Table Of ContentI i * i I
� McKay Chess Library
The Art of
Positional Play
Samuel Reshevsky
International Grandmaster
Revised by Burt Hochberg
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Random House
Puzzles & Games
The Art of Positional Play
Copyright© 2002, 1976 by Samuel Reshevsky
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copy
right Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photo
copying, without the written permission of the publisher. All
inquiries should be addressed to Random House Puzzles &
Games, Random House, Inc., New York, NY. Published in the
United States by Random House, Inc., New York and simultane
ously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited.
Visit the Random House Puzzles & Games Web site at
www.puzzlesatrandom.com
Typeset and printed in the United States of America.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data is available.
0987654321
September 2002
ISBN: 0-8129-3475-X
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data is available
MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To My Wife
Contents
Introduction ix
Chapter 1: Weak Pawns 1
Game 1 Consequences of a Weak Pawn 2
Game 2 Too Far Advanced 8
Game 3 Bad Pawns, Bad Pieces 13
Game 4 Unsupported Pawn Chain 17
Chapter 2: Passed Pawns 24
Game 5 Converting a Pawn Majority 25
Game 6 Passed Pawn versus Passed Pawn 31
Game 7 Blockade versus Breakthrough 36
Game 8 Passed Pawn in the Middlegame 43
Game 9 Rook Behind Passed Pawn 48
Game 10 Pieces Against Pawns 51
Chapter 3:K ing Position 57
Game 11 Breaking and Entering 59
Game 12 Shattered Pawn Cover 65
Game 13 The Pawn Roller 68
Game 14 The Mighty Pin 72
Game 15 The Danger of the Fianchetto 75
Game 16 A Strong Diagonal 80
Game 17 Both Kings Exposed 84
Game 18 Quick Punishment 90
Game 19 No Time to Hesitate 92
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Contents
Vl
Game 20 Left in the Lurch 98
Game21 Castling Wrong 100
Game22 "Skim Milk Masquerades as Cream" 103
Chapter 4:S pace 107
Game23 Loss of Time 108
Game 24 Neglect of Development 112
Game 25 A Vital Center Square 114
Game26 Blunder or Sacrifice? 119
Game27 Sacrificial Breakthrough 125
Game 28 Four Against Two 129
Game 29 Passive White Play 134
Game30 Bad Opening 140
Chapter 5:O pen Lines 146
Game31 File and Rank 147
Game32 Queenside Breakthrough 151
Game33 Duet for c-file and KB 156
Game34 Restricting Opponent's Development 161
Game35 Lines to the King 166
Game36 The Two Bishops Denied 169
Game37 The "Impregnable" Defense 175
Chapter 6: Tactics 180
Game38 A Calculation Error 181
Game39 Poetic Justice 186
Game40 Underestimated Opponent 192
Game 41 Mate First 195
Game42 Draw Sacrifice 202
Chapter 7: Pieces, Good and Bad 206
Game43 Premature Action 208
Game44 Sleeping on the Job 213
Contents vii
Game 45 Surprised Pieces 217
Game46 Passive Pieces 220
Game47 A Thorn in the Center 224
Game 48 Two Bishops 229
Game 49 Good Bishop, Bad Bishop 235
Game 50 A More Equal Bishop 238
Game 51 Good Bishop, Bad Knight 244
Game 52 A Delicate Balance 248
Game53 Another Good Bishop 255
Game 54 Active Knight 260
Game 55 Good Knight, Bad Knight 264
Game 56 Knight on K4 268
Game 57 Knight versus Multiple Passed Pawns 274
Game58 Knight versus One Passed Pawn 280
Game 59 A Passive Rook 286
Game 60 Queen for a Day 295
Game 61 Unbalanced Forces 299
Index To Openings 307
Introduction
We often hear the terms "positional" and "tactical" used as oppo
sites. But this is as wrong as to consider a painting's composition
unrelated to its subject. Just as there is no such thing as "artistic"
art, so there is no such thing as "positional" chess.
The business of the chess player is to conceive practical objec
tives and to plan and carry out the maneuvers necessary to achieve
them; the objectives, the plans, the maneuvers-all must be based
on the possibilities inherent in actual positions. Thus chess is by def
inition positional. Tactical play is concerned with the immediate
details of executing the maneuvers necessary to the success of the
plan and the attainment of the objective.
Example: White sees in given situation that he would probably
a
obtain a decisive advantage by getting his Rook to the seventh
rank; this goal could be achieved if Black's Queen were temporar
ily diverted and the QB-file opened; he calculates that maneuver
ing a Knight to QS would force Black's Queen to retreat, after which
White could push a pawn and eventually open the QB-file. We see
in this process three interdependent elements: 1) deciding on a
positional objective (getting a Rook to the seventh rank); 2) plan
ning a logical strategy to achieve it (diverting Black's Queen and
opening the QB-file); 3) carrying out the strategical plan tactically
(calculating the specific moves and variations).
Every position, like the one in the example, contains certain char
acteristic patterns, which we may call themes. The pawn structure,
a weak square, a poorly defended King, an open line, a badly
placed piece-all of these, and many more, are positional themes.
Recognizing them, and knowing how to use them to plan logically,
are as necessary to a chess player as line and color are to a painter.
When a beginner plays P-K4 on his first move he is already play
ing positionally (although he may not be aware of it): he has begun
ix
x Introduction
to occupy and control the center (particularly QS), and he has
opened lines for his King Bishop and his Queen. Center control and
open lines are common positional themes.
When a player sacrifices a pawn, or even a piece, to expose the
enemy King, the details of the operation are tactical but the con
ception and the goal are positional. King safety is a positional
theme.
For the purposes of this book, I have chosen to concentrate on the
most common and easily recognized positional themes, and to
illustrate them with actual games selected from recent tournaments
and matches. This is the most useful method for the student
because he will learn to recognize the themes in their practical set
tings and how they are handled under tournament conditions by
the best contemporary masters. 1 am sure that the games, chosen
for their inherent interest and quality, will also prove entertaining
to the casual reader.
It has been known for a hundred years that a positional advan
tage is a prerequisite for a successful attack. This book was written
to show you how to get that positional advantage.
I want to thank Burt Hochberg for editing this book.
'
Revisers Note
This new edition differs from the original (1976) edition in the fol
lowing ways:
The chess moves have been converted from English descriptive
•
notation to the modern, more economical English algebraic nota
tion.
Typographic and other errors in the moves and variations have ,
•
been corrected.
A few minor corrections were made in some text passages to
•
improve clarity.
September 2002 Burt Hochberg
