Chess Strategies in the Opening, Middle Game and Endgame

Opening strategy:

- develop or place your pieces on useful squares where they will have superior mobility and maximum control

- control the central squares allowing you to move freely and making your pieces mobile while placing your enemy on a cramped position thereby restricting his piece mobility and delaying his development

- know where and when to castle and assess the overall situation before you even castle, ask yourself "Am I gonna be vulnerable to attack after I castle?", or "Will I castle later?" or "Is it safe not to castle at all?", this needs good judgment to examine the possibilities

- remember, pawns can not retreat or go back, so don't make weak pawn moves. Look for your opponent's weakness on pawn moves in the opening and utilize it to gain advantage or pace

- it pays to study the openings and its variations, sometimes your game is similar and if you happen to have studied or played combinations leading you to a win or gain in material, the better chances for you in winning the game

- if you are playing the White pieces, exploit the initiative and make good use of the advantage of "dictating" where you want the game to lead into



Middle game strategy:

- look for weak spots, exploit and attack it

- in a crowded position, if there's a way to open a file, do it and control it

- in a open position, setting up an attack on both the opponent's kingside and queenside can be a good strategy or focusing on one side can be better

- decoy strategies involve pretending to attack on one side but the overall impact or effect is really attacking the other side

- look for the overall situation on the opponent's kingside and queenside, if you find a weakness or opening, take advantage of it

- if you find a good spot to position your pieces to allow you to make way for a later attack, make good use of it

- if you are attacking, don't take your defense for granted, defensive aggression is the key

- make sure that your attacking forces are sufficient enough to overpower the opponent's defensive pieces, you may end up losing a piece and your attack leads to a failure

- if the opponent queen is restricted in mobility, setup a trap or attack on the side where the opponent queen is helpless

- if you can simplify or make exchanges such that you can predict an advantage on the endgame, do it

- sometimes a sacrifice would lead you to weaken the opponent's defense, thus, allowing your troops to gain mobility and setup for a decisive blow



Endgame strategy:

- pawns and pawn structure is crucial in the endgame, be careful of your pawns while looking for your opponent's weak pawns or pawn structure and exploiting it

- connected pawns are generally better than isolated pawns, but isolated pawns are also vital for a win

- find and exploit a way where you can win by means of a free and unobstructed pawn ready for a promotion

- the queen is generally the choice for a pawn promotion, but in some cases depending on the situation, other pieces than the queen could be better

- be careful of making exchanges, taking into consideration of what's left for the mating piece combinations

- the king is now a strong piece, position it in an advantageous square or on a profitable side

- some king moves and king positionings lead to a draw or a loss instead of a win, so carefully calculate and predict the final outcome

- know when and when not to move a pawn, sometimes the king or a piece should be moved first before a pawn to contribute to a winning strategy