A chess game between two advanced chess players is one of the most intriguing things in the world. Left on the board are signs of brilliance and of mistakes, of tactics and counter tactics, strategies and anti-strategies. Some even claim to have seen signs of mental sweat on the chess board!

For many people, however, chess games are confusing and, in their eyes, uneventful. The tactics and strategy fly right over their head because they are uneducated about the basics of a chess game. It shouldn’t be surprising that these observers are overwhelmed, as chess games (especially between two chess masters) are extremely complicated and deep.

The anatomy of a chess game is broken down into three distinct phases: the opening, the middlegame, and the endgame. In each of these phases, each player has different goals, tactics, and cautions.

Opening

The opening of a chess game is a group of initial moves by each player, often referred to as the “opening moves.” During this phase of the game, players often use a sequence of moves called “openings.” There are many different openings, most of which an advanced player can recognize quite easily, each of which lead to a different strategy in the latter parts of the game.

In the opening of chess games, players aim to develop an optimal position, control the center of the board, protect their king, and develop pawn structure. As such, most players consider White to have a competitive advantage. Having the first move allows the player to choose any opening they choose for the chess game.

Middlegame

The middlegame immediately follows the end of opening theory, when each piece and is developed and in a position. The players then have the ability to assess their position as well as develop proper tactics and strategy to gain the advantage.

In the middlegame, players aim to reduce the amount of pieces on the board without losing their strategic position and advantage. The phase is also where most combinations, or sequences of moves, are used.

Endgame

The endgame is the phase of the chess game when most pieces are gone from the board, and only a few pieces are left. This part of the game determines the winner of the chess game, or a draw, if applicable, as it ends with one of the players’ king being checkmated.

During the endgame, players focus more attention on their pawns (and attempts to promote the pawns). The king also becomes more powerful, often protecting its own pawns and attack opposing pawns. Endgames are classified according to the pieces left on the board. Examples of this include “king and pawn endgames” or “rook and pawn versus rook endgames.”

These 3 phases of chess games make up every chess game that is played. Advanced players will strategize and prepare not only for the beginning of the game (the opening), but the middlegame and endgame as well. This builds versatility in the player and allows him or her to adapt to different situations in all chess games.