM Mclaughlin - Challenge yourself to identify unprotected pieces and exploit them with double attacks. 
• Double Attack: Making the Most of a Move | Tactics Time! - 24 Min - Analyze real games featuring prominent double attacks (forks and discovered attacks).
  
  

Double Attack

• Double Attack! | Chess Tactics | ChessKid - 6 Min -Learn how to simultaneously attack two enemy pieces.
• Watch out for the Double Attack | Chess Tactics | IM Alex Astaneh - 12 Min -demonstrates creating double attacks through practical examples.
• Loose Pieces and double attacks - 22 Min - kingscrusher -Explore the strategic importance of loose pieces and how they can create double attack opportunities. Historical game examples illustrate how unprotected pieces become tactical liabilities.
• 28 Days To Better Chess Tactics - Day 23 - Double Attack - 10 Min -This advanced lesson by a chess coach covers double attacks and provides a foundation for tackling more complex tactics.
• What is a Double Attack in Chess? | Chess Fundamentals | FM Elliott Liu - 25 Min

Forks

Chess Tactics: 5 Forks You Must Know! - 5 Min IM Daniel Rensch -Learn the five essential fork patterns and how to identify positions where they can be used.
Secrets of Chess Tactics | Chess Fork | Stunningly beautiful secrets - 18 Min - FIDE CM Kingscrusher - Discover amazing examples of forks and unlock their tactical potential.

Chess 101- Forks - 10 Min Video - A basic introduction to forks, covering pawn, knight, bishop, rook, queen, and king forks.

Chess tactics -Forks | Double attacks:How many can you solve?  - NM Ramirez -Learn about forks and how to use them in your games with practice problems.

Forks and double attacks | Chess tips - 24 Min - Delve into the world of forks and double attacks, including strategies for avoiding them.

Chess Tactics: Knight Fork Signals! - 7 Min - IM Tapia - Master knight forks by understanding the positional "signals" that suggest when to look for them.
All About Forks | Kids' Class - GM Ben Finegold - 28 Min - Video Below -  Explore the exciting world of forks with games, examples, and general rules (e.g., keeping pieces off same-colored squares to avoid forks).

Videos of Games

The 5 Most Amazing Forks in Chess - 9 Min GM Simon Williams -  breaks down five of his favorite forks in chess history! These moves come from some of the greatest chess players of all time including Bobby Fischer, Magnus Carlsen, and Tigran Petrosian.