When your happy with your position and don’t want to move

[IM Jack Rudd]

I haven’t included the position because I was asking more generally and strategically as oppose to tactics.

The thing is, strategy is highly tied up with the specifics of a position, so the amount of general advice that can be given without seeing a position is very limited.

[Thomas Rendle]

I'd definitely like to see the position now - then we can see if the general advice can be matched to the exact position in front of us!

[Roger de Coverly]

Tactics are sometimes a lot easier for weaker players such as myself as oppose to strategy.

Authors will try to convince otherwise, but in practice in many games you just shuffle pieces and pawns to decent squares and await developments. Successful tactical opportunities are more likely to arise with well placed and coordinated pieces. Strategy is sometimes no more than observing who would be better in an ending. If you cannot find anything to do, your position isn't as good as you thought it was. Endgame studies can use the theory of mutual Zugswang, but it can sometimes arise in middle games to a limited extent.

[Keith Arkell]

Unless there is something wrong with your position, there should always be ways to improve it. If not then you just might be in 'Zugzwang Lite' : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zugzwang

[Kevin O'Rourke]

Nf3 d5
c4 d4
d3 c5
g3 Nc6
Bg2 e5
0-0 Be7
Re1 Nf6
Bg5 h6
Bxf6 Bxf6
Nbd2 0-0
Ne4 Be7
a3 Bf5
e3 Rhb8
Rc1 a6
PxP exd4
Nfd2 Qd7
Nb3 b6
Ne-d2 Rc8
Nf3 Bg4
Qc2 Bd6
Nb-d2 f5
Nh4 Rf6
Qb3 Bc7
h3 Bh5
Nf3 Rg6
Nh4 Rf6
Nh-f3 Rc-f8
Rf1 Qd6
Rc e1 g5
Qc2 R6-f7
b3 Bd8
Nh2 Rc6
N-f3 g4
Pxp Bxp
Nh2= Bh5
Nf3 Rf7
Re2 Rg7
Qc1 Bg6
Nh4 h5
Nh-f3 h4
Nxp Rh7
R2-e1 Ne5
Qc2 Rf8
Rx N BxN
Rd5 Qf6
pxB Qxp
Re1 Qh2
Kf1 Bh5
Nf3

I'm sorry i don't know how to put them into a chess program here at work. I was white. The move b3 is the point of my thread. Didn't know what else to do. Game was a draw as time was very short and i had to bail out.

[Mick Norris]

Possibly this is it?

Nf3 d5 c4 d4 d3 c5 g3 Nc6 Bg2 e5 0-0 Be7 Re1 Nf6 Bg5 h6 Bxf6 Bxf6 Nbd2 0-0 Ne4 Be7 a3 Bf5 e3 Rb8 Rc1 a6 ed4 ed4 Nfd2 Qd7 Nb3 b6 Ned2 Rc8 Nf3 Bg4 Qc2 Bd6 Nbd2 f5 Nh4 Rf6 Qb3 Bc7 h3 Bh5 Nf3 Rg6 Nh4 Rf6 Nhf3 Rcf8 Rf1 Qd6 Rce1 g5 Qc2 R6f7 b3 Bd8 Nh2 Rf6 Nf3 g4 hxg4 Bg4 Nh2= Bh5 Nf3 Rf7 Re2 Rg7 Qc1 Bg6 Nh4 h5 Nhf3 h4 Nh4 Rh7 R2e1 Ne5 Qc2 Rf8 Re5 Bh4 Rd5 Qf6 gxh4 Qxh4 R1e1 Qh2 Kf1 Bh5 Nf3

[IM Jack Rudd]

Thank you! In a line like this, white's thematic pawn break is b4, so as to weaken black's c5-d4 pawn chain. It's difficult to know what to say, because you've positioned your pieces very awkwardly with respect to that break. (Your queen's knight, for example, might have been more actively developed early on to c2 via a3.)

[NickFaulks]

At first glance, what I don't understand is why White is happy about this position. I feel he should be concerned for his king.

[Roger de Coverly]

At first glance, what I don't understand is why White is happy about this position. I feel he should be concerned for his king.

I concur. You feel as if White is just sitting there waiting to be attacked. Playing through the remainder of the game, the plan seems to have worked as Black didn't really come up with anything and sacrificed or lost a piece for what doesn't look enough.

(edit)
3b1rk1/8/ppnq1r1p/2p2ppb/2Pp4/PP1P1NPP/2QN1PB1/4RRK1 b - - 4 33

I'd be inclined to think this is a critical position. White, as previously observed cannot do anything, so it's up to Black to organise a break through. Playing .. g4 is going to be part of it, but I would be inclined to suggest that .. h5 needed to be played first (make sure the g5 pawn isn't loose). You then follow up with .. g4, retake with the h pawn if .. hxg4. You then continue with .. f4, provided you've defended the g4 pawn and made sure that Ne4 doesn't do anything immediately harmful. It looks far more fun for Black than White. (/edit)

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Does anyone have examples of middlegame positions that are close to mutual zugzwang? That might be more useful than poring over the game Kevin provided. Though surely White has the obvious plan of doubling rooks on the e-file?

Actually, Keith provided an example earlier. Here is a more direct link to the subsection of that Wikipedia article:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zugzwang#Zugzwang_Lite

[Kevin O'Rourke]

I was a bit cagey in this game due to playing someone better than me and also wanted to play the reti in a match because previously I’ve had my king blown open – reti has a safer king for longer.

Still learning

[Keith Arkell]

3b1rk1/8/ppnq1r1p/2p2ppb/2Pp4/PP1P1NPP/2QN1PB1/4RRK1 b - - 4 33

This is simply a horrible position. I think someone like Ivanchuk or Aronian would make it look like a forced win for Black.

[Kevin O'Rourke]

Which move did i first start to go wrong do you think? I must attack more next time.

[Roger de Coverly]

Which move did i first start to go wrong do you think?

It could be as early as move 2 if you don't know your way in the Modern Benoni. As Jack suggested earlier, in the middle game you reach, it's usually necessary to break out with b4. When Black plays .. c5 in such positions, lashing out immediately with b4 can make sense. That's a reversed Benko.

There is a key point when playing 1. Nf3 as to how to meet 1. .. d5. You can reverse a Black system naturally enough, but some work better than others.

[Richard Bates]

Which move did i first start to go wrong do you think? I must attack more next time.

Move 7? Arguably move 3...