“Considering the three main phases of chess — the opening, middlegame, and endgame — how should players effectively allocate their study time among them? Which phase do you believe is most critical for a player’s development and why?“

“I would argue that the opening and middlegame are the most critical phases for players rated below 2000 USCF. While I don’t want to downplay the inportance of studying the endgame, it seems that the vast majority of games are decided before reaching the endgame. The most effective way to allocate study time is to seek a coach’s (professional) opinion on which aspect of your game needs the most improvement. I disagree with coaches who advise abandoning opening study for simple lines like 1.e4 e5 or 1.d4 d5, focusing only on the middlegame. Many of my students struggle early with both colors. While the middlegame offers the richest study material, my opening work always includes transitions, thematic ideas, and patterns leading into it.