Positional Tactics Volume 1

front cover page
Introduction to Positional Tactics

Chess is about maximizing the firepower of your
pieces so that you can eventually overpower
your opponent’s forces. To that end, positional
tactics are (usually aggressive) moves that
increase your firepower, typically by using one or
more of the following ideas:
● Use tempo moves to gain time

● Increase the activity of your pieces through
effective development or by adjusting the
pawn-structures in your favor
● Restrict your opponent’s pieces by
anticipating and preventing their ideas
● Use exchanges or threats to create new
targets in your opponent’s position
● Add pressure on existing targets in
opponent’s position in order to force their
pieces into defensive positions
Note: A good understanding of the 5 elements of

evaluation (as found on chessfox.com), will be
useful in helping you understand the solutions to
these exercises.
Enjoy!
chessfox.com © 2015
Positional Tactics #1
Black to move. What would you do?
Positional Tactics #1 - Solution
1… c5! 2. Nc2 Bc6
● 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
● 1… e5 or 1… b5 are also fairly good moves
White to move. What would you do?
Positional Tactics #2- Solution
1. g5! Nh5 2. Nd5
● Forces Nf6 to give up control over d5

● 2. Nd5 gains a tempo against Qc7
● Black’s Nh5 will be out of play - it will cost
him time to bring it back
1. Ng5 attacks the undefended e6-pawn
● Black must chose: To lose the e6-pawn or

give up the right to castle, ie. Kd7
● Note the variation: 1. Ng5 c5 2. dxc5 Bxc5
3. Nxe6! Qxe6 4. Qxc5 wins a pawn
1… Nf4 2. Qc2 Nxg2 3. Kxg2 Bc6
● Black will exchange Nf4 for Bg2

● After Nxg2, Kxg2, Bc6, the Nf3 is pinned.
● Black will soon play Qf6 to add pressure on
the pinned Nf3.
1. e5 Nd7 2. Be4
● White uses a tempo against Nf6 to open the

e4-square. Ie. white is now threatening Be4
● Note the variation: 1. e5 dxe5 2. dxe5 Ng4
3. Qc2! (avoids 3. Be4 Qxd1) and threatens
both Bxh7+ and Be4
1. Bb4
● 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.
1. Qc2 followed by e2-e4 on the next move
● White wants to take advantage of black’s

vulnerable king and bad development. That
is why he wants to avoid a queen-trade.
● 1. Qd3 would potentially block the Bf1 and
Rd1, which is why Qc2 is better
● Note: 1. Qc2 Rd8 2. Qa4+ wins the a7-pawn
1. Ba6
● White wants to play Rc1, but first plays Ba6

to control the c8 square.
● Black will not be able to get his rook to the
open c-file.
1… e5 2. Ne2 d5
● Black wants to open up the centre so that

his bishops can come into play and take
advantage of white’s weakened king.
● Note: 1… e5 2. Nf5 Bxf5 3. exf5 d5! gives
black a strong centre. 1.. Rxa1? 2. Rxa1
simply helps white to develop his Rh1
1. Bb5
● Bb5 anticipates that black wants to develop

his Nb8, and prevents him from doing so by
taking control of the d7-square
● Bb5 opens up the useful c4-square for Nd2
● Note: 1. Bb5 a6 2. Ba4 keeps control of d7.
1. Nxf6+ Rxf6 2.d5 Rf8 3. Re6
● Nxf6+ uses a forcing move (check) to open

the d5 square for the d4-pawn
● 2. d4-d5 effectively turns Bb7 into a bad
bishop and Bb2 into a great bishop
● 3. Re6 forces black to defend d6
1. a5 followed by Nc5
● White can’t play Nc5 right away, since black

will just play b6, chasing the knight away
● 1. a5 controls the b6-square, preventing b6
● White will play Nc5 and then double rooks
on the e-file to add pressure on e6-pawn
● Nc5 forces black to defend both b7 and e6
1… dxc4
● 1… dxc4 opens the d-file for the Rd8, turns

the d4-pawn into a target and increases the
firepower of the Rd8
1. c4 followed by cxd5
● White uses the pin on the d-file to play c4,

followed by cxd5 - using an exchange to
create a weakness on d5
● White will add pressure on d5 and force the
black pieces into defensive positions, or else
black will lose the pawn.
1… Ne3 followed by Nxg2
● In this position, the Bg2 is the main defense

of the white king .Exchanging it will leave
him vulnerable to the black queen
● The white bishop-pair could quickly become
dangerous if black doesn’t exchange one of
them before it’s too late
1… Ne8 followed by Nxd6
● Black is a pawn ahead in material but the

white Nd6 puts a lot of pressure on b7 and
f7, forcing both Rb8 and Rf8 to defend.
● Ne8 is the only good way for black to
neutralize white’s best-placed piece
1… d4, threatening dxc3
● Opens up the diagonal for the Be6, which

increases its firepower
● 1… d4 2. cxd4? Ba2! (to cover king’s
escape square on b1) and threatening
Rec8+
● Note: 1.. b4? 2.d4! is not so good for black
1… c6, threatening to win the d5-pawn
● Black will exchange a flank-pawn for a

central pawn and in the process get more
control over the centre
● Notice that the e4-pawn does not really
defend the d5-pawn, since black can play
e5-e4 if the e4-square is open.
1… Qa4 (or Qa6) attacks c2 AND defends a7
● White is forced to move his pieces into

defensive positions, ie. Qe2 (or else he will
lose the c2-pawn)
● Qa4 also opens c6 to possibly allow c7-c6
● Note: 1… Qa4 2. Rf2 allows Qxa2 since
Rd1-a1 will not be defended by Rf1
1. Bh6 prevents Kf6-g7
● The black king was “threatening” to escape

to g7 but Bh6 prevents it and also opens the
diagonal for Qc1 - threatening Qg5#
● Once your opponent’s king is weakened,
don’t allow him to get back to safety easily.
● After 1. Bh6, white is winning
1. b4
● 1. b4 is a tempo-move that also increases

white’s space on the queen-side
● 1. a5 (securing the b6 square for the Nc4 is
an alternative solution move).
1. g4 followed by g5, opening up the black king
● White has a firm grip on the centre which

makes it possible to attack on the flank
● In this position the white king is safe in the
centre, since white controls it.
● 0-0-0 would give black a chance to launch
an attack on the queen-side, ie. b6-b5-b4
1… e4 2. Rc3 (or Rb3) exf3 3. exf3 Re7
● Black is threatening to open the e-file by

playing exf3, followed by Re7
● 1… e4 opens f6-a1 diagonal for the queen
● Note 1… e4 2. Qxe4? Re7! gives black a
very strong position
● White’s pieces are poorly coordinated
1... Ng6 2. Qg3 Nf4 prevents f3-f4
● Black uses a tempo-move to play Ng6-f4

● Nf4 will be a monster because white can’t
chase or exchange it without losing material.
● Nf4 forces white to defend the d3-weakness
● Bg2 will be bad since f3 is now blocked
● The black rooks will soon come to the d-file
1… a5 threatens axb4
● 1… a5 increases the firepower of Ra8 as

well as Bf8, since c5 could become a target
after axb4
● Note: 1… a5 2. a3? axb4 wins material
since a3 is pinned by Ra8 to Ra1
1… e4
● Increases the firepower of Bf6

● Forces white to defend the c3-weakness
● Prevents white from activating his bishop to
the f3-square
● Black will aim to land his knight on d3, Ie.
Nc6-e5-d3 or Nd7-c5-d3
1… Na5 threatening Nxc4
● Increases the firepower of the knight and

forces white to reduce the firepower of his
rook, by playing Rb4 to defend b4, or retreat
with the knight, Ne3, or lose the b4-pawn
● Opens the c6-square to possible play c7-c6
and chase away white’s centralized knight
1… b4 2. 0-0 Rd8
● 1… b4 restricts the development of the Nb1,

by controlling c3 and a3
● 2… Rd8 will further restrict the development
of Nb1 since he will be forced to help defend
the d2-weakness
1. Bxd5 cxd5 turns b4 into a passed pawn
● The power of a passed pawn often lies in

the simple fact that your opponent is forced
to use his pieces to block the advance of
your pawn. That means your pieces will
have more freedom to attack other targets
and/or support the advance of the pawn.
1… e5 2. Kg1 exf4
● Black is threatening exf4, which will turn his

e4-pawn into a protected passed pawn - a
strong endgame advantage
● 1… e5 opens the c8-h3 diagonal for Bb7 to
join the action again via Bc8
● Note: 1… e5 2. dxe5 Nxe5! followed by Nd3
White to move. What would you do with Bg5?
1. Bd2 maximizes the firepower of the bishop
● Bd2 controls b4 and f4, preventing the black

Nd5 from entering via those squares
● Bh4 would not optimize the firepower of the
bishop since it would have no clear role
1. Nd4 followed by Nxe6
● Nd4 wins a tempo on Qd5 (from the Bg2)

● After 2.Nxe6 Qxe6 3. Qxe6 fxe6 4. Re1, the
e6-pawn becomes a target
● White will own the bishop-pair advantage,
which can be very useful in open positions
1… g4 2. Nd2 Rh5
● Black plans a “rook-lift”, Rh8-h5-a5

● Rooks spend most of their time on the 1st
two ranks since they are vulnerable to
threats from pawns and minor pieces. In this
position however, the “rook-lift” is safe.
1… c5 2. Nb3 Rd3 followed by Qd6
● c5 chases the well-placed Nd4 away

● c5 restricts the movements of Qb5
● 2… Rd3 forces white to defend e3
● Black will also bring the queen to d6 and
take total control of the only open file.
Black is threatening axb5. What is the best way

to deal with this threat?
1. Bd3 neutralizes the strong Bf5
● 1. Bxc6 would give away the bishop-pair

without any compensation
● 1. Ba4 would give the bishop less firepower
than his counterpart, Bf5
● 1. a3? loses material, ie. 1. a3 Bxc3 2. Bxc6
Bxb2 4. Bxb7 Ra7
1… c4 2.Qc2 Nd5
● Increases the firepower of Bf8 and restricts

the Bb2 and Rc1 by blocking c3-pawn.
● Secures d5-square for the Nf6
● Note: The downside of c5-c4 is that it gives
white a passed pawn, but the advantages of
this move outweigh the downsides
1… Be2 2. Re1 Nd4
● Black uses attacking moves to gain tempos

whilst increasing the firepower of his pieces
● 2… Nd4 defends Be2 but also threatens
Nf3+ or Nxc2
1… a5 threatens a4
● Black has a majority of forces on the

queen-side. You must aim to challenge your
opponent for a battle on the area of the
board where your forces are better placed.
1… Bxd5 2. exd5 Nd3
● The black knight will be a monster on e3,

which is why black is willing to give up his
bishop pair in order to remove the defender
of the e3-square
● 2… Ne3 threatens Nxg2 or Rb1+ and gives
black an overwhelmingly strong position.
1. Bxf6 Bxf6 2. exd4
● White wants to play exd4 so that his rooks

can use the e-file to put pressure on e6.
● But the black Nf6 was threatening to come
to e4, where it would be a strong piece.
● White first removes the Nf6 and only then
plays exd4
Afterword
Congratulations on completing this collection of
positional tactics. I trust you enjoyed it and learnt
a lot!
As I am sure you are aware, repetition is a

proven and powerful learning tool. I recommend
you repeat these exercises at least 2 or 3 times
in future. For example, do them again in about a
month’s time and then again in 3 months’ time.
This is how you will get the most value from it.
To conclude, remember that chess is about

maximizing the firepower of your pieces so that
you can overpower your opponent’s forces. Keep
this in mind - it will help you find useful moves in
positions where you just aren’t sure how to
improve your position.
Also, be sure to check out my other training

exercises on chessfox.com to further train your
chess skills.
Thank you,
Louis Holtzhausen
by chessfox.com

Positional Tactics Volume 1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Positional Tactics Volume 1

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Positional Tactics Volume 1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

front cover page

Introduction to Positional Tactics

● Use tempo moves to gain time

Note: A good understanding of the 5 elements of

Black to move. What would you do?

1… c5! 2. Nc2 Bc6

● Wins a tempo against Nb4

White to move. What would you do?

1. g5! Nh5 2. Nd5

● Forces Nf6 to give up control over d5

White to move. What would you do?

1. Ng5 attacks the undefended e6-pawn

● Black must chose: To lose the e6-pawn or

Black to move. What would you do?

1… Nf4 2. Qc2 Nxg2 3. Kxg2 Bc6

● Black will exchange Nf4 for Bg2

White to move. What would you do?

● White uses a tempo against Nf6 to open the

White to move. What would you do?

● White will exchange his bad bishop for

White to move. What would you do?

1. Qc2 followed by e2-e4 on the next move

● White wants to take advantage of black’s

White to move. What would you do?

● White wants to play Rc1, but first plays Ba6

Black to move. What would you do?

● Black wants to open up the centre so that

White to move. What would you do?

● Bb5 anticipates that black wants to develop

White to move. What would you do?

1. Nxf6+ Rxf6 2.d5 Rf8 3. Re6

● Nxf6+ uses a forcing move (check) to open

White to move. What would you do?

● White can’t play Nc5 right away, since black

Black to move. What would you do?

● 1… dxc4 opens the d-file for the Rd8, turns

White to move. What would you do?

● White uses the pin on the d-file to play c4,

Black to move. What would you do?

1… Ne3 followed by Nxg2

● In this position, the Bg2 is the main defense

Black to move. What would you do?

1… Ne8 followed by Nxd6

● Black is a pawn ahead in material but the

Black to move. What would you do?

1… d4, threatening dxc3

● Opens up the diagonal for the Be6, which

Black to move. What would you do?

1… c6, threatening to win the d5-pawn

● Black will exchange a flank-pawn for a

Black to move. What would you do?

1… Qa4 (or Qa6) attacks c2 AND defends a7

● White is forced to move his pieces into

White to move. What would you do?

1. Bh6 prevents Kf6-g7

● The black king was “threatening” to escape

White to move. What would you do?

● 1. b4 is a tempo-move that also increases

White to move. What would you do?