In order to understand openings properly, the middlegame should actually be studied first. Because all plans in the middlegame link directly to the ideas from the opening. Almost everything is hung up on pawnstructures. Therefore, IM Herman Grooten takes the club chess player by the hand to take a closer look at common middlegame structures. On this video course Grooten discusses the basic ideas for both White and Black of a typical structure that can arise from various opening variants. This is the so-called “hedgehog system” which is characterised by at least four black pawns on the sixth rank which we call the “spikes” of the hedgehog. Another essential aspect is that the exchange of a black c-pawn for a white d-pawn (as in the Sicilian) creates a position in which, partly due to c2-c4, a large space advantage is obtained by White. But that the “hedgehog” is viable will become clear in all the examples shown, as the author likes to use this system himself!

• Video running time: 4 hours (English)

• With interactive training including video feedback

• Extra: Model Games and Training with ChessBase apps - Play key pawn structures against Fritz on various levels