Chess tactic

rdf:langString Chess tactic

rdf:langString In chess, a tactic is a sequence of moves that each makes one or more immediate threats ─ that is, a check, a material threat, a checkmating sequence threat, or the threat of another tactic ─ which culminates in the opponent being unable to respond to all of the threats without conceding an immediate benefit to the opponent. Most often, the immediate benefit takes the form of a material advantage or checkmating attack; however, some tactics are used for defensive purposes and can salvage material that would otherwise be lost, or to induce stalemate in an otherwise lost position. Tactics are usually contrasted with strategy, whereby the individual moves by themselves don't make indefensible threats, and the cumulative advantage of the moves takes longer to be capitalised on. In rough terms, the dichotomy can be summarised as tactics concerning short-term play and strategy concerning long-term play. Examples of strategic advantages are weaknesses in, compromised pawn structure in, and sustained pressure on, the opponent's position. Often, to dichotomize strategy and tactics, sequences of moves that make strategic instead of tactical threats or use tactical threats to obtain a strategic advantage are also classified as tactics. Tactics usually follow one of a number of repeating patterns; these include forks, skewers, batteries, discovered attacks, undermining, overloading, deflection, pins, and interference. The Encyclopedia of Chess Middlegames gives the following tactics categories: Annihilation of Defense, Blockade, Decoying, Deflection, Demolition of Pawns, Discovered Attack, Double Attack, Interception, Intermediate Move, Overloading, Passed Pawn, Pawns Breakthrough, Pin, Pursuit (perpetual attack), Space Clearance, and X-ray Attack. Often tactics of more than one type are conjoined in a combination.