IM Alex Astaneh - The Ultimate Guide to Positional Chess Mastery

In this episode, I sat down with IM Alex Astaneh to explore the fundamentals of positional chess and discuss his Chessable course, "Positional Chess Patterns Manual." Alex's course is designed to help players internalize essential positional concepts through repeatable patterns. We analyzed instructive examples from Magnus Carlsen's games, particularly how he leverages color complexes, weak squares, and outposts to systematically dominate his opponents. Alex emphasized how pattern recognition and structured thinking allow strong players to find the right plans quickly, even in complex positions.

Beyond strategy, we discussed how to train positional understanding more effectively, focusing on clarity in learning, board vision, and structured study techniques. I shared my approach to cleaning up positions for better learning outcomes, removing unnecessary distractions so students can focus on the core strategic ideas. Alex also highlighted the importance of reverse-engineering winning positions, especially in endgames, by identifying ideal setups and working backward to achieve them. This episode is packed with insights that can help you develop a deeper understanding of chess strategy.

Alex's Chessable courses: https://www.chessable.com/author/Astaneh/Alex's Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@alexastanehIn

My Chessable Courses: https://chessable.com/drcan

00:00 Intro

02:19 Why He Created "The Positional Chess Patterns Manual"

15:03 The Difference Between Positional Chess and Strategic Play

27:17 Power Outpost

46:06 The Course Creation Process

54:43 Carlsen's Blitz Games (Color Complex)

01:15:40 How to Build Up the Knowledge (Weak Square)

01:24:01 Pseudo Outpost

01:25:42 How to Teach Beginners

01:37:32 Power Outpost and Pseudo Outpost Combo

01:46:45 Pseudo Outpost in the Classical Structure

01:52:29 Exchange Sacrifice

01:53:54 Schematic Thinking

02:02:44 Outro & Future Plans