Questions tagged [positional-play]
A style of play emphasizing capture of strategic squares and prophylactic moves.
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How do I learn to understand the middlegame?
I am trying to train tactics as well as my general understanding of the beginning/middlegame. I spent a good bit of time understanding endgames, per chessmaster recommendations and those I can ...
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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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What is the theory behind center control?
Center control is an important aspect of playing chess, most openings are built around controlling the center, but why? Is center control really that important for winning a game?
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Assessing an early c4 against white's Stonewall structure
I made a horrible decision as black in a game, and I do not understand why it's incorrect.
[fen "rn2kb1r/pp2pppp/1q3n2/2pp4/3P1P2/2PQPN2/PP4PP/RNB1K2R b - - 0 1"]
I played c4, Stockfish considers ...
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What are the reasons why I should not try to take a Knight with my Bishop if it'll result in doubled pawns?
For instance, in the Ruy Lopez, after
[FEN ""]
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 a6
why shouldn't I take the Knight?
4 Bxc6 dxc6
Now Black has a doubled pawn.
It isn't a very popular line of play, ...
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What is the correct definition of a bad bishop?
Is a bad bishop a bishop that is trapped by your own pawns? (For example, all your pawns are on dark squares, so the dark squared bishop is bad.) Or is it when your opponent's pawns trap your bishop'...
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What is the bishop pair worth?
It depends on the position but with all things being equal how much material value would you say the bishop pair is valued at?
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Understanding Kramnik's play in game 1 of Candidates 2018
The position I'm studying is the middlegame part of the game 1 of Berlin Candidates 2018 between Kramnik and Grischuk, which Kramnik won with the white pieces.
In particular, I'm interested in ...
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Positional thinking by Grandmasters
How do Grandmasters think in an unknown position and make the best move?
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Black's tools in the Caro-Kann Advanced Tal Variation
What are Black's plans to play for an advantage in this variation?
[FEN ""]
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. h4 h5 5. Bd3 Bxd3 6. Qxd3 e6
The kingside development seems so slow, allowing ...
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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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How to improve positional chess understanding?
I am a normal player with ~1500 FIDE rating, and I am quite good at tactics and trap things. But I falter at the positional games and I am bound to make mistakes where the things are non-tactical. So ...
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Josh Waitzkin chessmaster mastery quiz - spatial advantage, trading bishops
Update: The computer aspect of this can be answered with showing more lines such as in the lichess engine where h6 is slightly preferred to f5.
Based on: Josh Waitzkin Chessmaster Strategy Section 7 -...
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What does it mean to play "positionally", and how do you train that?
I often hear this term thrown around when people are analyzing chess, but I don't really know what it means. I assume it's a generic term that means to play defensively, or to set up for the future. ...
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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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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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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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Is game analysis based on "squares" instead of "pieces" of any value?
Most all analysis I've seen in chess focuses on pieces development, and not the development of unoccupied spaces. Is there any value in analyzing game play in this way, and if so, how is this done?
...
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Why does Black want to trade off their King's Bishop in many d4 lines?
I feel that in many lines starting with d4, such as the Queen's Gambit Declined, or especially the Nimzo-Indian, Black is more than happy to trade their King's Bishop for White's knight on c3. For ...
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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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Why is 11. .. h6 such a bad move?
rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[...
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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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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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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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Can a 2000 Elo rated player teach me middlegame play properly?
I have reached 2500 in the chess.com tactics trainer while I haven't study theory and my FIDE rating is 1637 (I reached 1930 in rapids a year in France).
I want to study with a coach and there is one ...
user27142
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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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Exercises for positional evaluation
I would like to improve my position evaluation skills. And as we all know - there are tons of tactical exercises , endgames studies, etc. But when it comes to exercises for positional evaluation - ...
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Where can I find exercises where the best move isn't always a tactical one?
I know solving a lot of tactics problems has its benefits, but also its limitations. In a real game there is no way to know if a tactic is present — maybe the best move is defensive. I am seeking ...
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Ways to evaluate a position?
I was wondering if the only way to evaluate a position is by looking for next moves like a chess engine does.
Is it possible with only a static evaluation of the board to get a correct evaluation ...
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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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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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What is chess style?
People talk about chess stylet. Obviously, some players such as Tal or Shirazi sought out highly tactical positions but is there anything more to it than that? The only alternative to being a ...
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