How to improve positional chess?

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JSB53

I've looked around for how to work on positional chess but couldn't find any solid guides. I'm assuming positional chess is finding the correct moves to play when theres no tactics as well as creating long term plans. Unfortunately I'm not sure how to work on these skills, with tactics I feel like its very direct on the method to improve at it (by doing tactic puzzles) but on improving my positional skills I'm not sure how to go about it. An example is when I play Kings gambit I tend to often get in a position where my pieces are supposedly well developed but I'm not sure what to do after, I guess that means lack of a plan?

REDGARS

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW-ubDuosu7UKDXI6KF7XIMdzaStaVEIL

MonkeyH

Excellent suggestion by REDGARS

There is a lot of information available about positional chess, you can do a search on the forums and you will find a lot there, otherwise you can look at books like:

  • Can you be a positional chess genius
  • Pawn power in chess
  • Winning pawn structures 
  • Strategy for Advanced Players
  • Thinking in schemes
  • Positional Chess handbook
  • Logical chess move by move
  • Samurai chess: mastering strategical thinking
  • Amateur versus grandmaster
  • Techniques of positional play: 45 practical methods to gain the upper hand.
  • Understanding Chess middlegames (john nunn)
  • Understanding the sacrifice
And besides these books you can also study typical middlegames that happen in the openings you play, for instance king's gambit:
 
 
Hopefully this will help!
VLaurenT
JSB53 wrote:

I've looked around for how to work on positional chess but couldn't find any solid guides. I'm assuming positional chess is finding the correct moves to play when theres no tactics as well as creating long term plans. Unfortunately I'm not sure how to work on these skills, with tactics I feel like its very direct on the method to improve at it (by doing tactic puzzles) but on improving my positional skills I'm not sure how to go about it. An example is when I play Kings gambit I tend to often get in a position where my pieces are supposedly well developed but I'm not sure what to do after, I guess that means lack of a plan?

A good way to learn about this is to analyze with strong players. If you don't have access to them, old annotated game collections will teach you a lot as well.

I would recommend Reti's Masters of the Chessboard to start with, because both the examples and explanations are good.

Logical chess move by move is also a good read, but it covers less ground than Reti's book.

azziralc

For starters, I recommend Improve your Positional Chess by Cu Hansen. It's a great book which explains various positional elements that need to study.

MonkeyH
ddmeltzer8 wrote:
MonkeyH wrote:

Excellent suggestion by REDGARS

There is a lot of information available about positional chess, you can do a search on the forums and you will find a lot there, otherwise you can look at books like:

Can you be a positional chess genius Pawn power in chess Winning pawn structures  Strategy for Advanced Players Thinking in schemesPositional Chess handbook Logical chess move by move Samurai chess: mastering strategical thinking Amateur versus grandmaster Techniques of positional play: 45 practical methods to gain the upper hand. Understanding Chess middlegames (john nunn) Understanding the sacrifice
And besides these books you can also study typical middlegames that happen in the openings you play, for instance king's gambit:
 
 
Hopefully this will help!

I dont think u should give advise in something u dont understand ur self!!!

"strategy for advanced players"???Come on...

I never said I  read all those books.. but no mattter, your aggressive tone is very misplaced.

Journey_to_GrandMaster_YT

I can help you with that! Feel free to contact me :)

DjonniDerevnja

This book is good: 

Positional Decision Making in Chess by Boris Gelfand and Jacob Aagaard

I thinks its good for players between 1000 and 3000 fide. Or maybe 1500-3000.

Diakonia
JSB53 wrote:

I've looked around for how to work on positional chess but couldn't find any solid guides. I'm assuming positional chess is finding the correct moves to play when theres no tactics as well as creating long term plans. Unfortunately I'm not sure how to work on these skills, with tactics I feel like its very direct on the method to improve at it (by doing tactic puzzles) but on improving my positional skills I'm not sure how to go about it. An example is when I play Kings gambit I tend to often get in a position where my pieces are supposedly well developed but I'm not sure what to do after, I guess that means lack of a plan?

This is an excellent intro book 

Chess Training for Post-beginners: A Basic Course in Positional Understanding

Yaroslav Srokovski