CHESS TRAINING - STRATEGY

THEORY

 PRACTICAL TRAINING

Forming a plan 
A feasible and superior plan needs to be drawn up and executed when required to maintain any possibility of victory.
It is essential to learn and visualize patterns in the board rather than individual pieces. 

Material And Position 
Following the opening, a pawn structure and the minor pieces (knights & bishops) are developed to battle for controls in the centre while waiting on the edge are the major pieces for action. These pieces wait at the opportune time to join the battle and exploit space once significant materials have been exchanged in the middle game.
One of the methods which were nearly perfected by chess champion Jose Capablanca, is to create a positional strong-hold early on and play a careful, progressive game that exploits the weakness in your opponent's position, slowly pushing a material advantage until you gain absolute dominance. 

Pawn Structure 
Analyzing and careful study of the Pawn structure is very important consideration when playing middle games. Maintaining the pawn position in order to provide a solid defensive shell for your pieces, especially the King, is of utmost importance. Pawns defending the stronger pieces on board leads to better attacking options for them instead just defending the strong pieces. 

Controlling The Centre 
The center of the board least populated at the beginning and becomes more populated as the game progresses however the ample space permits flexibility and choice to move ones pieces. By imprudent movement of pawns important pieces of your opponent become vulnerable.

Positional Strategy 
Slow burning positional strategy is another playing style which comes into play in middle games. After the openings, this is where the player on accessing the game situation, ponders possible plans or all of his options. He then selects and executes his best plan and sticks to it rigidly. This style of game play and player is regarded as a Strategist.

When To Exchange 
Capturing more of your opponent's material than they can capture of yours will help you to ultimately win the game and to do so with ease. Always be on the lookout for your opponent's unguarded pieces.

The rules of the middle game are thus:
-Think of movement 
-Think of consequence 
-Plan ahead 

Material and Positions are the two forms of advantage every chess player struggles for. Numerical superiority can lead to a strong position which is achieved by material advantage. If material advantage is the means then a positional advantage is the end as it should lead to victory.