middlegame

The middlegame is the phase between the opening and the endgame. Players exploit the opening position through fighting, attacking and defending groups, building or reducing moyo, and establishing territory. Its aim is to turn opening influence and positional possibilities into secure territory, living groups, or a favorable position before the endgame.

Typical middlegame play includes local fights, strategic attacks, invasions, reductions, connections, and the development or stabilization of unsettled groups. The middlegame follows fuseki and precedes yose, but its boundaries are flexible rather than fixed by a particular move. It describes a phase of the game, not one type of move; different regions of the board may enter the middlegame at different times.