Art of Positional Play (Chess) (1976)

To My Wife

Introduction -- We often hear the terms "positional" and "tactical" used as opposites. But this is as wrong asa to consider a painting's composition unrelated to its subject. Just as there is no such thing as "artistic" art, there is no such thing as "positional" chess. -- The business of the chess player is to conceive practical objectives and to plan and carry out the maneuvers necessary to achieve them; the objectives, the plans the maneuvers -- all must be based on the possibilities inherent in actual positions. Thus chess is by definition positional. Tactical play is concerned with the immediate details of executing the maneuvers necessary to the success of the plan and the attainment of the objective.