By Nibaldo – FIDE Instructor

What to Do After the Opening?

The Easiest Plan to Avoid Getting Lost

You’ve moved your central pawns, developed your knights and bishops, and castled. All good… but now what?

Many beginner players feel completely lost right after the opening. There's no longer a clear “recipe,” and that's when mistakes begin. But don’t worry — in this article, I’ll show you the easiest and most effective plan to stay on track in the middlegame.

♟️ Step 1: Evaluate the Position Before You Act

Before making a move, ask yourself:

👉 Don’t move just to move. Every move must have a purpose.

🎯 Step 2: Activate Your Pieces to the Max

It’s not enough to just “develop” your pieces. Now you need to place them where they can attack, pressure, or control key squares.

🧠 Your goal now is to improve the position of your pieces one by one.

📦 Step 3: Choose a Simple but Clear Plan

You don’t need a spectacular attack right away. Here are 3 basic plans that work in most games:

Plan A: Attack the enemy king

Great if the opponent hasn’t castled or has weak defenses around their king.

Plan B: Pressure a weakness

Look for weak pawns or badly placed pieces (like an isolated pawn or trapped rook).

Plan C: Expand on a flank

Push your pawns on the queenside or kingside to gain space and open lines.

⛔ Avoid These Common Middlegame Mistakes

🔁 Always ask yourself:

“Which piece can I improve?” or

“What threat can I create?”

🧭 Conclusion: After the Opening, Don’t Improvise — Plan!

The secret is to improve your pieces, find weaknesses, and have a plan, even if it's simple. Don’t rush to attack or look for magical combinations — chess is strategy and patience.

“Tactics flow from a superior position.” — Bobby Fischer