"Chess is 99% tactics(calculations)"

People, mind using your brain!? This „tactics flow from good positions“ is utter BS.

Computers have taught us that there tactics in quiet, lost, bad, undeserved, and hopeless positions.

Everywhere. In other words, 99%.

@Sarg0n said in #31:

People, mind using your brain!? This „tactics flow from good positions“ is utter BS.

Computers have taught us that there tactics in quiet, lost, bad, undeserved, and hopeless positions.

Everywhere. In other words, 99%.

Teichmann, if he ever uttered or wrote those words, was plainly not talking about computers given that he died in 1925.

Chess playing software has indeed taught us that machine hardware plays best if it is programmed to search a vast tree of tactical variations and use its processor time mostly on this rather than on complex evaluation functions. Botvinnik's experimentation with the latter approach was unsuccessful. But this is because the nature of computer hardware is very different from the neurons in a human brain.

As human players we are all different, and perhaps some of us really do use 99% of our playing effort in calculating tactical variations. But I'm pretty sure that I, for one, use something approaching half of my effort in a game on strategical planning.

A question for all:
When you win or lose, is it because of a tactical error or a strategic one?

I may not even understand what you all talking about, what about chance and luck as we are not computers xxx

@SimonBirch said in #35:

I may not even understand what you all talking about, what about chance and luck as we are not computers xxx

Well, quite.

"Chess is and always will be a game of chance." - GM Jan Hein Donner 1927-1988

Ah, yes, chess, where 99% of the game is spent pondering tactics and 1% is deciding whether to sacrifice your queen for dramatic effect. It's all fun and games until you're left with a king and a lone pawn, contemplating the meaning of life on the back rank.

"I don't actually agree with this. Humans are not cars which are objects with hard set limits, we as humans have the ability to change and adapt. Plus 90% of tactics are simple pattern recognition which anyone can master through practice."

The optimism! Yes, we're not cars, we're more like... chess chameleons, constantly changing colors and adapting to the wild world of the chessboard. And about pattern recognition, sure, it's as easy as pie – just memorize a gazillion patterns, and you're basically a tactical superhero. Who needs a brain when you can have a pattern-recognition supercomputer up there? Move over, Deep Blue. We're not just humans; we're tactical wizards in disguise!

Example in this game, there is nothing to play on...tactics only exists if there is anything in the position. Something must happend if there is any tactics. You cant example saq just to saq because "I usually do it"... it can be losing. You cant create tactics, the position must create it first. Tactics can also be like - "oh Im winning a pawn, I'll take it, and im up material". That pawn is poisened so its losing. Well it's tactics, but you use psychology when you trick your'e opponent to take it.
Or example playing Stafford Gambit who are full of tricks. When you playing that opening as black then you use psychology...black are already down -2,3 immedetely...well it's a lot of tactics. .But it can be natural for white to castle kingside or not finding the saving moves who hold the position...But when you play that opening it is a very aggressive opproach..You can psych out your'e opponent in couple of moves then the mistakes will come. Even the tricks doesnt work its still compensation by counterplay for black.
Chess is absract...Thats what it is.

@what_game_is_this said in #34:

A question for all:
When you win or lose, is it because of a tactical error or a strategic one?

I would say 90% of the time there is some tactics involved, but also note:

• At my rating, it is almost impossible to find a game without a few blunders.
• I can spot tactical mistakes more easily (especially looking at the engine analysis).
• Sometimes I think these mistakes are the outcome of an already unfavorable and uncomfortable position.