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Basics

Tactic

A short, forcing sequence of moves that wins material or delivers mate.

Tactics are the calculable, concrete side of chess: forks, pins, skewers, discovered attacks and combinations of them. They usually work because something is undefended, overloaded, or exposed.

The saying 'chess is 99% tactics' overstates it, but not by much at the level most games are decided — most points change hands because someone missed a two- or three-move shot.

Why it matters

Nothing raises a rating faster than daily tactics practice. It is the highest-return training there is.

The mistake everyone makes

Studying openings for hours while dropping pieces to simple two-move tactics.

Related terms

Fork
One piece attacking two or more enemy pieces at the same time.
Pin
A piece that cannot move without exposing a more valuable piece behind it.
Sacrifice
Giving up material on purpose for a larger gain — mate, more material, or a winning attack.
Strategy
The long-term plan — where pieces belong and which structures to aim for — as opposed to tactics.

See Tactic in your own games

Play the engine, train tactics, and analyse your games — ChessRanger points out these patterns as they come up so the word turns into a skill. Free to start.

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