I can survive the opening, but I get absolutly destroyed against people that are around and even less than my elo in the middle and end game
Focus on tactics
The position you reach out of the opening, should inform you on what your plans are for the middlegame. In addition to watching out for tactical opportunities, you have to develop on eye on how to evaluate the position. This basically boils down to understanding what squares are weak in you and your opponent's structure, and on the board in general.
You should be asking yourself questions like what lines of attack are open for my and my opponent's pieces, where are the spatial advantages for each side, which pawns are isolated/backwards/weak, what squares are undefended, where can I support my pieces with my pawns, where can I break through with a pawn thrust, and where can I overload attackers on to my opponent's weaknesses. Understand where the advantages are for you and your opponent, and plan your middlegame around that.
When considering candidate moves, look at i) moves that check, capture, or threaten other pieces, ii) moves that defend, retreat, or block your threatened pieces, and iii) moves the improve your position or make your opponent's position worse. Calculate the lines for those candidate moves and examine the ones that accomplish the most closer. Also, you must consider your opponent's moves, and how their reply to your move can further threaten you.
In terms of the endgame, again you must play to the positions strengths, but you have to also work on your tactical skill. Study the main endgame types and the checkmate patterns and practice them. Study themes like king opposition, triangulation, zugszwang, etc. Set up some positions on the analysis board and practice with the computer.
Finally, you have to look to yourself to see where you can improve. Are you playing only fast games where you don't get the time to properly develop though patterns? Are you analysing your games afterwards? Are you asking yourself where your common blindspots are and how to improve those?
You should be asking yourself questions like what lines of attack are open for my and my opponent's pieces, where are the spatial advantages for each side, which pawns are isolated/backwards/weak, what squares are undefended, where can I support my pieces with my pawns, where can I break through with a pawn thrust, and where can I overload attackers on to my opponent's weaknesses. Understand where the advantages are for you and your opponent, and plan your middlegame around that.
When considering candidate moves, look at i) moves that check, capture, or threaten other pieces, ii) moves that defend, retreat, or block your threatened pieces, and iii) moves the improve your position or make your opponent's position worse. Calculate the lines for those candidate moves and examine the ones that accomplish the most closer. Also, you must consider your opponent's moves, and how their reply to your move can further threaten you.
In terms of the endgame, again you must play to the positions strengths, but you have to also work on your tactical skill. Study the main endgame types and the checkmate patterns and practice them. Study themes like king opposition, triangulation, zugszwang, etc. Set up some positions on the analysis board and practice with the computer.
Finally, you have to look to yourself to see where you can improve. Are you playing only fast games where you don't get the time to properly develop though patterns? Are you analysing your games afterwards? Are you asking yourself where your common blindspots are and how to improve those?
Play against the computer and analyze what it does after the opening is over -- which piece does it prefer to move and where, when is the best time to move the Queen, etc. In addition, solve lots of puzzles, those are the best for a mid/endgame-understanding
"... Logical Chess [(Batsford edition by Chernev)] ... a collection of 33 games ... is definitely for beginners and players who are just starting to learn about development, weak squares, the centre, standard attacking ideas, and the like. In many ways, it would [be] a wonderful 'first' book (or first 'serious' book, after the ones which teach the rules and elementary mates, for example), and a nice gift for a young player just taking up chess. ..." - IM John Watson (1999)
theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/assorted-recent-books
www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1004861
"... Silman’s Complete Endgame Course ... I'm convinced that Silman's book will take its place in history as one of the most popular endgame books ever. ... He writes in a clear and casual style, and time and again has shown the ability to reach those who feel intimidated by the lofty approach that a grandmaster will often take. ..." - IM John Watson (2007)
theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/theres-an-end-to-it-all
www.silmanjamespress.com/shop/chess/silmans-complete-endgame-course/
theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/assorted-recent-books
www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1004861
"... Silman’s Complete Endgame Course ... I'm convinced that Silman's book will take its place in history as one of the most popular endgame books ever. ... He writes in a clear and casual style, and time and again has shown the ability to reach those who feel intimidated by the lofty approach that a grandmaster will often take. ..." - IM John Watson (2007)
theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/theres-an-end-to-it-all
www.silmanjamespress.com/shop/chess/silmans-complete-endgame-course/
Hopefully you've looked at the fantastic answers above. Add to those great answers this little nugget: Most of the early work that players do to master the middle game is done by studying moves that win material or queen a pawn (thereby gaining material).
The idea of learning positional chess early on is ok, but you don't move forward a whole lot doing that. For example: It's somewhat pointless to learn how to make your knight a fraction of a pawn more useful (which is what you would learn studying positional chess) - when all of your games are decided by winning or losing more than a pieces worth of material. The effect is that positional chess too early doesn't really help you to stop losing the material.
So grab a tactics book, or a tactics program. I like CT-ART 4.0 still.. 20 years later. Good luck!
The idea of learning positional chess early on is ok, but you don't move forward a whole lot doing that. For example: It's somewhat pointless to learn how to make your knight a fraction of a pawn more useful (which is what you would learn studying positional chess) - when all of your games are decided by winning or losing more than a pieces worth of material. The effect is that positional chess too early doesn't really help you to stop losing the material.
So grab a tactics book, or a tactics program. I like CT-ART 4.0 still.. 20 years later. Good luck!
Endgames is mostly about calculating concrete lines. That may mean to check out lines that go 10 moves deep or more, but you can start easy of course, only a few moves deep, BUT DO CALCULATE THEM precisely.
You can train that by calculating lines of endgames with King vs King and Pawn. You can alternatively look up videos first about King vs King and Pawn endgames and learn it. You will come across the term "opposition" (when you place your king directly in front of the other king, so they have to move sideways unless they move something else). Learning the concept of opposition IS SOOOOO IMPORTANT! Then make it a habit to calculate lines using your understanding of opposition. Learn that first until you really understand it.
Also consider playing ACTIVE in rook endgames. Give up a pawn or two, but get an active position.
Your chess skills generally can significantly improve when you study endgames, as you will be become more proficient in calculating.
You can train that by calculating lines of endgames with King vs King and Pawn. You can alternatively look up videos first about King vs King and Pawn endgames and learn it. You will come across the term "opposition" (when you place your king directly in front of the other king, so they have to move sideways unless they move something else). Learning the concept of opposition IS SOOOOO IMPORTANT! Then make it a habit to calculate lines using your understanding of opposition. Learn that first until you really understand it.
Also consider playing ACTIVE in rook endgames. Give up a pawn or two, but get an active position.
Your chess skills generally can significantly improve when you study endgames, as you will be become more proficient in calculating.
Try this Endgame training site. It's free. It's a very good program! - :] - chess-endgame-trainer.web.app/home - @VVirtual
@Skittle-Head
Ight, will do, thank you
Ight, will do, thank you
You can learn a lot from studying master games...strategy wise.
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