How can I improve my positional play in chess?

I recently played an OTB tournament yesterday, it went ok with 2 losses and 2 wins with one of those wins being against a 1476. However, in my losses, I really struggled with positional play. On chess.com, people still blunder at levels like 1700 so you can take advantage of these and win games. However, when your playing OTB chess, your opponent's will almost never make obvious blunders and the game is mostly decided on the positions that you are given. I struggled with this since im not always the best at creating weaknesses within the positions and exploiting them. Are there any channels/books that are recommended for improving positional play?

I don’t know but as soon as you know I would like to know

The Art of Positional Play...Sammy Reshevsky

My System...Nimzowitsch.

Reassess Your Chess by Jeremy Silman

My System is tough to get through and tough to absorb. It’s not for everyone

Finally a question from someone that at least playing 10 minutes games and hits the review almost every time. I'm delighted to give you what will be the most practical answer you get!

All you have to do is watch and then review 25 Grandmaster games in the variation you are playing!! I saw you playing the Benoni. Go watch 25 games in the classical variation of your Benoni!?

It works for all openings and variations. We have to evolve in our characterization of the words we use... Tactical, Positional, opening, middlegame, endings, space, initiative etc. The thing is, until you watch 25 games in the opening you play, you won't understand where to put the rooks, you won't understand the transitions, and you won't understand how to maneuver the pieces through the ever changing pawn structures.

Try it and then message me about what you learned.

Remember, no short cuts!! Watch the games on a real world board. After both sides have castled, write down each move you strongly agree with, every move you strongly disagree with and every move you don't understand! Now put the game through a review.

Big secret: The engine is stronger than the review. For every ?! you get from the review, check the engine evaluation and the real possibilities for the move. You will come away with a new appreciation for your own opinion.

The internet is a toy,! You can turn the toy into a tool! Never forget, you are the boss!!

Good Luck,

Coach Mike C

I am by no means a top level player, so take my suggestions with a grain of salt. Chess courses on chess.com can help. The bots also have different playing as well, so you can check them all out. That's probably your best place to start. Outside that, your next best thing is to just get a coach. I have had my fair share of chess programs throughout my life and a few of them allowed to you style them or had multiple personalities. Chessmaster 5000 was my first program and I still use Chessmaster 10th edition from time to time. They have a multitude of bots with different styles. Just need to read their descriptions to see how they play. I could also alter the bots to anything I wanted. A couple other programs that I know had it was Shredder and Fritz. Fritz 19 is the newest, but no need to pay the cost of it for a couple of different styles. I think your best bet to start is to check out the courses and bots here. If you want a cheap program, then Chessmaster might be good. Stockfish can be a good choice if you can alter it, but I have never tried nor looked into that. Might be a possibility though.

Positional chess handbook...old but great material...and anything by Jeremy Silman are great places to start! Good Luck!

@volunteers1998 beat me to both comments. I might add that there is also a workbook that accompanies Silman's HTRYC.

I've tried to read My System and I know it's a classic, but I don't like the way it's written and you can get all the same information from other books.

Euwe and Kramer also wrote a 2 book series on the Middlegame that will also help. Book one is statics and book 2 is dynamics.

I have no clue my rating is not high enough for me to know

Get Chess Praxis by Nimzowich read three times and do it untill you can't do it again, then doit again.

In Kotov's Think Like a Grandmaster, the chapter on positional judgment is well written and very approachable.

Look at all of those descriptive notation titles. The Answers to your question have been known for a long time!! The real question is whether or not you will take the journey. Pretend you are in the movie national treasure!!

This one of the most satisfying forums I've ever participated in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hats off to everyone for the great advice!! Everything everyone has said will work!!

I second that. Though his Chess Praxis helps explain My System.

I did find it useful to go from 1700 USCF to 2100 USCF (35 years ago when I was in my 20s).

Thanks to all of you for the responses you gave! I'm grateful for the thought you guys gave to your responses. I will be sure to review my openings better in order to carefully learn what positions they can transition into and the types of middle games I will get. Hopefully, this will help me improve my positional play and make my OTB games easier to play without stressing out about what I should be trying to do to my opponent and help me better understand the consequences and benefits of the openings I play that come to show in the middle game. I love openings like the benoni as I'm a more aggressive player, but sometimes I really need to be careful as it can turn into a very cramped position and a single mistake seen by the opponent can be catastrophic as they start to target weaknesses. I will try and find some of the books suggested and I will also watch Grandmaster games on the openings I play and what middlegames they can transition into. Again, thank you everyone for the great advice!

Reverse Mexican defense