Agreed to #38
Strategy vs Tactics. Is there a difference indeed?
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Strategy and tactics are two different matters. Strategy is a macroconcept, tactics a mesoconcept.
Strategy may concern - optimizing piece activity, activating a rook to the third rank, gaining the bishop pair in an open game, dominating a spatial zone with the idea to lift pieces to the top ranks, forming a center cluster, outposts, etc.
Tactics are more about unraveling the key to dislodge an opponent's king or capturing pieces. They are specific maneuvers for specific, quantifiable goals which may or may not contribute to the original stratagem. Conversely, tactics may or may not follow strategy.
Sebastien7193 wrote:
"but again difficult to define precisely."
That's my point, I cannot see here a clear definition. What is short term/long term is blury.
'Tactics is knowing what to do when there is something to do.
Strategy is knowing what to do when there is nothing to do.' - Tartakower
Same here, how to define formally when there is something or nothing to do. If there is really nothing to do, it's a draw or a checkmate. Does it means strategy is when the game is over ?
What I understand on the diff you make between evaluate vs calculate is the horizon of calculation. If so, when this horizon is reach for a given player, which skill do this player use to evaluate a position (different than calculation) ?
Sorry to insist but I still don't see a real/formal difference between the two.
When there's no direct advantage to be gained, say in a drawn position, the player has to transpose the board to a situation where there is a positional advantage. This is strategy.
Now the concrete piece play when there's direct tension on the board, that involves tactical thinking. Do you see the difference now? It is very distinct and exactly as Tartakower stated a century ago.
Let me formalize to see if I got it :
Strategy is calculate for better position, tactics is calculate for material gain ?
Am I right ?
it is just as Tartakower defines it.
Next try : Tactics is subpart of strategy ?
yes...
Strategy is the goal, tactics are the way to achieve it ?
it is the same with economics. microeconomics and macroeconomics.
that's right.
"but again difficult to define precisely."
That's my point, I cannot see here a clear definition. What is short term/long term is blury.
'Tactics is knowing what to do when there is something to do.
Strategy is knowing what to do when there is nothing to do.' - Tartakower
Same here, how to define formally when there is something or nothing to do. If there is really nothing to do, it's a draw or a checkmate. Does it means strategy is when the game is over ?
What I understand on the diff you make between evaluate vs calculate is the horizon of calculation. If so, when this horizon is reach for a given player, which skill do this player use to evaluate a position (different than calculation) ?
Sorry to insist but I still don't see a real/formal difference between the two.