Unforcing Play

It will be a while before I have occasion to read Aagaard's Excelling at Chess, as I have a long way to go before I can think of being good, much less excelling. However, I read a review that pointed out something quite enlightening in the book: the concept of unforcing play. The mere mention of the term brought to mind one of my big failings as a player. Namely, that I'm bound to forcing variations and resolution of tension. eg if a trade is on offer, I'm apt to accept or decline immediately rather than getting on with my way. There are some exceptions - in the Queen's Gambit Declined, I'm used to letting the pawns just stand there for a while. But, seriously, this sort of thing is a big blind spot. This is one thing I notice in some transitions to endings or at the end of endings esp. in Capablanca. I'll have to keep this concept in mind as I play, even if I'm not quite ready for all of Aagaard's insights. I'm sure his discussion is a lot more subtle, but, for the time being, the simple thought that you don't have to force things is very freeing.