Contents:

INTRODUCTION

The positional aspect of chess is ever-present. In every game at every level there are positional factors to be considered at every turn. There is no avoiding it. Yet so many times at tournaments and in chess clubs we hear someone say 'I'm a tactician', 'I like to play aggressively' or - the most common - 'All this posi-tional stuff is too difficult for me'... The irony is, of course, that positional as-pects of the game are often easier to understand than most players believe. Given time we can all appreciate the significance of vulnerable squares, isolated pawns, 'bad' bishops or even the implications of a piece actually leaving the board, but can we be guaranteed to steer our way through complexities at all times? - no, nobody can. All these are features of the game that can - and should - be consid-ered in any given situation. The context may change but the fundamental points remain the same. As in life there are golden rules and guidelines that remain fairly constant - it is how we deal with them that counts. Most chess players fail to differentiate between thinking and calculating - we all have our limitations when it comes to the rather mechanical process of calculating, but thinking is another issue entirely.
This book is designed to make positional considerations come more naturally so that our thought processes 'go with the flow' from one game to another. I wouldn't suggest that positional play can be easy and automatic, but nor do I believe that it should be categorised as a difficult or obscure part of the game that is just a matter of taste. The more aware we become of the permanency of posi-tional chess the easier the game is to play.
The very nature of chess precludes those somewhat rigid approaches we have to other sports or pastimes that have well defined spheres of possibility and skill. There is no golf grip or tyre selection in chess - ultimately we are our own limi-tation. We are the most finite factor in the amazingly rich equation that is chess. Indeed, being quite conscious of these limits we should approach the game in a more realistic manner. It makes no sense reading six books on the Sicilian Dragon when - let's face it - as soon as the game reaches a certain level of com-plexity it has a mind of its own It makes more sense to broaden your horizon by getting acquainted with real chess. And if you still insist on playing the Dragon, you'll get nowhere without an appreciation of the positional imperatives.
Each set of ten puzzles is intended to be of approximately similar difficulty and the total number of points available in each text is 150. As you progress through the tests you may see if your totals for the later ones are higher than those for the earlier positions, and thereby if your positional strength is developing. If you become completely stuck on a position you may 'Ask a Grandmaster' to obtain a hint as to the solution. However, this indulgence will not go unpenahsed and will cost you points.
Note that a number of the positions are from opening theory or are artifically constructed (i e not from real games) in order to illustrate a particular point. These positions obviously have no references in terms of players, date or venue.
I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I did writing it and, more impor-tantly, I hope you will always enjoy playing chess, and thinking.
As ever I am indebted to my wife, Mioto, for being as patient as any Belgian could be while I struggled (and failed) to finish this book on time. As indeed was Byron Jacobs, who was far more understanding and considerate than the rules of publishing dictate. However, since the recent arrival of our daughter, Mia Simone, the rules have changed, although it is how we deal with them that mat-ters - and life is so much more enjoyable for positional players.
Angus Dunnington,
Castleford,
June 2002