Positional Play for the Center

In Aron Nimzovich's book MY SYSTEM, he defines positional play as a necessary element of a player's strategy and that Controlling the Center is a necessary part of Positional play. The following example and excerpt from Nimzovich's book, My System are excellent concepts to understanding both positional play as well as controlling the center. I plan on expounding upon the concepts that Nimzovich developed during his chess career in future forum topics like this. I hope we can all learn how to better Control our Center through them.

The following example and excerpt are direct quotations.

Another erroneous conception may be found among Masters. Many of these and numbers of strong amateurs are under the impression that position play above all is concerned with the accumulation of small advantages, in order to exploit them in the end game....And so we here note the fact that there are quite other matters to which the attention of the positional player must be directed, and which place this "accumulation" wholly in the shade.

What are these things, and in what do I see the idea of true position play? The answer is short and to the point:--in a "prophylactic."  (Nimzovich, Aron (1930). My System, p. 160-61, Harcourt; McKay)

huh

Thanks for that. Wise Words from the Master of Hypermodernism. I could never imagine myself being a positional player though. I like to control the centre but I'd rather try some brilliant sacrifice, or at least an active interesting game without the slow hard process of positional chess. I do want to achieve a title, possibly FM and to do so my opinions will probably change in the futuree......but tactical chess is great!

WHAT'S MY LINE ?

  The Veresov, Torre, Trompowski, Colle and Reversed Stonewall are all related.

  The moves 1.d4 and 2.Nc3 for White gives enough of a center to hold onto to and establish centralized pieces and obtain attacking chances.  It is good for 1.e4 players who constantly let their center deteriorate because the are not patient enough in building up an attack.

   In these modes one does not have to deal with the Sicilian Defense against 1.e4; and by not playing c4 initially after 1.d4 2.Nc3 we avoid nasty defenses like the Grunfeld Defense, Modern Benoni, Benko Gambit, Cambridge Springs Defence, Albin Counter Gambit and others we might not be quite ready to meet. 

KnightLite,

   I am tired of all the chess players who bash My System.  It is essential reading for any chess player who wants to improve.  I talk with players who mention all the middle game books they believe have superceded it, and all the more recent gurus whose books are better. Some have probably not even read it.

   I tell them, before you build a house you lay out a foundation.  Nimzovitch layed out a chess foundation.  People would review algebra before they would reread My System?  That leads me to believe that they never read it in the first place or that their egos are telling them they have gone beyond Nimzovitch.  If that's the case why is the Nimzo-Larsen Attack popular?  Why haven't their ratings gone higher?  Maybe people (with access to it) are too broke or too cheap to buy the book.  When these people play chess at Nimzovitch's level of chess (at least international master level) then they can say they have gone beyond that knowledge.  When they reject Nimzovitch because they have higher learning, they are full of it.  Baby has to crawl before he can walk.  If they are below 1900 rating points here they are kidding themselves.  They need all the help they can get.

   First read "My System", then read Max Euwe's "Chess Matser vs Chess Master", and you will be a whole lot better. I could do with another read of them myself.  As for the second aspect of the middle game, read "1001 Billiant Chess Sacrifices and Combination,  (Reinfeld).

That was probably the best there is about reading chess books. Thanks for the wise words BillyIdle, especially:

"I tell them, before you build a house you lay out a foundation.  Nimzovitch layed out a chess foundation.

...

First read "My System", then read Max Euwe's "Chess Master vs Chess Master", and you will be a whole lot better."

I think, I know, what I shall get for the next Christmas.

I have both of these books, I think...Max Euwe's book though is Chess Master vs Chess Amatuer. Both are great books.

One of my favorite books for general chess theories in practical application is "Best Lessons of A Chess Coach" by Sunil Weermantry & Ed Eusebi.