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Converting a positional advantage

#1

Hello, can anyone tell me some basics about KEEPING a positional advantage? I am often positionally disadvantaged and end up with a slow death but I can’t replicate this strategy.

So how do u turn a space, square, structure, etc. advantage into a material one?

Hello, can anyone tell me some basics about KEEPING a positional advantage? I am often positionally disadvantaged and end up with a slow death but I can’t replicate this strategy. So how do u turn a space, square, structure, etc. advantage into a material one?
#2

Keep improving your pieces and keep worsening your opponents pieces. Keep their stuff bogged down. Keep closed lines that would bring their pieces to life. Maintain the tension in the position until your opponent cracks or until the trade down would result in a winning endgame. In order to do that, it helps to be a good endgame player so that you can recognize when releasing the tension is a good idea. Don’t give your opponent counterplay without having a VERY good reason. The idea is clean wins where your opponent feels like they did nothing wrong but still got crushed. Understand the middle game structures that commonly result from your opening repertoire. You should be able to write a pretty detailed essay on the plans for each side, key squares, strategies, etc. You must be consciously aware of what’s going on, and WHY major deviations from the typical plans are weakening for your opponent. Which trades are good and which ones are bad in a particular position. For example, you’re white and you’ve got the IQP. You should cringe at the idea of swapping off your light squared bishop in these situations, as it is critical to your attack. Swapping it for your opponents Light squared bishop would only help your opponent kill off your attack and steer the game towards an endgame where it will be white who is fighting to hold a draw. @Moyao

Keep improving your pieces and keep worsening your opponents pieces. Keep their stuff bogged down. Keep closed lines that would bring their pieces to life. Maintain the tension in the position until your opponent cracks or until the trade down would result in a winning endgame. In order to do that, it helps to be a good endgame player so that you can recognize when releasing the tension is a good idea. Don’t give your opponent counterplay without having a VERY good reason. The idea is clean wins where your opponent feels like they did nothing wrong but still got crushed. Understand the middle game structures that commonly result from your opening repertoire. You should be able to write a pretty detailed essay on the plans for each side, key squares, strategies, etc. You must be consciously aware of what’s going on, and WHY major deviations from the typical plans are weakening for your opponent. Which trades are good and which ones are bad in a particular position. For example, you’re white and you’ve got the IQP. You should cringe at the idea of swapping off your light squared bishop in these situations, as it is critical to your attack. Swapping it for your opponents Light squared bishop would only help your opponent kill off your attack and steer the game towards an endgame where it will be white who is fighting to hold a draw. @Moyao
#4

Depends on the position and positional advantage your have

Depends on the position and positional advantage your have
#6

Here is another brief example.

Plan

Colour: Black
Opening: Queen’s Gambit Declined
Structure: Karlsbad

In this structure, assuming white didn’t do something weird like castle Queen side, black should be trying to do the following.

  • Bury a knight on c4, protected by the d pawn and b pawn once white commits his b pawn to b4. This will protect the soft c pawn and close the C file, which will make white’s attack much slower.

  • Black should be attacking on the king side here. Bringing your other pieces to the king side. Lifting a rook to e6 and then along the 6th rank will give you plenty of firepower to rip open the white kingside. Use the h pawn if you need to, but don’t waste time. Build your attack with threats ideally, to keep white distracted from getting too much done on the Queen side. Keep your dark squared bishop for the attack! Be prepared to sac material if need be to accomplish checkmate. Don’t trade off your attack. Keep the Queens on the board. @Moyao

Here is another brief example. Plan Colour: Black Opening: Queen’s Gambit Declined Structure: Karlsbad In this structure, assuming white didn’t do something weird like castle Queen side, black should be trying to do the following. - Bury a knight on c4, protected by the d pawn and b pawn once white commits his b pawn to b4. This will protect the soft c pawn and close the C file, which will make white’s attack much slower. - Black should be attacking on the king side here. Bringing your other pieces to the king side. Lifting a rook to e6 and then along the 6th rank will give you plenty of firepower to rip open the white kingside. Use the h pawn if you need to, but don’t waste time. Build your attack with threats ideally, to keep white distracted from getting too much done on the Queen side. Keep your dark squared bishop for the attack! Be prepared to sac material if need be to accomplish checkmate. Don’t trade off your attack. Keep the Queens on the board. @Moyao
#7

"... Irving Chernev’s The Most Instructive Games of Chess Every Played was ... originally published ... in 1965. It contains sixty-two well analyzed games, each one possessing both artistic and educational value. ..."
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/most-instructive-games-of-chess-ever-played/
"... Giddins has admirably achieved his aim of providing an update to Most Instructive Games, and while 50 Essential Chess Lessons might reasonably be viewed as a successor to Chernev's earlier book, it also stands on its own as a well-crafted, thoughtful, and original work. ..."
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708100833/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/review534.pdf
https://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/50_Essential_Chess_Lessons.pdf
"... The Amateur's Mind ... (for players 1000 to 1600) ..." - IM Jeremy Silman (2010)
https://www.silmanjamespress.com/shop/chess/amateurs-mind-the-2nd-edition/
"... The Amateur’s Mind ... is one of the best instructive books in print. ..."
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708094419/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/ammind.pdf
Best Lessons of a Chess Coach
https://www.chess.com/article/view/book-review-best-lessons
"... [Simple Chess by GM Stean] will definitely help players in the general rating range of 1300-2000 with their positional play and strategic thinking. ..."
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708104258/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/review400.pdf
https://store.doverpublications.com/0486424200.html
"How to Reassess Your Chess, 4th Edition was designed for players in the 1400 to 2100 range." - IM Jeremy Silman (2010)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708095832/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/review769.pdf
https://www.silmanjamespress.com/shop/chess/how-to-reassess-your-chess-4th-edition/
Modern Chess Strategy by Pachman
https://store.doverpublications.com/0486202909.html
"1 P-Q4, N-KB3; 2 P-QB4, P-KN3; 3 N-QB3, B-N2; 4 P-K4, P-Q3; 5 P-B3, O-O; 6 B-K3, P-K4; 7 P-Q5, N-R4; 8 Q-Q2, P-KB4" (in the discussion, beginning on page 4, of the choice of "strategical plans" in the "Samisch Variation of the King's Indian")

"... Irving Chernev’s The Most Instructive Games of Chess Every Played was ... originally published ... in 1965. It contains sixty-two well analyzed games, each one possessing both artistic and educational value. ..." https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/most-instructive-games-of-chess-ever-played/ "... Giddins has admirably achieved his aim of providing an update to Most Instructive Games, and while 50 Essential Chess Lessons might reasonably be viewed as a successor to Chernev's earlier book, it also stands on its own as a well-crafted, thoughtful, and original work. ..." https://web.archive.org/web/20140708100833/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/review534.pdf https://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/50_Essential_Chess_Lessons.pdf "... The Amateur's Mind ... (for players 1000 to 1600) ..." - IM Jeremy Silman (2010) https://www.silmanjamespress.com/shop/chess/amateurs-mind-the-2nd-edition/ "... The Amateur’s Mind ... is one of the best instructive books in print. ..." https://web.archive.org/web/20140708094419/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/ammind.pdf Best Lessons of a Chess Coach https://www.chess.com/article/view/book-review-best-lessons "... [Simple Chess by GM Stean] will definitely help players in the general rating range of 1300-2000 with their positional play and strategic thinking. ..." https://web.archive.org/web/20140708104258/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/review400.pdf https://store.doverpublications.com/0486424200.html "How to Reassess Your Chess, 4th Edition was designed for players in the 1400 to 2100 range." - IM Jeremy Silman (2010) https://web.archive.org/web/20140708095832/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/review769.pdf https://www.silmanjamespress.com/shop/chess/how-to-reassess-your-chess-4th-edition/ Modern Chess Strategy by Pachman https://store.doverpublications.com/0486202909.html "1 P-Q4, N-KB3; 2 P-QB4, P-KN3; 3 N-QB3, B-N2; 4 P-K4, P-Q3; 5 P-B3, O-O; 6 B-K3, P-K4; 7 P-Q5, N-R4; 8 Q-Q2, P-KB4" (in the discussion, beginning on page 4, of the choice of "strategical plans" in the "Samisch Variation of the King's Indian")
#8

Congratulations! You've just come up with yet another way of asking: "How do I improve?" :)

Congratulations! You've just come up with yet another way of asking: "How do I improve?" :)
#9

@MrPushwood said in #8:

Congratulations! You've just come up with yet
another way of asking: "How do I improve?" :)
It seems to me that learning how to convert a positional advantage would be improvement, but improvement would not necessarily be learning how to convert a positional advantage.

@MrPushwood said in #8: > Congratulations! You've just come up with yet > another way of asking: "How do I improve?" :) It seems to me that learning how to convert a positional advantage would be improvement, but improvement would not necessarily be learning how to convert a positional advantage.

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