As I am sure you know – your tactical skill is practically useless against stronger players if you don’t know how to accumulate positional advantages.
Or in the words of the legendary Bobby Fischer:
Tactics flow from a superior position.
In these 6 words he pretty much sums up the most effective strategy in chess:
To slowly improve your position by accumulating positional advantages until such advantages translate into an overall superior position. Once you achieved that, the position will naturally present you with tactical opportunities.
Positional tactics are moves (or a short combination of moves) whereby you improve your position or achieve some kind of positional advantage. (I’ve put together a collection of 40 positions that feature positional tactics.)
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It is very exciting when you have an opportunity to hit your opponent with a tactical combination. But, as you already know, you won’t opportunities to demonstrate your tactical skills if you don’t know how to achieve a good position in the first place.
To this end, positional tactics are (usually aggressive) moves that increase your firepower, typically by using one or more of the following ideas:
- Adding pressure on targets in you opponent’s position
- Force opponent’s pieces into defensive positions
- Restrict your opponent’s pieces by anticipating and preventing their ideas
- Using tempo moves to gain time
- Neutralizing your opponent’s best placed piece/s
- Moving your pawns in a way that improves the activity (space) of your pieces and/or restricts the movements of your opponent’s pieces
Get it here – 40 Positional Tactics
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Below are two examples to illustrate the effect of positional tactics.
Positional tactics: Example 1
Scroll down to view the solution.
Positional tactics: Example 1 Solution
- Wins a tempo against Nb4
- Clears the c6-square to allow Bd7-c6
- Controls the d4-square and turns the d3-pawn into a target for black’s pieces
Positional tactics: Example 2
Scroll down to view the solution.
Positional tactics: Example 2 Solution
- White will exchange his bad bishop for black’s good bishop. A bad bishop is obstructed by blocked pawns in the centre that are on the same color squares as the bishop.
- Rc2 now defends Ne2.
Training tactics that win material or achieve a checkmate is fun (and it’s important to do them). But positional tactics, on the other hand, helps you achieve positions where tactics become possible.
To master all the important positional tactics, it is important to know and practice them. I’ve compiled a selection of 40 exercises that are specifically chosen to help you improve your understanding of positional tactics.
If you work through these 40 exercises, you will significantly improve your understanding of positional tactics. Get yourself a copy and enjoy the long-term benefits you will get from it.
Get it here – 40 Positional Tactics
Price $10