Tactics

A subordinate part of strategy, concerned with carrying out the individual operations of the strategic plan. Tactics can also matter in its own right in winning a game — single tactical blows often decide the outcome of the whole battle. Where strategy rests on the general principles of play, tactics rests on concrete calculation of the real possibilities contained in the given position.

Tactical ideas

The most important and most frequent themes among tactical ideas are the following:

• Decoy — an enemy piece is lured onto a square that is bad for it.
• Blocking — an enemy piece is forced to occupy a square its own side needs for another piece.
• Deflection — an enemy piece is drawn away from a square it defends.
• Clearance — a square is vacated by one's own pawn or piece so that another piece can take its place.
• Interference — the line of action of an enemy piece is cut off.
• Removing the defender — the piece defending the target of the attack is eliminated.
• Zugzwang.
• Smothered mate.
• Double attack.
• Discovered attack — an attack delivered by moving some piece or pawn off the attacking piece's line of action.