Ok, this is a serious question so you can make fun of me on the forums but at least answer the question first. How do you tell when the opening is over and the middle begins? Or win the middle is over and the end begins? And mainly, what websites can i go to to get info. on openings and help on endgame and middle and, well heck, opening to.And strategy... and tactics... where do i get help on chess at all???!!!
Originally posted by trallphazForget all of that opening/middle/endgame nonsense.
Ok, this is a serious question so you can make fun of me on the forums but at least answer the question first. How do you tell when the opening is over and the middle begins? Or win the middle is over and the end begins? And mainly, what websites can i go to to get info. on openings and help on endgame and middle and, well heck, opening to.And strategy... and tactics... where do i get help on chess at all???!!!
"A chess game is divided into three parts: The first, when you believe you have the advantage, the second when you know you have the advantage, and the third, when you know you're going to lose!" -Tartakower
The blunt answer is: there is no set of criteria when the opening turns into a middle game or a middel game into an endgame.
There are games without middleand endgames for example.
Still there are some criteria: if the pieces are developed but are still on the board you are probably in the middle game.
If there are only a few figures on the board you are probably in an endgame.
This may not help, but that is all I can come up with.
As said above there are no hard and fast rules for this, but here is a VERY GENERAL rule of thumb which might be of help.
If you move each piece once only, unless you have to move the same piece again, then it will probably take you around 10 moves, to bring out your knights, bishops, lift the Queen from the back rank and castle, when all of that is done, you could consider the opening more or less complete.
Unless you're getting abslutely slaughtered, you should be into the middle game by now, where most of the major exchanges will take place, the jostling for position and so on, this can lst anything from another 10 to 20 moves or even a lot more...
When you find yourself with just a few pieces left and a few pawns you can safely say you're now in the endgame.
All of the above is so general and non-specific that I don't really feel it is going to help you much, but chess has so many variables that this is the best i can do for you.....sorry.
Originally posted by trallphazhttp://www.chesslab.com/PositionSearch.html
Ok, this is a serious question so you can make fun of me on the forums but at least answer the question first. How do you tell when the opening is over and the middle begins? Or win the middle is over and the end begins? And mainly, what websites can i go to to get info. on openings and help on endgame and middle and, well heck, opening to.And strategy... and tactics... where do i get help on chess at all???!!!
Chances are, if you match data from another game you are still in a well traveled opening... but as has been pointed out, there really isn't any set position where you transfer from open to middle game. Play them both as well as you can from the position you are in; if you play your best every move, you can decide where the break is on your own when the game gets several moves deeper... or you feel you might be in an endgame.
P-
Originally posted by trallphazThere are no definitive criteria defining the points at which the opening transitions into the middlegame, and the middlegame transitions into the endgame. As for websites, there are many. Some of my favorites:
Ok, this is a serious question so you can make fun of me on the forums but at least answer the question first. How do you tell when the opening is over and the middle begins? Or win the middle is over and the end begins? And mainly, what websites can i go to to get info. on openings and help on endgame and middle and, well heck, opening to.And strategy... and tactics... where do i get help on chess at all???!!!
http://www.newinchess.com/ A high quality online database
http://www.chesstactics.org/ A tactics book published as a website
http://www.eudesign.com/chessops/ An Openings guide
http://hometown.aol.com/brigosling/ Endgame training
The opening is about twelve moves? The middle game is about fourty moves? The ending is too the end of the game. About twenty four moves? Most of my over the board games play for about seventy to seventy five moves. There are variables that keep this from being a set rule. Variable one. A errir is played. Variable two. The players exchange pieces. Variable three. The opening tends to produce a short game. Such as the Najdorf poison variation of the Sicilian Defense. Variable four. A player attacks before all of his men are developed. This variable can play a game with both opening and middle game play characteristics. These are just a few of the variables that can end the opening, middle game, or the game. P.S. Errir is a error. Middle game of fourty moves is a rounded number.
You could say the opening is how far you can get into the game based on memory rather than thinking. Only thought processes really is the choice of what opening line to go down. 😀
Of course, this could vary considerably, depending on your knowledge of the opening.
Begineers might leave the opening straight away (not having any opening knowledge at all). People with a bit more experience might know a couple of opening moves to a few ply and GMs could still be in the opening 20 moves into the game.
EDIT: This is based on OTB play. In correspondence it would depend how far into the game you stay within your database. 🙂
Since the "object" of the opening phase is to:
1) Try to gain control of the center
2) Develop your pieces
3) Safeguard your King (castling)
while trying to hinder your opponent from doing the same, one could say that the "opening" is over when these tasks have been accomplished, by one side or the other... again, a general guideline, there are no hard and fast rules to automatically distinguish the different phases of the game.
After many exchanges in the middlegame, there often comes a time when the Kings are themselves able to take part in the game, becoming more of a soldier instead of hiding in a corner... this will happen most often if the Queens are exchanged... when that happens, it's usually a sign that your moving into the endgame phase...
But again, as previous posters have pointed out, there are no hard and fast rules to define the criteria that marks each phase... eventually, you'll reach a point where you'll know each phase when you see it....
But don't get too hung up on things like that...it'll come to you as you play and study the game more and more...