What is considered "Positional Chess"?

Hello fellow chess players, I am asking especially those of you with plenty of experience (and anyone who knows something about the subject), what exactly is "positional chess"? I've heard the term thrown around a lot, often in relation to seemingly ordinary moves (for example, a rook taking an open file is called a "nice positional move"). Is there a specific definition for it? And when playing, should I actively look for these "positional" moves, or should I just rely on my intuition?

I haven’t read any books on the subject yet, and before diving deeper, I wanted to get a better understanding of what positional chess is all about. Tactics have brought me to where I am today, and I’m now focusing more on strategy. Strategy has served me well so far, especially in blitz, and I’m wondering if positional chess will have a similar impact on my play.

Tactical chess is calculating moves that instantly give an advantage. Positional chess on the other hand is making improving moves that aim to gain a long term advantage. Good question!

hi

I think it's deeper than that. Tactical chess is setting up combinations that win material or deliver checkmate, for example. Positional chess is more subtle, such as taking control of specific squares, having a good pawn structure, or having more active pieces. So your example, with the rook taking the open file, is a developing move, which increases your control of the squares along the file. Positional advantages tend to make more tactics possible, e.g. your rook may now be threatening a back rank mate.

Positional chess is basically another word for strategy. If you are looking for books on it, 'Techniques of Positional Play: 45 Practical Methods to Gain the Upper Hand in Chess' is a good place to start.

Muito bom parabéns

@Dchessguy124 thank you! Definetly much clearer on what positional chess is now.

Analyze games by strong players, focusing on their positional decisions.

Honestly, when you said "much more experienced players" I expected you to be a mindful 1000, not a 1900 who was already very accomplished lol. But, to answer your question, I think positional chess is an awareness of key squares, weaknesses in pawn structures or isolated pawns, and then consequently moves that take advantage of those subtle weaknesses.

I think it was Tartakover, grangmasret of chess sayings, who said: “Tactics is what do do if rhere is something to do. Strategy (which is the same thing as positional play) is what to do if there is nothing to do.” Now let us explain what does it mean. If you can checkmate your opponent, then checkmate him. If you can take opponent piece for free, than take it. Of course, this can be one move thing or several move thing including some sacrifices, which is called combination. All this is tactics.
But what if opponent do not allow checkmate and do dot allow taking his pieces for free? You still have to make some move if it is your turn. But what move? Now you have to follow some general principles.
Principles for opening are: develop your pieces, fight for center, castle.
Principles for middlegame are many. For example. Is my king in safety? If not, try to make him safe. Is opponent king in safety? If not, attach him.
Rooks need open files.
Bishops need open diagonals.
Knights need outposts.
Endgame principles are:
Get your king active and supporting your pawns.
Create passed pawn.
Move your passed pawn if you do not lose it.
This is positional play.

Equally, removing a rook from an open file can be "a nice, positional move" if a player needs to prevent the rook from being swapped off!

Positional play is a combination of all things, including of tactical awareness.

Very often, a tactical player tries to initiate tactics in the hope that his tactical ability will succeed over his opponent's. We can't always predict everything perfectly and sometimes, we will miss a saving move by our opponent and our attack won't work: perhaps giving the advantage to our opponent. If we try to ensure that our position is as good as we can make it, then the tactics have more chance of success, based on communications between our pieces, compared with that between our opponent's, strong points, over-protection etc.

Sometimes, time is of the essence and an attack should be initiated immediately, in which case accurate calculation is essential, at the least up to achieving a position "which we will probably win". So ultimately, instinct, experience and intuition are as important as positional and tactical abilities.