looking for a 'positional' repertoire

Hi everyone,

I wanted to get some input from you on what you might call 'positional' openings. I'm not looking for an easy-way-out, offbeat system to trick opponents, but rather a solid repertoire. I just seem to enjoy those long, drawn out battles that come down to an endgame. I've recently begun playing the English as white, and I really enjoy the positions that arise. As Black vs. 1.d4 I am thinking of the Slav because it is also playable against the Reti and the English (as opposed to the Nimzo/QID). Against 1.e4, I've been playing the Caro Kann, and I like it quite a bit. I also like the positional nature of the Spanish as black, but with 1...e5 I'm generally facing some other opening. Putting the time in to learn the Ruy only to use it in a small percentage of games seems inefficient. Are there any other 1.e4 defenses that I might consider?

Thanks for any advice,

Scott

If you want relatively closed positions you could try e6 (french) d6(pirc) or c6( caro-cann). Of those I think the weakest is the pirc so I'd suggest the other two more emphatically. Pick one and get good at it, people won't know what to do when you play it and you'll have the upper hand. Of course you, and your opponents can use opening databases but for some reason most people don't.

Originally posted by smrex13
Hi everyone,

I wanted to get some input from you on what you might call 'positional' openings. I'm not looking for an easy-way-out, offbeat system to trick opponents, but rather a solid repertoire. I just seem to enjoy those long, drawn out battles that come down to an endgame. I've recently begun playing the English as white, and I really enjoy th ...[text shortened]... t. Are there any other 1.e4 defenses that I might consider?

Thanks for any advice,

Scott

i think both the slav and caro are solid choices.

Against e4 French.
Against d4 Nimzo Indian and Queens Indian
As white Nf3 with g3 bg2 0-0 and d3

Originally posted by smrex13
Hi everyone,

I wanted to get some input from you on what you might call 'positional' openings. I'm not looking for an easy-way-out, offbeat system to trick opponents, but rather a solid repertoire. I just seem to enjoy those long, drawn out battles that come down to an endgame. I've recently begun playing the English as white, and I really enjoy th ...[text shortened]... t. Are there any other 1.e4 defenses that I might consider?

Thanks for any advice,

Scott

Originally posted by smrex13
Hi everyone,

I wanted to get some input from you on what you might call 'positional' openings. I'm not looking for an easy-way-out, offbeat system to trick opponents, but rather a solid repertoire. I just seem to enjoy those long, d ...[text shortened]... efenses that I might consider?

Thanks for any advice,

Scott

[While it is a departure from your other choices you might have some luck with the Sicilian Najorf.[/b]

Originally posted by LordOfTheChessboard
If you want a solid game you should play the Queens Gambit, The French defence and the kings or nimzo indian

But the problem is that White can't force a Queen's Gambit. Often, he winds up in a Benoni or Grunfeld, which is the type of position I was trying to avoid.

Originally posted by smrex13
I was wondering about the Sicilian. Everyone always calls the Sicilian a fighting, counterattacking defense, but I know that there are positional Sicilians as well. Is the Najdorf an extremely positional variation? Are there other variations that are more positional?

Thanks for everyone's replies,
Scott

Originally posted by smrex13

Really? I like positional games too!!!

If you want to try something unorthodox try the reversed grob ( Borg, Basman) defense. You will get your opponents out of book real quickly and throw them onto their own resources. Very useful against players whom are booked up to the max.

LOL! I just posted the opposite earlier (no, not how to swindle your opponents.) I try to open the position as much as possible. But I think thats easier than closing it because white can just exchange the center pawns early on.

Originally posted by XanthosNZ
I've always known the Najorf as a positionally based opening compared to say the counterattacking tactics of the Dragon.
Of course I'm sure one of the resident Najorf experts can dig out some aggressive tactical lines in it but I think overall it is positional.