What is best way to outplay and beat a positional player rated between 1700 and 1900 ?

Question

Player plays positional as white and black,looking for any ideas,suggestions or information to beat such a player.

Answer 1

If you're a rated chess player, I find it hard to believe you'd ask this question. Every game is different, and all you can do is play the best moves. I'm rated 1728 myself, and I can tell you that beating any class A or B player will take careful concentration.

I suppose general advise for such a positional player would be to try and find an opening where it would be better for him to make the game open or tactical, but because of his playing style he may try to keep the game closed, which may make his game worse if doing so is incorrect.

If you don't know how to make a game open; it usually becomes so when the central pawns are traded off in the opening, and there is a lot of space in between the two sides of the board. If you can get this type of position, try to keep both of your bishops, because they are better in open games. Trade off the knights as well, because it will discourage positional play with a closed pawn structure.

That's really about all the tips I can give with so little information.

Answer 2

As a class C (1400-1599) with many class A scalps (and losses to Class D players) I say your best hope is get him playing on your turf.

Assuming you are a sharp, tactical player and they avoid tactical positions to fluster you, use a gambit.

A bribe of a pawn is hard to turn down, but learn how to handle decline lines.

Other than that, always make the best move.:)

Answer 3

I agree with the previous answerer that there is no easy solution or formula to beat a player of this level. A 1900 rated player should have a good understanding of position and tactical motifs and can only be beaten by good moves.

However, if by "positional player" you mean someone who plays solid. quiet lines and slowly crushes you, but who may be tactically weak, then you need to play sharp opening systems to force him or her out of the their comfort zone.

Sharp, off-beat, but still relatively sound systems to try : Budapest Defence for d pawn, Alekhine's for e pawn and the system with d6,e5,f5 against English and flank openings.

Ponziani's opening is good when playing white. It has many sharp lines and white can usually choose when and where to open lines.