Moving to the Middle Game

Difficulty
Language EN
Subtitles EnRu

How to navigate from the opening to the middle game? Let's learn!

November 2024
(48)

Every move counts in a game of Go, but some moves more then others. And there is a frame of moves that often go unnoticed. This frame stretches for only ten moves or so, but they can shift the entire flow of a game — alter the very turn of the heavens, as it were.

These moves consist of the edge between the civilized opening and the wild wild west that is the middle game of Go. Almost immaterial to the untrained eye, command over this short sequence of stones can give you the power to wrangle an unruly game back under control or give you a large lead as you gallop ahead into the next frontier!

In this course we will give you the tools to identify when this gap begins and ends and increase your awareness of the board position to boldly use this new know-how to transfer from opening tactics to middle scouting and fighting. Together, lets take our first step past the opening edge and venture into the middle game!

Suitable for: 14–5 kyu

Teacher

Matthew McKee 4d

Amateur Go Player, poet and novelist from Japan.

  $69.90 *
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Course Includes

10 Lessons
9 Quizzes
~ 3 hours

Reviews

4.7
Avg. Rating
48 Reviews
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We'd love to know what you think!
Posted 2 days ago

The middle game is a bear attack you cannot run away from and survive. It is the wild west. I appreciate these lessons in how important it is to be sensitive to when the opening is over and how vital it is to know what kind of game you are playing to adapt accordingly. The comparison between old territorial styles and modern quick play was interesting. Thanks!

Posted 4 days ago

I got a lot from this course. I'm right around 10 kyu, and middle game is one of my weakest skills. This course will be one I revisit multiple times.

Posted 7 days ago

I love how this guy explains things, he is so funny and engaging! The wild west vibe was great. The course mainly focused on spotting when the middle game begins and I think it can really help in making good decisions. However I feel like it could be much shorter. Sometimes there was a lot of talking but not much content to it. But I liked it anyway and will watch more Matthew's courses for sure.

Posted 3 weeks ago

Excellent course that improved both my understanding of the middlegame and also the opening

Posted 1 month ago

Matthew's courses are always great and unique. This one starts "slow" with some important abstract concepts that while exemplified on the board are still harder to understand or accept. But after, subsequent lessons really drive the point home. A lot of examples from meaningful games and though process explanation, also very rich in useful problems.

Posted 2 months ago

Good course

Posted 2 months ago

Found the lectures insightful and the problems and quizzes engaging. Learned a lot and am looking forward to revisiting it in the future.

Posted 2 months ago

Amazing course and great video editing too. So many deep thoughts after finishing.

Posted 3 months ago

Great material. A lot of harder fundamentals for the middlegame get explained in an easy to understand way. Also has a great part about AI and new moves. Changed how I play and elevated my game because it presents little parts of the whole one can just try in their games and slowly adapt instead of forcing whole concepts. Highly recommend.

Posted 4 months ago

Good content, I really like Matthew's teaching style and speed. I think it would've been useful to have a better thesis statement at the start on what exactly the middle game is. Though, in the end, the idea was effectively sketched out. This is more of a concepts course, so I don't think I immediately gained any strength, but it should have lasting positive effects on how I approach the game.

Posted 4 months ago

Great course! as all of Matt's ones, Thank you!

Posted 4 months ago

Very interesting !

Posted 5 months ago

To be honest, I was a bit lost at times. Might be that it was just due to my lack of understanding. But some stuff seemed oddly specific.

Posted 6 months ago

It's very difficult material. I felt more examples were needed.

Posted 6 months ago

I loved the pro game analysis with Matt, I'd love to see more of that!

Posted 7 months ago

I really like the way Matthew teaches. It's serious, but it's funny and deep. Very easy to understand and follow along.

Posted 7 months ago

Great course, excellent way to explain the impact of AI in the game Thanks a lot

Posted 8 months ago

Having learned Go long before AI, this course give very good insight on AI impact in opening speed, and on moyo or territory strategies

Posted 8 months ago

1st part is too much storytelling. But 2nd part is quite useful

Posted 8 months ago

As a Pre-AI student myself, this course did a great job of comparing how past masters played to how AI and the modern game looks at these positions today, and what has changed with AI. It also dives deeply into how different a moyo-style game and a territory-style game looks since AI. I considered it pretty eye-opening, though moreso for those unfamiliar with pre-AI games

We'd love to know what you think!