Anticipating the Endgame | Chess Middlegames

Knowing whether the endgame will be good or bad for you is essential for playing the middlegame correctly. That enables you to create correct plans and trade off pieces wisely!

Just as you must know what the middlegame will be like after the opening you prepare and choose, you have to be able to understand the endgame that is about to occur from that middlegame. The latter is much harder, obviously, because the opening theory is very advanced and we can simply read what the middlegame will be like.

That is why we have to rely on pattern recognition and certain features of the position which help us understand its assessment and the nature of the endgame. These “signals”, albeit numerous, can still be categorized for easier learning.

0. Material – this one is clear; with a material advantage, the endgame should generally be winning.

1. Pawn weaknesses

Pawn weaknesses, such as isolated, doubled, or backward pawns, are a clear indication of an endgame advantage. The more pieces you trade off, the larger and easier to exploit the weakness becomes.

2. Pawn majorities

Pawn majorities often determine the outcome of the game themselves. They basically mean that you are likely to be able to create a passed pawn on the side of the board where you have a majority. The queenside majority is often advantageous in games where both sides have castled short because the opposing king will have a harder time reaching the pawns.

3. Space advantageous

Space gives your minor pieces more room to maneuver and brings your pawns closer to queening. The advantage is exploited and amplified by minor pieces, so it’s wise to trade off rooks and queens to highlight it.

4. Piece placement and piece activity

More active pieces on the board mean easier maneuvering and more control. If your opponent has a knight stuck on a8, then trading off the rest of the pieces will probably highlight its weakness even more.

5. “Dead” pieces

The best example of this is the bad bishop vs a knight. Bishops can only control one color complex, whereas a knight can hop into both. This means that with patience, you can enter a position in which you are virtually a piece up!

When you sense that you have one of these advantages, consider trading off and entering an endgame. It might be winning!

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26 Comments

  1. Sir can plz make one video on how to analyse own games and learns from mistake….

  2. Nice video and thanks so much for the content …btw when are you willing to do a live stream ???

  3. I am very grateful to you for sharing these useful lessons

  4. How do u make trading off prices a plan?

  5. Thank you for this instructive video. This channel really seems like it's developing into a library like you wished it to be. You can get everything and exactly that what you want, with good and clear explanation. Of course there is a lot more stuff you will have to cover but I'm sure that you can one day look back and can be proud of yourself that you build a 'library' and also about the process you made in your own chess. So I can say nothing but thank you!
    By the way: I'm planning to change my main opening weapon for white also to the Italian and I wonder if there are any good books that you can recommend

  6. I feel like capablanca was the best at this😉

  7. Awesome content! I really enjoy yours videos, please do more! I hope your channel will grow fast 🙂

  8. Hi, great video thanks. In the position at 23.00 where you say black is in a lost position isn't there some scope for at draw after Qb2+ then possibly trying to get the Q to f3? I can see that black has a disadvantage but it is his move with plenty of opportunity keep checking the white king and preventing white from using his advantage?

  9. How TF do you come up with such content ideas day after day😂

  10. Great vid. Exactly what i was searching for!! Thanks a lot

  11. never lose your determination. you are my favourite youtuber.

  12. Very good video! Thank you very much for your lesson!

  13. i heard you on the Perpetual Chess Podcast by Ben Johnson , great interview, you have a great you tube channel , all the best to the GM title .

  14. Great video sir🙅‍♂

    Which engine u use?

  15. Really good videos. Very helpful and insightful. Many thanks!

  16. Preparing for my first rated OTB tournament next month. Your videos have motivated me to rejoin US Chess Federation. Thank you for your excellent teaching.

  17. Thank you so much, i learn a lot with you. I always thought that the bishop was better than the knight in this kind of position (open one with pawns on each flank) that was a surprise for me. What about a video about knight vs bishop in the endgame by the way? Have a wonderful evening!

  18. You are most instructive. Much more than most !

  19. Wait you told not to push the majorities too early in the pawn majorities video, why do you now say its important to push them, when so many pieces are on board. Also why does Gelfand exchange his queenside knight, wouldn't it help to stop the majority

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