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Positional Masterpieces
Compiled by Chachaman
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Utilizing positional themes, i.e. holes, two bishops, pawn weaknesses, etc. and transferring one weakness to another, eventually building up small advantages for the win.

Great positional game
Rubinstein vs J Perlis, 1906  
(D00) Queen's Pawn Game, 22 moves, 1-0

play against backward pawn
Rubinstein vs Salwe, 1908  
(D33) Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch, 38 moves, 1-0

Calculations of exchanges
Rubinstein vs Znosko-Borovsky, 1909  
(D61) Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox, Rubinstein Attack, 30 moves, 1-0

Nimzowitsch destroys a pawn center
Alapin vs Nimzowitsch, 1911  
(B10) Caro-Kann, 43 moves, 0-1

Endgame Masterpiece by Capablanca
Nimzowitsch vs Capablanca, 1913 
(C50) Giuoco Piano, 64 moves, 0-1

play against pawn weaknesses
Lasker vs Capablanca, 1921  
(D61) Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox, Rubinstein Attack, 68 moves, 0-1

Blockading pawns/occupying center with pieces
Nimzowitsch vs Salwe, 1911  
(C02) French, Advance, 39 moves, 1-0

Great blockade by Tarrasch
Tarrasch vs Teichmann, 1912 
(C14) French, Classical, 42 moves, 1-0

Deep queen sacrifice for positional factors. See my comment.
La Bourdonnais vs McDonnell, 1834 
(D20) Queen's Gambit Accepted, 36 moves, 0-1

Masterfully holding onto a pawn to a fascinating ending
Rubinstein vs Capablanca, 1911  
(D33) Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch, 42 moves, 1-0

Great Blockade. See "My System" and "Pawn Play and the Center"
G A Thomas vs Alekhine, 1925 
(B02) Alekhine's Defense, 53 moves, 0-1

Prophylaxis and restraint
Schlechter vs Nimzowitsch, 1907  
(C77) Ruy Lopez, 32 moves, 0-1

The immortal zugzwang game
Saemisch vs Nimzowitsch, 1923  
(E18) Queen's Indian, Old Main line, 7.Nc3, 25 moves, 0-1

Tying up enemy pieces with maneuvering, then shifting wings
Nimzowitsch vs Rubinstein, 1926  
(A34) English, Symmetrical, 46 moves, 1-0

Brilliant play on both wings/good blockading
Kasparov vs Topalov, 1998 
(E60) King's Indian Defense, 36 moves, 1-0

Building up pieces/coordination/good posts/outpost
Lasker vs Capablanca, 1935 
(C15) French, Winawer, 64 moves, 1-0

overprotection
Nimzowitsch vs Systemsson, 1927  
(C00) French Defense, 24 moves, 1-0

Central play always beats unjustified flank play
Rubinstein vs Levenfish, 1911  
(C14) French, Classical, 29 moves, 1-0

Space advantage, positional play, breakthrough
Rubinstein vs Gruenfeld, 1925 
(A10) English, 58 moves, 1-0

Doubled pawns providing great advantage
Lasker vs Tarrasch, 1896  
(C68) Ruy Lopez, Exchange, 41 moves, 1-0

Rook on the 7th
Capablanca vs Tartakower, 1924  
(A40) Queen's Pawn Game, 52 moves, 1-0

The King is a Strong Piece--Irving Chernev
Tal vs Lisitsin, 1956 
(B71) Sicilian, Dragon, Levenfish Variation, 54 moves, 1-0

Knight outpost at Q5--Irving Chernev
Boleslavsky vs Lisitsin, 1956 
(B76) Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 30 moves, 1-0

Instructive Rook Ending--Slowly pushing pawn up board
Tarrasch vs E Thorold, 1890 
(C07) French, Tarrasch, 56 moves, 1-0

Weak squares, great knights, great blockade. Chernev
H Mattison vs Nimzowitsch, 1929  
(E21) Nimzo-Indian, Three Knights, 23 moves, 0-1

Detailed strategic plan from 8th move. Chernev
Tarrasch vs Von Scheve, 1894  
(D37) Queen's Gambit Declined, 30 moves, 1-0

Play against isolated pawn. Chernev
Lasker vs Tarrasch, 1914  
(D30) Queen's Gambit Declined, 46 moves, 1-0

"Systematic Strangulation"--Chernev
Tarrasch vs Showalter, 1898 
(C50) Giuoco Piano, 42 moves, 1-0

"Good Bishop and Bad Bishop"--Chernev
L Barden vs Rossolimo, 1950 
(B85) Sicilian, Scheveningen, Classical, 38 moves, 0-1

Great game capped off by combination
Alekhine vs Yates, 1922  
(D63) Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense, 38 moves, 1-0

Brilliant combinative play by Alekhine
Alekhine vs C H Alexander, 1936  
(E11) Bogo-Indian Defense, 27 moves, 1-0

removing blockade of passed pawn
Nimzowitsch vs Von Gottschall, 1925  
(D05) Queen's Pawn Game, 47 moves, 1-0

32 games

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