What Is Tactics?

In chess, strategy is your long-term plan, while tactics are short-term combinations.

Strategy vs Tactics

• Strategy: "Let's attack the kingside" (long-term goal)
• Tactics: "Fork with the knight to win the queen" (specific move combination)

The Essence of Tactics

Tactics exploit your opponent's weaknesses right now.

Key tactical patterns:
1. Fork: One piece attacks two targets simultaneously
2. Pin: A piece cannot move because it would expose a more valuable piece
3. Skewer: Attacking a valuable piece to get at the one behind it
4. Discovered Attack: Moving a piece to unleash an attack from behind