Positional Play

So i have a rating of about 1900 USCF and im 17 years old. Over the past 2 years i have been very dedicated to chess and im really trying to improve. My goal is to become a grandmaster but my goal for this year is to get into the high 2000's. I feel that im very strong tacticly, have a tactics rating of 2401. However i struggle gettting into the positions where i can use my tactical ability to obtain an advantage. Could someone please recommend me books that would help me positionally? Any advice would be great, thank you.

"Test your positional play" by Bellin and Ponzetto is a very good book. And of course, studying classic games (by Capablanca and the other great masters of positional chess).

Dvoretsky has a great book aptly titled "Positional Play"

pfren, could you tell us a bit more about "Test your positional play", please? This is the first time I have seen it referenced.

It has an introduction to generic positional thinking, which is not that memorable. But the main body of the book is great: 30 exercises from pattern positions, in which white/black is presented with 3 different plans (presented in some detail) where he has to pick one of them- the choice being based in both positional and tactical elements. All positions are very finely picked, and the "solutions" are very nicely laid out. It is not a complete manual of positional chess for sure, but it is both very pleasant ro read and use, and quite didactical.

pfren, thank you very much. It sounds interesting and worth looking out for.

I would second Test Your Positional play, moves that are preliminaries to exchanging a poorly placed piece often make 'no sense' when you play over a game with no notes but you can find them explained in this book, as well as many others. If you know your chess history some of the ideas are very famous like the Petrosian exchange sacrifice against Reshevsky in Zurich 1953 but the explanation is crystal clear, so even if you've seen it before you might still learn something.

Unfortunately the book is out of print I believe...

Thanks, Vease. I have found a copy via www.abebooks.co.uk and look forward to reading it. 

pfren

What is your opinion on Reassess Your Chess 4 by Silman?

Too bulky and too unfocused. Actually I think the previous edition was much better.

Factly, his only book that I like very much is "Complete Endgame Course".