Chien Ming Chess Blog

Strategy : long term plan. More abstract. Some elements : development, initiative, tempo, pressure, control center-square-files-diagonals etc

Tactic : A sequence of moves that give immediate advantage. Tactic is “short term/ more concrete”. Some elements : mate,capture,threat, fork, pin, back rank, discovery check, etc

Strategy requires thought. Tactics require observation. – Max Euwe

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.

Strategy is a piece of stone you are working on, and tactics is basically the instrument you use to cut the stone. So we should see tactics as an instrument to help us to achieve what we want to achieve. - Petrosian

If one thinks strategy as a block of marble, then tactics are the chisel with which a master operates in creating works of chess art - Petrosian