Chess Tactics and Strategy

Introduction to Tactics and Strategy

• Chess is 90% Tactics
• You need to know these fundamendal tactical patterns
  • Double Attack / Fork
  • Pin
  • Skewer
  • Discovery
  • Discovered / Double Check
• These basic checkmate patterns occur at the end or as the climax of many tactical combinations like
  • Smothered Checkmate
  • Support Checkmate
  • Back Rank Checkmate
• "Tactics are the servant of strategy" - Mikhail Botvinnik
  • A good pieace leads to good tactics
    • How many squares does my piece control?
    • Is it safe?
  • Long term "strategical plans" are based on recognizing and attacking pawn weaknesses:
    • Doubled Pawns
    • Isolated Pawns
    • Backward Pawns