Originally posted by seraphimvultureMidgame in my opinion. You need to survive until the endgame, and basic opening principles will naturally grow out of an understanding of what you need in the middlegame.
Capablanca recommended studying the endgame first I believe. I think mostly everyone learns the opening first though, for the obvious reason of it being the first few moves that are played on the board. 😉
-Kev
Originally posted by AThousandYoungSee I disagree, I think you need a understanding of how to develop your pieces for proper midgame play, and to do this you need to know what you're doing in the opening. This little method is of course only for those who plan on actually becoming very good chess players.... If you just plan on playing for the helluvit and just want to improve your game in the meantime, then study the midgame and have a ball.
Midgame in my opinion. You need to survive until the endgame, and basic opening principles will naturally grow out of an understanding of what you need in the middlegame.
-Kev
First i'd study basic checkmates: K+Q vs K, K+R vs K, and maybe how to draw endgames such as f pawn on the 7th +K vs K+Q.
This shouldnt take long, so after that I'd study the opening, as it is then you will find out what sort of middle games you get into from your preferred openings, so can choose the sort of middlegame study that suits you best (ie: tactics, positional play). Of course you will need to study all of these in time, but helps you decide which are more important for you at this time.
Not that I'm such a great player, but I would recommend tactics. Lots of tactics. Tactics, tactics and more tactics.
In the begining I think it's important to learn to «see» what's going on on the board. And only by doing tactics can you train your brain to recognize the different tactical possibilities and pattern that are sure to appear throughout the game. Get a couple of books of chess problems and do them. You will see a great improvement in your game. I personally would recommend Winning Chess Tactics by Seirawan as a great starting place. He describes just about every tactical move on the chess board with plenty of examples and lots of exercices.
There is no point in getting through the opening or middle game to only find out you dont know how to win in the endgame with simple material advantages.
Learn how to checkmate with king & rook vs. lone king.
King and queen vs. lone king.
two rooks and king vs. lone king.
While learning these mates also work on memorizing opening principles NOT OPENINGS. Opening Principles need to be learned way way way before memorizing opening moves.
Memorizing openings short changes your learning process.
You need to KNOW why your move is best, or your not growing as a player.
so.. while you guys debate this.. lets stretch this out.
At what point is the transition from beginning, to middle to endgame?
is there a certain number of moves? or.. is it, once the pieces are developed for beginning to middle.. and once most major pieces are gone for middle to end?
I've always wondered as that might help determine what should be practiced..
my opinion is what's the point of knowing your endgame when you are down 3 major pieces from sloppy middlegame..
Originally posted by MIODudeSee thats not about practicing middlegames or openings... if you are 3 pieces down it is not because you do not know how to play any particular part of the game, that is that you are cr*p and cannot play chess!
so.. while you guys debate this.. lets stretch this out.
At what point is the transition from beginning, to middle to endgame?
is there a certain number of moves? or.. is it, once the pieces are developed for beginning to middle.. and once most major pieces are gone for middle to end?
I've always wondered as that might help determine what should be pr ...[text shortened]... 's the point of knowing your endgame when you are down 3 major pieces from sloppy middlegame..
you can drop a piece in the endgame just like in the middlegame or opening. Learning not to play e4 e5 Qh5 is learning the opening, learning not to leave your queen where it can be captured by a pawn is just basic chess knowledge, not to do with any particular phase of the game.
thats why i stand by my original post- having been the strongest player at my school, i saw a large number of very weak beginners playing. what cost most of them the most points was not being able to form basic checkmates, then followed by losing out to tactics, then lack of opening principles, and falling for opening traps (which could almost count as tactics in some cases).
The best way to improve..Tactics..then Tactics....and then study...
you guessed it...Tactics!
What are tactics? Combinations? yes...Sacrifices?..yes...Attacks?...yes...
Mostly its pattern recognition.
This can also apply to endgame patterns. K&RvsK&R KvsK&P K&PvsK&P K&QvsK&Q, Bishop & Kn endings, etc.
For a beginner or advanced beginner, learning as many patterns as possible will increase you understanding of chess, and raise your rating..guarenteed!
I did it, and went from 1500 ICC Blitz to hovering around 2000 right now.
Do this until you are nothing but tactics, and you lose many games because your opponents are seeing your tactics, and out playing you positionaly. This means you have gotten to a level where its now time to study positional chess. Now its time to bear down and study endgames.
Leave opening theory for later.
In reality, all that's important is endgame. I just proved this in a game that I just finished up. My opponent thought he had me because he was ahead in the number of pieces, but he didn't realize that I made a few sacrifices just to put him in mate (which is exactly what happened).
Endgame determines the winner and loser. That is something that the opening / midgame cannot do.
Originally posted by maybeONEdayYes they can! I'm sure you're not seriously suggesting its not possible to sacrifice to get people in mate outside of the endgame? Indeed, mates in the endgame are probably rarest.
In reality, all that's important is endgame. I just proved this in a game that I just finished up. My opponent thought he had me because he was ahead in the number of pieces, but he didn't realize that I made a few sacrifices just to put him in mate (which is exactly what happened).
Endgame determines the winner and loser. That is something that the opening / midgame cannot do.
People frequently win or lose far before an endgame is reached.
memorizing openings should be the last thing you do. It will be easier to memborize openings when you are more familiar with the chesscoard... far easier. For example at first it took a lot of effort just to membrozies the first few moves but after i got betrte now it only take about 12 seconds to bomreizom an entire game. i can play blindfold chess too without a problem because i know the squares. just learn endgames first and know the board and youll be a grandmaster in 7 or 8 days. maybe 9.