When the opening is over
Sooner or later every game leaves familiar ground. The pieces are out, the kings have castled, and the question is what to do now. This is where a missing plan, or a weakness nobody has noticed, can decide the game.
Strategy is about the things that change slowly: the pawns, the squares no pawn can protect, the open files and the safety of the king. If you understand them, you know where the pieces should stand. And with the pieces on the right squares, the tactics often come by themselves.
In this order
The pawns
Pawns never go back. That's why strategy starts with them.
- Pawn structuresThe pawns decide where the pieces belong and which plan works.
- Isolated queen's pawnOpen lines for the pieces, but a pawn no pawn can protect.
- Hanging pawnsTwo pawns side by side. Strong when they move, weak when they're stuck.
- Minority attackTwo pawns against three advance, and a weakness is left.
The pieces
Every piece has its best squares. The knight wants an outpost, the bishop open diagonals and the rook open files.
- Knight outpostsA square no pawn can reach, and a knight that stays there.
- Good and bad bishopsPawns on the bishop's color shut it in. But it can wake up.
- The bishop pairTwo bishops reach every square. Best when the position is open.
- Rooks on open filesOpen files for the rooks, and on to the seventh rank.
- Exchange sacrificeA rook for a minor piece, and something else back.
The kings
When the kings stand on opposite wings, the middlegame becomes a race.
The plan
Last, what ties it all together: seeing your opponent's plans and making your own.
Four questions when you don't know what to do
- What does your opponent want? Look at the last move. What does it threaten, and what does it prepare?
- Where are the weaknesses? Weak pawns and squares no pawn can protect, yours and your opponent's.
- Which piece stands worst? Find it a better square. Often that is the whole plan.
- Which pieces do you want to trade? Trade off your opponent's best pieces and keep your own. The side with a weak pawn rarely wants to trade.
Further reading
The middlegame is tied to the rest of the game. The opening decides which pawn structures you get, and if you know which endgames are won, you also know which trades pay off. The words used here, like outpost, open file and bad bishop, are explained briefly in the glossary. Most of the games on these pages are also among the famous games, move by move.
Frequently asked questions
What is the middlegame in chess?
The part of the game between the opening and the endgame. The pieces are developed, the kings have usually castled, and now the position has to be put to use. There is no sharp line in either direction.
What is the difference between strategy and tactics?
Tactics are about the next few moves: concrete threats, combinations and calculation. Strategy is about the plan: where the pawns and pieces should stand, which weaknesses can be attacked and which endgame you want. Tactics often grow out of good strategy.
How do you make a plan in chess?
Start with the pawns, because they change most slowly. Look for open files, weak pawns and squares no pawn can protect. Then ask yourself which piece stands worst and where it would like to go, and what your opponent wants to do.
How do you get better at the middlegame?
By playing through good games and asking yourself why the moves were played. The patterns come back: the same pawn structure often gives the same plans. Then play yourself, and look afterward at where the plan went wrong.
Updated November 14, 2026