Questions tagged [positional-play]
A style of play emphasizing capture of strategic squares and prophylactic moves.
211 questions
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How do I know what squares I need to control in a given position?
I'm never quite sure what squares I'm suppose to control, especially in positions that aren't official openings or unconventional openings?
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Plan from the position
I am not asking for analysis, just want to know what are the plans to continue for black .(white to move)
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Analysis of a position-Why is my move so bad?
I am trying to understand this position a bit better and would appreciate some help in doing so. I am black and it's my turn...
I played the move ..c5. I don't have a deep understanding of this ...
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Is it true that Queen's Gambit tends to have positional play and King's Gambit A tactical one?
I have heard somewhere that Queen's Gambit is favored by those who like quiet positional play and King's Gambit by those who like lively game studded with tactical traps. Is this true?
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Purpose behind the move
I was just guessing the best move in the given position(black to move) .
I thought it would be 'Be6' , But the engine gave 'c5' , which weakens the 'd5' square .
I want to know the plan behind the ...
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White's plans from this position
I am not asking for analysis, just want to know what are the plans that white should go for (long term / short term) given that black pawn structure is not so great.
[Title "Black to move"]
[...
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Why this is the best move?
I'm new here, so I just like chess and I don’t study too deeply. I could not understand the move Qxe5. Can someone explain to me?
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What positional play strategy should white adopt when fighting against the Philidor exchange variation?
What are the key squares to control? What are ultra aggressive moves white can play at the advance level (expert or higher class)?
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Study endgame first before studying opening? Is it true?
While looking for and comparing suggestions that will help me to improve in chess, I have noticed that some people and some chess book authors suggest that you should study the endgame first.
Some ...
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What are the things that a 2000 player knows that a 1800 player doesn't know?
I'm stuck at 1600-1800 in chess.com. My rating fluctuates within that range. There must be something that I still don't understand that is already understood by a 1900-2000 player.
So I am asking for ...
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What is positional play in chess?
I have played chess so many times, understood tactics (pins, discovered check, overloading, deflection, skewer), but I never understood clearly the positional play. I have noticed not many tutorials ...
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Which type of openings generally lead their users not to waste much time on the clock: sharp/aggressive/tactical or positional/solid/quiet openings?
I’m only asking this question out of curiosity. The answers I’ll get won’t make me change my opening repertoire.
OTB which type of openings generally lead their users not to waste too much time on ...
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Equalize - What does it really mean?
We often read or hear in books or video tutorials the following: "With this move, Black can equalize!". Some authors give 15-move or 20-move variations of some openings (e.g. Caro-Kann, Slav, Semi-...
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For Black, against the Caro-Kann Advance Shirov variation 4. Nc3 which move tends to lead to the most positional, slow, solid and strategic positions?
I'm a 1800 Elo player that likes positional, quiet, drawish, slow, boring and strategic openings.
As Black against 1. e4 I play the Caro-Kann. But there is one variation of the Caro-Kann that I ...
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Why doesn't the black bishop just capture the white knight?
In a game of mine, the below position emerged.
[FEN "r1bqkb1r/2pp1ppp/p1p2n2/4N3/4P3/2N5/PPPP1PPP/R1BQK2R b KQkq - 0 1"]
It is Black to move. The computer suggests the move 6... Bd4, and then it ...
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In the Caro-Kann Panov-Botvinnik Attack 5... e6 6. Nf3, what are the differences between 6... Be7 and 6... Bb4 ? Which one is more solid and quiet?
In the Caro-Kann Panov-Botvinnik Attack 5... e6 6. Nf3, I am hesitating between 6... Be7 and 6... Bb4
[StartPly "11"]
[FEN ""]
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nf3 Be7 (6.....
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Overprotection Of A Piece
What exactly is the logic behind the concept of “overprotection of a piece”?
Wikipedia says that it "...provides greater freedom of movement for the pieces protecting that square." If the protected ...
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3
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Better moves-game analysis
Aside from the blunder 27 Nh3, what moves should have been made to make this game winning for white?
rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 ...
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What are some good books on the Caro-Kann which propose a Black repertoire based on positional, strategic, solid, boring and quiet variations?
I'm a 1750 Elo player, and 6 months ago I bought the book Grandmaster Repertoire: The Caro-Kann by Lars Schandorff, and I was disappointed.
In my opinion, the repertoire proposed in the book is too ...
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In the Classical Variation of the Caro-Kann, what is the most positional, strategic, quiet, slow, closed, boring, dry and solid variation for Black?
I am not sure what to play as Black in the Classical Variation of the Caro-Kann, after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3
[...
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In the Delayed Open Catalan, what is the best move after 7. Ne5 c5 8. dxc5 Qc7 9. Nxc4 Rd8?
I'm building my White repertoire.
After 1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O dxc4 7. Ne5 c5 8. dxc5 Qc7 9. Nxc4 Rd8 we reach the following position:
[FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/...
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Is it important to have pawns at the centre of the board?
Is there any strategic importance in having pawns at the centre of the board? Please provide a detailed explanation.
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How to go about beating chess engines?
I play regularly long games (60min each) with Droidfish/Stockfish the depth is always close around 21.
From time to time I overlook taktical flaws in my moves, obviously playing on worse positions ...
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Is it true that women's style of play tend on average to be slightly more aggressive than men's style of play?
As we know, women chess is much more unpredictable than men’s. Women chess is also uncompromised and very entertaining. Men chess is more solid, pragmatic and conservative, and women game, on the ...
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Can't find long term plan for Black
I am working on multiple lines from Scandinavian defense, with the goal to resurrect them.
One line I'm working on is 3...Qd8, and I have managed to achieve quite playable positions ( the results are ...
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Since each engine has its own style of play… which engines are more positional/strategic and which engines are more sharp/tactical?
I’ve heard that each engine has its own style of play. Some are more positional and strategic, while others are more sharp and tactical.
And so my question is: could you roughly sort the following ...
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What squares are the most active for bishops?
For a beginner:
Where are bishops mostly exchanged or placed?
Where are knights mostly exchanged or placed?
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In the books Wojo's Weapons, why was Wojo occasionally known to say "I'm too lazy!" when asked why he didn't play 1. d4 instead of 1. Nf3?
In Wojo's Weapons: Winning With White (Volume 1) by Jonathan Hilton and Dean Ippolito, it is written:
Wojo's move order to reach any opening position almost always started with 1. Nf3 and then ...
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For White, which variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined tends to lead to the most solid, positional, slow, closed, quiet and strategic positions?
I am a 1750 Elo player with a very positional, quiet and strategic style of play.
I would like to know which variation I should play when, as White, I face the Queen's Gambit Declined.
The variation ...
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In the Caro-Kann Panov-Botvinnik Attack which move tends to lead to the most solid, positional, slow, closed, and quiet positions: 5... e6, Nc6 or g6?
In the Caro-Kann Panov-Botvinnik Attack, after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3, which move tends to lead (on average) to the most solid, positional, slow, closed, quiet and strategic ...
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What are books about the French Defence which feature a Black repertoire that tends to lead to solid/positional/closed/slow/quiet/strategic positions?
I am a 1750 Elo player with a very positional, quiet and strategic style of play.
I am looking for one or more books about the French Defence which fits these 3 conditions:
It must offer a complete ...
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For White, which variation of the King's Indian Defence tends to lead to the most solid, positional, slow, strategic, quiet and closed positions?
I am a 1750 Elo player with a very positional, quiet and strategic style of play.
I would like to know which variation I should play when, as White, I face the King's Indian Defence: 1...Nf6 2...g6
...
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As Black, against 1. d4, what opening would you recommend me which is solid, positional, slow, strategic, quiet, closed, and similar to the Caro-Kann?
I'm a 1750 Elo player. I have a very positional, quiet and strategic style of play.
As White I play 1. d4, but I plan to also learn 1. Nf3 soon. As Black against 1. e4 I play the Caro-Kann.
I would ...
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Which side should I castle if I have opportunity to castle on both sides?
It's a little bit confusing for me to make good decisions when I have opportunity to castle on both sides.
Can somebody explain what are the factors should be considered if we have opportunity to ...
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In the Queen's Gambit Declined, after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6, what is the difference between playing 3. Nc3 and 3. Nf3?
Here are Chessbase's statistics after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 :
Nc3 - N=116,000 - W=58.2% - Av=2152 - Perf=2176
Nf3 - N=54,000 - W=60.3% - Av=2239 - Perf=2264
.
N = The number of games played
W = White'...
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Chess traps without positional loss
Most of the common chess traps are ill advised (at least in standard games), as you sacrifice better moves.
Traps that I have tried out with some success are the fishing pole, and the blackbourne ...
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White seems better. How could I have capitalized?
[FEN ""]
[StartPly "25"]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Be2 d5 8.O-O Qc7 9.f4 Bc5+ 10.Kh1 d4 11.Na4 Ba7 12.b3 Ne7 13.Bd3 O-O 14.Qh5 f5 15.Ba3 Rf6 16.Bxe7 Qxe7 17.Nb2 Rh6 ...
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How did I still lose with 1 piece advantage?
Throughout the game, I thought I had a positional and piece advantage, but I STILL LOST!
What did I do wrong? (using Ruy Lopez btw)
[FEN ""]
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 Nf6
4. Nc3 a6
5. Bxc6 ...
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Pawns in the center: strength or weakness?
In most openings, pawns typically end up at some of the centre squares. There is really no other way to open up the long diagonals(c1-h6,a6-f1) for the bishops. However, how desirable is this? ...
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Positional opening for Black
I have recently (two months ago) become very interested in chess, after playing it for about 10 years at a club, spending time on it only one evening per week.
Previously, I did not think about my ...
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Overprotection and prophylaxis
My understanding (and I may be wrong there) is that prophylaxis is a wider concept than overprotection, and so there are some prophylactic moves that don't have anything to do with overprotection (...
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Can you recommend a closed opening for black against 1.e4?
What is a good opening system for black that leads to closed play against 1.e4?
E.G. - against 1.d4 I like to play the Slav & am looking into the Czech Benoni. I am looking for something similar ...
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Is there a good method to come up with a plan during a game?
I have started to play chess more seriously recently by playing some tournaments. During all my tournament games, I faced serious problems coming up with plans during the middle game. Is there a ...
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Queens Gambit Declined vs Slav: Exchange Variations
I am a keen player of d4 as white. One of the things that I often read is that the exchange variation of the Queens Gambit Declined is generally considered good for white:
[fen ""]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 ...
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Did Richard Teichmann fail to take his "bishop pair" idea to its logical conclusion?
Playing Black in a game against J.R. Capablanca, Richard Teichmann accepted an isolated queen pawn as the price for getting a bishop pair
On move 20, White played Nf5, attacking his black squared ...
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What are white's plans in this Scotch Gambit position?
I'll skip the long explanation, but it's not uncommon for me to reach the following position as White out of the opening:
[FEN ""]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bb4+ 5.c3 dxc3 6.O-O cxb2 Bxb2
(...
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Is it true that a good "flanker" (flanking position) is worth more than a pawn? If so, why?
Perhaps I've used the wrong term, but I'll describe what a "flanker" is.
In the Queen's Gambit, there is often the possibility for White to sacrifice a bishop on h7.
1.Bxh7+ Kxh7 2.Ng5+ Kg8 3.Qh5 ...
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I lost a game without making tactical mistakes; how can I avoid this happening in the future?
Here's a game of mine from last night. It was my first tournament game for many years.
(This game is David Kenney vs. Douglas Stones [me] 1-0. Press F to flip the board.)
[fen ""]
[Event "Bluenose ...
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How do chess engines "think"?
What I want to know is how engines are programmed to find moves. I'm sure they first calculate the most forcing lines such as captures and checks. But what about subtle, deep positional moves? They ...
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Switching from 1.e4 to 1.d4?
I've only played 1.e4 as white so far (in clubs, tournaments, online, everywhere!), in the past 5 years since I learned chess. And it has been very fun, but I want to explore the dark side as well, as ...
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