positional vs tactical??

Originally posted by Korch
Its possible. Here is one well-known example:

[Event "09, London"]
[Site "09, London"]
[Date "1982.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Anatoli Karpov"]
[Black "Anthony Miles"]
[ECO "B76"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "75"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7
7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. ...[text shortened]... Rb8 f2 38. Rxd8+ 1-0

Also 2.c3 in Sicilian leads to positional play.

Yea, Karpov had Miles' number till he pulled out the St. George Defense. 🙂


Karpov,A (2725) - Miles,A (2545) [B00]
EU-chT (Men) Skara (1), 1980
[ChessBase]

1.e4 a6 2.d4 b5 3.Nf3 [3.a4!? Bb7 4.axb5?! Bxe4! 5.bxa6 Bb7!³] 3...Bb7 4.Bd3 Nf6 [¹4...e6] 5.Qe2 [5.e5 Nd5 6.Ng5!? …‚;
5.Nbd2] 5...e6 6.a4 [6.Bg5!?;
6.0-0;
6.Nbd2] 6...c5 [6...b4 Miles] 7.dxc5 [7.e5 c4÷;
7.c3 c4 (7...Nc6 8.0-0 cxd4 9.axb5 (9.Nxd4!?; 9.cxd4 Nb4 10.axb5 Nxd3) 9...axb5 10.Rxa8 Qxa8 11.Bxb5 (11.cxd4 Nb4; 11.Nxd4 Nxd4 12.cxd4 Bxe4³; 11.e5 Nd5³😉 11...Na7! (11...dxc3 12.Nxc3 …e5 ×d5) 12.Nxd4 (12.e5 Bxf3 13.gxf3 Nxb5 14.exf6 gxf6 15.Qxb5 Rg8+ 16.Kh1 Qxf3🙄 12...Bxe4 13.Bg5! (13.Nd2 Bxg2-+) 13...Bc5! a)13...Be7 14.f3÷; b)13...Bxg2 14.Nxe6 …¤c7,¤g7 14...fxe6 15.Qxe6+ Be7 (b)15...Kd8 16.Qxd7🙄 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Bxd7+ …¦e1 ‚; 14.Bxf6 (14.f3 Bxb1 (14...Nxb5 15.Qxb5 Bxd4+ 16.cxd4 Bc6÷😉 15.Rxb1 Bxd4+ 16.cxd4 Nxb5 17.Bxf6÷; 14...gxf6 15.Nxe6? fxe6 16.Qh5+ Kd8 17.Qxc5 Nxb5 18.Qxb5 Bxg2 19.Rd1 Bc6µ Kok-Welling, NLD 1981; 8.Bc2 d5 …b4‚«] 7...Bxc5 8.Nbd2 [8.0-0] 8...b4 9.e5 Nd5 [9...Ng4] 10.Ne4 Be7 11.0-0?! [¹11.Bg5 0-0 (11...f6?! 12.exf6 gxf6? (12...Nxf6²😉 13.Ne5!; 12.Nd6 (12.h4!?) 12...Bc6 …f6 13.Qe4 (13.h4 f6 14.exf6 gxf6 15.Ne5 fxg5 16.Qh5 Volovik-Kozlov) 13...f5] 11...Nc6 12.Bd2 [12.Bg5 f6! …£c7,0-0-0 ƒ 13.exf6 gxf6 14.Bh6 Qc7 15.g3 Rg8 16.Rfc1 Ne5 17.Nxe5 Qxe5 Westerinen-Schulz] 12...Qc7 13.c4 [13.Ng3 h5!?] 13...bxc3 14.Nxc3 Nxc3 15.Bxc3 Nb4 16.Bxb4 Bxb4 17.Rac1 Qb6 18.Be4 [18.Ng5!? Be7 (18...h6 19.Qh5 0-0 20.Rc4 …¦g4) 19.Qh5 (19.Nxh7 g6 20.Nf6+ Bxf6 21.exf6 Qd4³😉 19...Bxg5 20.Qxg5 0-0÷] 18...0-0 19.Ng5 [19.Bxh7+ Kxh7 20.Ng5+ Kg6! (20...Kh6 21.Rc4 …¦h4 21...g6 22.Qg4!+-) 21.Qg4 f5 (21...f6!?) 22.Qg3 Qd4÷ 23.h3? Kh5!] 19...h6 20.Bh7+!? [20.Bxb7 Qxb7 21.Qe4=] 20...Kh8 21.Bb1 Be7 22.Ne4 [22.Qd3 g6³] 22...Rac8 23.Qd3? Rxc1 24.Rxc1 Qxb2 25.Re1 [25.Rc7 g6 …¦c8] 25...Qxe5 26.Qxd7 Bb4 27.Re3 Qd5 28.Qxd5 Bxd5 29.Nc3 Rc8 30.Ne2 g5 31.h4 Kg7 32.hxg5 hxg5 33.Bd3 a5 34.Rg3 Kf6 35.Rg4 Bd6 36.Kf1 Be5 37.Ke1 Rh8 38.f4 gxf4 39.Nxf4 Bc6 40.Ne2 Rh1+ 41.Kd2 Rh2 42.g3 Bf3 43.Rg8 Rg2 44.Ke1 Bxe2 45.Bxe2 Rxg3 46.Ra8 Bc7 0-1

Originally posted by Stockton
Yea, Karpov had Miles' number till he pulled out the St. George Defense. 🙂


Karpov,A (2725) - Miles,A (2545) [B00]
EU-chT (Men) Skara (1), 1980
[ChessBase]

1.e4 a6 2.d4 b5 3.Nf3 [3.a4!? Bb7 4.axb5?! Bxe4! 5.bxa6 Bb7!³] 3...Bb7 4.Bd3 Nf6 [¹4...e6] 5.Qe2 [5.e5 Nd5 6.Ng5!? …‚;
5.Nbd2] 5...e6 6.a4 [6.Bg5!?;
6.0-0;
6.Nbd2] 6...c5 [6...b4 Miles] 7 ...[text shortened]... 39.Nxf4 Bc6 40.Ne2 Rh1+ 41.Kd2 Rh2 42.g3 Bf3 43.Rg8 Rg2 44.Ke1 Bxe2 45.Bxe2 Rxg3 46.Ra8 Bc7 0-1

[Event "Bad Lauterberg"]
[Site "Bad Lauterberg"]
[Date "1977.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Anatoli Karpov"]
[Black "Anthony Miles"]
[ECO "B70"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "87"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be2 Bg7
7. O-O O-O 8. Bg5 Nc6 9. Nb3 Be6 10. Kh1 Qc8 11. f4 Rd8
12. Bf3 Bc4 13. Rf2 e6 14. Rd2 Qc7 15. Qe1 h6 16. Bh4 Rd7
17. Rad1 e5 18. Bxf6 Bxf6 19. Bg4 exf4 20. Bxd7 Qxd7 21. Rxd6
Qe7 22. Rd7 Qe5 23. Nd2 Be6 24. Nf3 Qb8 25. R7d6 Be7 26. R6d2
Bf6 27. Nd5 Bg7 28. c3 g5 29. Qf2 Ne5 30. Qc5 Bg4 31. Rf1 b6
32. Qb5 Qb7 33. Nd4 Bd7 34. Qb3 Qa6 35. Qd1 Bg4 36. Qb1 Nc4
37. Qd3 b5 38. Rdf2 Qb7 39. b3 Nd6 40. Nf5 Nxf5 41. exf5 Rd8
42. c4 Kh8 43. h3 Bh5 44. Re1 1-0

[Event "It ( cat. 13 )"]
[Site "Oslo"]
[Date "1984.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Anatoli Karpov"]
[Black "Anthony Miles"]
[ECO "B16"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "75"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ gxf6 6. c3
Bf5 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. Bf4 Qb6 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Qxb2 11. O-O
Qa3 12. Rfb1 Nb6 13. Bc7 Bh6 14. Bxb6 axb6 15. Rxb6 Ra7
16. Rab1 O-O 17. Rxb7 Qxa2 18. g3 e6 19. Kg2 Ra3 20. Rd7 Be3
21. Rf1 Bh6 22. Re1 Qb3 23. d5 exd5 24. Qf5 Qxc3 25. Ree7 Qd3
26. Qxf6 Qg6 27. Qxg6+ hxg6 28. Ne5 Bg5 29. Rxf7 Rxf7 30. Nxf7
Bf6 31. Nh6+ Kh8 32. Rd6 Bg7 33. Nf7+ Kg8 34. Ng5 Ra8 35. Rxc6
d4 36. Rxg6 Kh8 37. Rc6 Re8 38. Nf3 1-0

[Event "Brussels SWIFT ;CBM 01"]
[Site "Brussels SWIFT ;CBM 01"]
[Date "1986.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Anatoli Karpov"]
[Black "Anthony Miles"]
[ECO "A31"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "79"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c5 3. c4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Nc3 e6 6. e4 Bb4
7. Bd3 Qc7 8. O-O Nc6 9. Nf3 O-O 10. Bd2 b6 11. Rc1 Qb8
12. Qe2 Bd6 13. Kh1 Bc7 14. Bb1 Bb7 15. Rcd1 h6 16. b3 Re8
17. Rde1 d6 18. Be3 Ng4 19. Bc1 Nge5 20. Bb2 Bd8 21. Rd1 Bf6
22. Ne1 Ng6 23. f4 Qc7 24. Qg4 Rad8 25. Nf3 Nf8 26. Nd5 Bxb2
27. Nxc7 Re7 28. Nxe6 Rxe6 29. Qg3 Ba3 30. f5 Ree8 31. f6 g6
32. Qh4 h5 33. Qf4 Re6 34. Ng5 Re5 35. Rd2 Rde8 36. h3 Nd8
37. Nf3 Nfe6 38. Qh6 Ra5 39. Rd5 b5 40. Ng5 1-0

[Event "Amsterdam OHRA (04)"]
[Site "Amsterdam OHRA (04)"]
[Date "1985.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Anatoli Karpov"]
[Black "Anthony Miles"]
[ECO "B19"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "129"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6
7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Qc7 11. Bd2 e6
12. O-O-O Ngf6 13. Ne4 O-O-O 14. g3 Nc5 15. Nxc5 Bxc5 16. Qe2
Bb6 17. Bf4 Qe7 18. c4 Rhe8 19. Qe5 Bc7 20. Qxc7+ Qxc7
21. Bxc7 Kxc7 22. Rh4 Re7 23. Ne5 Nd7 24. Rf4 Rf8 25. Kc2 Nxe5
26. dxe5 Rd7 27. Rxd7+ Kxd7 28. c5 Ke7 29. Ra4 Ra8 30. Kc3 Kf8
31. Rd4 Ke7 32. Rb4 Rb8 33. Ra4 Ra8 34. Ra3 Ke8 35. Rb3 Rb8
36. Ra3 Ra8 37. Kc2 Ke7 38. Rb3 Rb8 39. Ra3 Ra8 40. Ra4 Ke8
41. Rb4 Rb8 42. Ra4 Ra8 43. Kc3 Ke7 44. Kc4 Ke8 45. Ra3 Ke7
46. Rb3 Rb8 47. Ra3 Ra8 48. f4 g6 49. hxg6 fxg6 50. Kd4 h5
51. Ke4 Kf7 52. Rb3 b6 53. Rd3 Ke7 54. Rd6 bxc5 55. Rxc6 Rb8
56. Rxc5 Rxb2 57. Rc7+ Kf8 58. Rxa7 Rc2 59. Kf3 Kg8 60. a4 Ra2
61. a5 Kf8 62. a6 Kg8 63. Ra8+ Kg7 64. a7 Ra3+ 65. Ke4 1-0

Originally posted by Ramiri15
Here is a position from a game of mine that is a good example of positional chess.

Black to play and find the winning move:

[fen]8/8/p2k2pp/1p1p4/5PPP/P3R3/1P5K/2r5 w - - 0 1[/fen]

wasn't this our game? it was quite tactical before as I remember, knights hopping around, forks flying left & right, and I missed some fork?

Originally posted by wormwood
wasn't this our game? it was quite tactical before as I remember, knights hopping around, forks flying left & right, and I missed some fork?

Still one of my favorites 🙂. And to think that all the tactics led to the position above.

Originally posted by Ramiri15
Still one of my favorites 🙂. And to think that all the tactics led to the position above.

Ah... blitz guess would be
1. Rc2

Originally posted by DeepRed
Ah... blitz guess would be
1. Rc2

That's not correct.

1...Rc2+
2.Kg3 Rxb2
3.f5

and regardless of whether or not black captures (he should) white has a passed pawn as well as the threat of Re6+ regaining the pawn. Chessmaster 10, through many different ideas I have put it through, has this endgame as drawn. Anyway, the move you gave is a tactical idea, and what we are looking for is a quieter move that diminishes white's counterplay and allows black to force an eventual victory.

Originally posted by pawndevourer
i favor more positional chess as i like the feel of slowly "crushing" the opponent. similar to karpov's style.. ^_^

but sometimes when the opponent is too weak i use tactics to quickly finish him off... 😀

I don't understand that statement at all.
Surely most of us firstly look for any threats, then search for the tactics & if there aren't any, improve our position that fits into a plan - ie play positionally.

Originally posted by Squelchbelch
Surely most of us firstly look for any threats, then search for the tactics & if there aren't any, improve our position that fits into a plan - ie play positionally.

I couldn't agree more.