The Grandmaster’s Positional Understanding Lesson 1: “Positional Understanding”
Hi there! I am very glad to talk to you again. It’s me Igor Smirnov, International Grandmaster and chess coach, and I’m back with another instructive chess course that will surely take your game to the next level.
So what precisely are we going to take a look at in this course? Within the pages and videos contained within this chess training course, we will tackle one of the most intriguing, most mysterious topics in chess – Positional Understanding.
Have you watched top grandmasters and players comment and analyze their tournament games right after playing them? Yeah? I’m sure you have heard some of them say: “This is the most logical move that white should play” or something along the lines of “In this position, it’s natural to go there…”
What’s baffling is that it’s totally unclear for you why this move is so “natural” and “obvious”! In many cases, people can only admire this Grandmaster who has a great positional understanding.
Here is another typical situation: a Grandmaster outplays his weaker opponent slowly but surely. The Grandmaster did NOT unleash fancy tactics or invited complications. HOWEVER, the Grandmaster’s position becomes better and better. It’s seems like he is winning easily, and without even doing something special. This is another powerful illustration of higher level of positional understanding.
So what is this magical UNDERSTANDING? And why is that only a very few players possess it?
To be honest, I’ve never seen the real answer to these questions in chess books. Perhaps strong players don’t want to share their insider secrets. ☺ BUT the good news is that it’s precisely the reason why I created this course for you: to spill the beans and make sure you take your Positional Understanding to the NEXT level!
Here I am going to show you ALL chess strategy. I will not only stuff you with all important rules. More importantly, I will explain you WHY they are so. My goal is to develop your deep understanding of a chess game.
Let me quote Lasker’s “Manual Of Chess”:
“Education in chess has to be an education in independent thinking… You should keep in mind no names, nor isolated incidents, not even results, but only methods.
The method is plastic. It’s applicable in every situation. The method produces numerous results.”
In my courses I call it “Principles”. All of the common strategic rules are logical results of these principles. When you understand this well and deep enough, you will understand EVERYTHING in chess! ☺
To start things off, let’s take a closer look at the most basic knowledge about chess. This is where your deeper positional understanding will be based from. From there, we will analyze specific rules. With a good basic knowledge, you will understand all of the concrete rules quickly and easily.
Oh! And one last IMPORTANT note: don’t let the word ‘basic’ deceive you and make you think that this is for beginners. Quite the contrary, this is the deepest and the highest level of chess understanding on a Grandmaster’s level. One must take it very seriously as this is the most important part of the course.
Ok, here we go!
What is the main guiding idea of a chess game? Can you answer this question? Isn’t it really strange that after reading so many books most players can’t answer this simple question?
If you studied my other courses, then probably you know that this is: ACTIVITY. Activity implies the quantity of squares under the
control of your forces.
For instance a knight on h1 controls 2 squares; while a knight on d5 –8 squares. Thus an activity of the knight on d5 is higher. We can evaluate any position by using the same method.
White’s turn
Here is a more complex situation. However, we still can calculate the quantity of squares under the control of white’s pieces; and black’s pieces. After that we can compare these amounts and conclude whose position is more active… and which side has the advantage.
By the way, this is how computer programs play chess. For example, it can calculate that white controls 2 more squares than black (in a certain position) and it will show you an evaluation +2 (or +0.2).
Of course this is a simplification of how computers work, but generally it’s correct.
By adopting this excellent thinking technique of computer programs, we should also gain a great deal of power in the process.
You may argue: “Hey, but it will take too much time for me to calculate all those squares”. Yes, but you don’t need to do it. In contrast to computer, we have intuition. For example, in this position white is obviously more active. You can realize it intuitively right away.
OK, now we have decided that the main guiding idea of a chess game is ACTIVITY. Now let’s go to the next step. What determines an activity?
We have already seen that the position of a piece determines its activity. Going back to our example with the knights, we can see that st the knight on d5 controls more squares than the knight on h1. Thus a position of a piece is the 1 factor which determines activity.
BUT let’s not forget, the quantity of pieces also matters.
In this position an activity is equal. BUT if we add another black knight on d5, than black will have double advantage in activity (thanks to his extra piece).
Therefore there are 2 major factors, which determine activity:
(1) Quantity of your pieces (2) Position of your pieces
Chess players usually call the first factor the Material factor. Having an advantage on the first factor means we have an advantage in Material. The position of your pieces is usually called “ACTIVITY” and it makes sense to use the same term.
It creates a little tautology, because we have an activity at the top and as one of the factors. BUT I hope that you understand the difference. At the top we can see a general guiding principle of activity. It implies the quantity of squares under the control of your forces.
st nd This general activity is determined by 2 factors. The 1 one is a material, which means the quantity of your pieces. The 2 one is activity, which implies a position of your pieces.
This brings us to a great strategical rule: you should evaluate chess position based on 2 factors: a material and an activity.
Yes, it’s that simple. Forget about those 10 steps evaluation algorithms you read it chess books. No one can implement such complicated schemes in reality. And no one does it.
I am telling you how Grandmasters REALLY think in a REAL game scenario. It’s simple and effective. You can check material very quickly and you will evaluate pieces’ activity rather intuitively. This is how Grandmasters can play blitz games well, can quickly assess positions while calculating variations and so on.
Ok, let’s go forward. These 2 factors are certainly very useful, but they are too general. They don’t give you the exact rules for playing.
That’s why we need to have more practical principles based on these general factors.
If you studied my course "The Grandmaster's Secrets”, then you know the main strategic principles at work during a chess game. Now we will analyze them on a deeper level. I want to make sure that you do not only know these principles, but UNDERSTAND them on a deeper level.
Once you understand them deeply, these guiding principles will come to you naturally. Like those GMs, you will take a look at a certain position and will say: “Here white obviously should make this move”. Thus you will get a Grandmaster’s positional UNDERSTANDING, which is the point of this course.
Everything is quite simple regarding the material factor. The more material you have, the more activity it provides. Therefore there is only 1 major principle concerning material. It states:
If you can take something – do it.
On the other hand, you should keep your material and don’t lose it.
I know this sounds obvious. However, people often don’t follow this simple principle, which has been clouded by many different ideas. That’s why it’s so important to understand chess basics and to know the dominating factors.
White’s turn
In this position, White played 1.h5. What should Black do now? Let’s recollect the principle of material: if you can take something – do it! Certainly black should capture the pawn 1…gh.
By the way this is one of my old games and I have to confess to my silly decision. I played 1…g5 instead. Of course I calculated 1…gh, but I thought that white could play a7, then f4 and bring the king to e6. This will create a zugzwang for black and white will win.
That’s why I played 1…g5. However, it leaves black his weaknesses on h6 and f5 I lost the game afterwards.
Although I was an International Master at that time, I didn’t understand strategic principles so well.
Instead of calculating lines and variations 20 moves ahead, I should have simply followed the principle of material. If you can take something – do it! That’s it.
The base strategic principles are the PRIMARY factors. You should follow them first of all. They allow you to find the right moves easily. I guess it was Korchnoi, who said: “The deeper positional understanding you have, the lower quantity of variations you will need to calculate.”
In this example after 1…gh 2.a7 White really has a winning plan I mentioned earlier. However, black can stop it by playing 2…h4 3.gh
f4. And this is a draw.
I will not analyze this endgame now. I just want you to understand how important and powerful positional principles are. You should focus on them and care about them first and foremost.
Let’s have a quick review of our general scheme. The main guiding idea of a chess game is activity. It’s determined by 2 factors: (1) The quantity of your pieces and (2) their position.
As for the quantity or material factor, there is only 1 practical principle you need to keep in mind: “If you can take something – do it.” Let’s call it “The Principle Of Material”.
Actually everything is quite obvious here. Furthermore in most normal positions material is equal. Let’s finish with this factor.
nd The 2 factor (which is activity) is much more complex and interesting topic. Let’s analyze it in the next lesson. I am waiting for you there.