Improving positional play

What's the best way to get better at positional play? I feel that my positional awareness is one of my biggest weaknesses.

by judging your rating you have long way before worrying about positional play, i can say. focus on learning openings and endgames

@gdzen, the whole entire game of chess is built around positional play, such as the principles, Endgames, position structure and more. 

This is just hidden because people are learning the basics of posiitons, but the game of chess is built on positions. You must be talking about the advancement in positional play, meaning positional sacrifices, grinding an equal position, winning or drawing inferior positions that may seem lost, and creating brilliiant or the best ideas in a position because you see certain strengths and weaknesses in a position. What was previously stated proves advancement in positional play. But saying that he has a long way would be innaccurate as winning comes from winnning positions, guided by positional play and awareness.

You do agree that the game of chess is built on positions right? It is essential for all chess players to know this for if they do they can recongize their faults and overcome them. Simply if one is not aware or knowledgeable of something how can they improve? 

I am just stating what I have seen through my experience and the importance of positional play in the beginning levels and how the game is based on posiitonal play from the beginning and if a player doesn't recognize that, they cannot be playing the game of chess to their full affect. 

But if you are talking about advanced positional play and knowledge, I could understand what you are coming from. 

Of course chess is built around positions. but 'positional play' is a bit different. it is prioritizing creating good positions by sometimes means sacrificing materials. but beginners should focus on playing with balanced materials, looking for tactics to gain -again- materials. pawn structures, outposts, fortresses is advanced things for players below.. say 1000 rating. everything creates a position in chess :) positional play is something different :)

First you need to work on your tactics and calculation skills. Without being sufficiently strong in those two, studying positional play is pretty useless.

But anyways, to answer your actual question: Reading books and annotated master games.

They are the same thing @gdez it is just positional play is a lower branch of play in it on the lower levels.

But I understand where you are coming from, perhaps steping back on positional play would be good for a small time until the basics are mastered such as focusing on tactics(simple to lower intermediate) openings, endgames, opening, middle game and endgame princples as well as knowing how to effectively analyze, evalute and have good board vision and acceptable tactical vision would be a better start than doing positional play all at once. 

It can strech one's mind so I understand that part, however saying position structure and positional play is different makes me confused as the beginning of positional play is developing pieces, getting them to active squares, creating weaknesses and to understand pawn breaks and what the position can transpose into. These are the examples I mean't when I was saying lower positional play and it is true, as in this the structure/creating of the position goes hand to hand with positional play at that level. 

You may disagree because you may think posiitonal play is a specific concept, however everything on the board rotates around it, whether it be at the higher level or lower level. Though it is hard to understand and learn at times, it is definently needed to be improved on at the lower levels, as if it is a lot of good things will come. Such as less blunders and mistakes, more knowledge that leads to understanding to help improve in a game that leads to experience to help bolster a person's positional abilities. 

This is what I have found in my experience so far, and it has helped many me over and over again, such now I have the intution for it and I promise if you study it along with tactics, endgames etc. it  will be the gift that keeps on giving, as while the other person still is struggling with their positional play, that person would be able to dominate and outplay their opponents due to their knowledge of positions. 

The only reason this shoud be said as otherwise is if they have no concept or good understanding of the game, which again is understanding positions and all there within.

I say this for players that are 600-1000. So this would definently help @Jamari01.

@TeacherOfPain i see your points. You are higher rated than me, my understanding is probably worse than yours.

Whoa it is not even about that man, I don't care about rating, I realize we disagree it is just that I was trying to get my point across.

Peace to you, I didn't mean to take it to that route.

The truth is rating is just an estimate anyways my true rating could be higher or lower who knows, but I was just trying to make it so we could all look at this in a different way, that is why we have forums because we have different thought and opinions and I will not critisize someone for having a different thought or opinion.

It is just apart of the game and I was just trying to spread some knowledge and try to help the person who created this forum, again hopefully you don't take offense or any wrong towards this.

It's all okay. i didnt mean a sarcasm. when i was at lower ratings i used to think different than i do now. it is changing. i was honest while saying that i mean :)

Yes I believe you, as I we all have went through that stage(for those who are 1400+) so honestly I understand, and I still am learning today so I still much to learn as do we all!

There's only one way to improve your positional play: study the game. Focus on endgames and the rest will take care of itself.

Youre not winning and losing because of lack of positional knowledge.  Youre a beginner that is losing and winning for 2 reasons:  Blunders, and missed tactics.

Youre also playing to fast. 

If youre serious about improving,  You need to learn to play slower time controls.  Study tactics, and get familiar with opening principles. 

At your level.  All of your game is a weakness.

Positional chess is largely dependent on your understanding of chess imbalances. It's a pretty loaded topic that's tough to explain, but I do have a chess.com blog post on the subject. Feel free to check it out!

Beginners Advice.

1. Stop playing blitz, and bullet.  Play longer time controls of at least G45, or longer.  
2. Follow Opening Principles:

• Control the center.
• Develop minor pieces toward the center.
• Castle.
• Connect your rooks.

3. Study tactics...tactics...tactics.  One of my favorite quotes is this: "Until you reach Master, your first name is tactics, your middle name is tactics, and your last name is tactics”.
4. Double Check your moves.  Before making a move, ask yourself: "Are my pieces safe?"
5. After your opponent moves, ask yourself: "What is my opponent trying to do?"
6. Analyze your games WITHOUT a chess engine, then have someone stronger go over the games, or post them online for review.
7. DO NOT memorize openings. Learn and understand the pawn structure, and piece placement for the opening you wish to learn.
8. Learn Basics Mates:

• K vs. KQ
• K vs. KR
• K vs. KRR

9. Learn Basic King and Pawn endings.

• KP vs. K
• Opposition

10. Have Fun!

Opening Principles:

1. Control the center squares – d4-e4-d5-e5.
2. Develop your minor pieces toward the center – piece activity is the key. Centralized piece control more squares.
3. (King Safety)
4. Connect your rooks. There should be no pieces between your Rooks.

The objective of development is about improving the value of your pieces by increasing the importance of their roles (Piece Activity).  Well-developed pieces have more fire-power than undeveloped pieces and they do more in helping you gain control.

Now we will look at 5 practical things you can do to help you achieve your development objective.

They are:

1. Give priority to your least active pieces.

• Which piece needs to be developed (which piece is the least active)?
• Where should it go (where can its role be maximized)?

2. Exchange your least active pieces for your opponent’s active pieces.
3. Restrict the development of your opponent’s pieces.
4. Neutralize your opponent’s best piece.
5. Secure strong squares for your pieces.

Don’t help your opponent develop.

There are 2 common mistakes whereby you will simply be helping your opponent to develop:

1. Making a weak threat that can easily be blocked
2. Making an exchange that helps your opponent to develop a piece

Pre Move Checklist:

1. Make sure all your pieces are safe.
2. Look for forcing move: Checks, captures, threats. You want to look at ALL forcing moves (even the bad ones) this will force you look at, and see the entire board.
3. If there are no forcing moves, you then want to remove any of your opponent’s pieces from your side of the board.
4. If your opponent doesn’t have any of his pieces on your side of the board, then you want to improve the position of your least active piece.
5. After each move by your opponent, ask yourself: "What is my opponent trying to do?"

Now if you can review all of this each move while playing speed chess, then carry on!

To OP : Along with all the suggestions, please do tactics, it will help alot. I am not high rated but it helped me alot