In chess, a "position" describes an exact arrangement of specific pieces on the chessboard. Especially early in a chess game, during a period known as the "opening," positions are achieved that have been reached many thousands of times in the recorded history of chess. However, because the number potential positions in a chess game increases exponentially with every move, eventually most games arrive at a position that has never been reached before in the recorded history of chess.
Positions can be evaluated and assessed through chess analysis and/or computer evaluation to determine which side (white or black) seems to have an advantage. Positions are typically assessed on a scale from "crushing" (a huge advantage for one player) to "winning" (a strong advantage) to "better" (a slight advantage) to "drawn" (no clear advantage for either player). Positional advantages can be improved or lost over time if one player or the other makes a blunder or a series of mistakes or inaccuracies.