Difference between revisions of "Tactics"

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==Evaluation==
 
==Evaluation==
Some programs consider some tactical features in [[Evaluation|evaluation]], i.e. penalties for pieces [[En prise|en prise]] of either side <ref>[http://www.top-5000.nl/authors/rebel/chess840.htm Programmer Stuff] by [[Ed Schroder|Ed Schröder]], (see hanging pieces)</ref>. One may also consider too many [[Hanging Piece|hanging pieces]], even if not actually attacked but the opponent has resources to perform [[Double Attack|double attacks]]. [[Pin|Pinned pieces]] may subject of respective penalties in evaluation as well.
+
Some programs consider some tactical features in [[Evaluation|evaluation]], i.e. penalties for pieces [[En prise|en prise]] of either side. One may also consider too many [[Hanging Piece|hanging pieces]], even if not actually attacked but the opponent has resources to perform [[Double Attack|double attacks]]. [[Pin|Pinned pieces]] may subject of respective penalties in evaluation as well.
  
 
=Terms and Motives=
 
=Terms and Motives=
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* [[Battery]]
 
* [[Battery]]
 
* [[Blockade]]
 
* [[Blockade]]
 +
* [[Captures]]
 
* [[Check]]
 
* [[Check]]
 
* [[Checkmate]]
 
* [[Checkmate]]
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=Publications=
 
=Publications=
 
==Chess==
 
==Chess==
 +
===1980 ...===
 
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolai_Krogius Nikolai Krogius], with A. Livsic, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_Parma Bruno Parma] & [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Taimanov Mark Tajmanov] ('''1980'''). ''Encyclopedia of Chess Middlegames: Combinations''. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_Informant Chess Informant], [http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Middlegames-Livsic-Tajmanov-Krogius/dp/B000UNPDTA amazon]
 
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolai_Krogius Nikolai Krogius], with A. Livsic, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_Parma Bruno Parma] & [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Taimanov Mark Tajmanov] ('''1980'''). ''Encyclopedia of Chess Middlegames: Combinations''. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_Informant Chess Informant], [http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Middlegames-Livsic-Tajmanov-Krogius/dp/B000UNPDTA amazon]
 
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Averbakh Yuri Averbakh] ('''1985'''). ''Chess Tactics for Advanced Players''. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pergamon_Press Pergamon Press], [https://www.newinchess.com/Chess_Tactics_for_Advanced_Players-p-1888.html 2008 edition] by [https://www.newinchess.com/Labate_Chess-pp-149.html Labate Chess], [https://www.amazon.com/Chess-Tactics-Advanced-Players-Averbakh/dp/4871875083 2012 edition] by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishi_Press Ishi Press] with introduction by [[Sam Sloan]]  
 
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Averbakh Yuri Averbakh] ('''1985'''). ''Chess Tactics for Advanced Players''. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pergamon_Press Pergamon Press], [https://www.newinchess.com/Chess_Tactics_for_Advanced_Players-p-1888.html 2008 edition] by [https://www.newinchess.com/Labate_Chess-pp-149.html Labate Chess], [https://www.amazon.com/Chess-Tactics-Advanced-Players-Averbakh/dp/4871875083 2012 edition] by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishi_Press Ishi Press] with introduction by [[Sam Sloan]]  
 +
===1990 ...===
 +
* [[Eric Schiller]] ('''1995'''). ''[https://www.amazon.com/Big-Book-Combinations-Competitive-Chess/dp/1886040141 Big Book of Combinations]''. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Eade Hypermodern Press] <ref>[http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/copying.html Copying] by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Winter_(chess_historian) Edward Winter]</ref>
 
* [http://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A1n_Jen%C5%91 Jenő Bán] ('''1997'''). ''The tactics of endgames''. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dover_Publications Dover Publications], ISBN-13: 978-0486297057, [http://www.amazon.com/The-Tactics-End-Games-Jeno-Ban/dp/0486297055 amazon.com]
 
* [http://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A1n_Jen%C5%91 Jenő Bán] ('''1997'''). ''The tactics of endgames''. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dover_Publications Dover Publications], ISBN-13: 978-0486297057, [http://www.amazon.com/The-Tactics-End-Games-Jeno-Ban/dp/0486297055 amazon.com]
 +
===2000 ...===
 
* [http://www.werder-schach.de/index.php?id=dates Claus Dieter Meyer], [[Karsten Müller]] ('''2002'''). ''The Magic of Chess Tactics''. Russell Enterprises, ISBN-13: 978-1888690149, [http://www.scr-kuppenheim.de/test/magic.htm Rezension]  from [http://www.scr-kuppenheim.de/rochade/index.html Schachgemeinschaft Caissa-Rochade Kuppenheim 1979 e. V.] (German), [http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Chess-Tactics-Claus-Dieter/dp/1888690143 amazon], [http://www.chessbase.com/shop/product.asp?pid=462 DVD] from [[ChessBase]]
 
* [http://www.werder-schach.de/index.php?id=dates Claus Dieter Meyer], [[Karsten Müller]] ('''2002'''). ''The Magic of Chess Tactics''. Russell Enterprises, ISBN-13: 978-1888690149, [http://www.scr-kuppenheim.de/test/magic.htm Rezension]  from [http://www.scr-kuppenheim.de/rochade/index.html Schachgemeinschaft Caissa-Rochade Kuppenheim 1979 e. V.] (German), [http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Chess-Tactics-Claus-Dieter/dp/1888690143 amazon], [http://www.chessbase.com/shop/product.asp?pid=462 DVD] from [[ChessBase]]
 
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasser_Seirawan Yasser Seirawan] ('''2003'''). ''Winning Chess Tactics'', Everyman Chess, ISBN-13: 978-1857443332, [http://www.amazon.com/Winning-Chess-Tactics-Yasser-Seirawan/dp/1857443330 amazon]
 
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasser_Seirawan Yasser Seirawan] ('''2003'''). ''Winning Chess Tactics'', Everyman Chess, ISBN-13: 978-1857443332, [http://www.amazon.com/Winning-Chess-Tactics-Yasser-Seirawan/dp/1857443330 amazon]
 
* [[John Nunn]] ('''2003'''). ''[http://www.classicalgames.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=000590&Category_Code= Learn Chess Tactics]''. Gambit Publications, ISBN-13: 978-1901983982, [http://www.amazon.com/Learn-Chess-Tactics-John-Nunn/dp/1901983986 amazon]
 
* [[John Nunn]] ('''2003'''). ''[http://www.classicalgames.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=000590&Category_Code= Learn Chess Tactics]''. Gambit Publications, ISBN-13: 978-1901983982, [http://www.amazon.com/Learn-Chess-Tactics-John-Nunn/dp/1901983986 amazon]
 
* [[John Nunn]] ('''2003'''). ''Tactical Chess Endings''. Batsford, ISBN-13: 978-0713459371, [http://www.amazon.com/Tactical-Chess-Endings-Improve-Unlocking/dp/0713459379 amazon]
 
* [[John Nunn]] ('''2003'''). ''Tactical Chess Endings''. Batsford, ISBN-13: 978-0713459371, [http://www.amazon.com/Tactical-Chess-Endings-Improve-Unlocking/dp/0713459379 amazon]
 +
* [[Eric Schiller]], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Keene Raymond Keene], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonid_Shamkovich Leonid Shamkovich] ('''2003'''). ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580421113/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p4_i3 Killer Chess Tactics : World Champion Tactics and Combinations]''.  [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avery_Cardoza#Cardoza_Publishing_Books Cardoza]
 
* [http://www.chessgames.com/player/paul_e_littlewood.html Paul Littlewood] ('''2004'''). ''[http://www.classicalgames.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=001138&AFFIL=JEREMY Chess Tactics]''. Batsford Chess Book, ISBN-13: 978-0713489347, [http://www.jeremysilman.com/book_reviews_jd/jd_chess_tactics.html Reviewed] by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_John_Donaldson John Donaldson], [http://www.amazon.com/Chess-Tactics-Batsford-Book/dp/0713489340 amazon]
 
* [http://www.chessgames.com/player/paul_e_littlewood.html Paul Littlewood] ('''2004'''). ''[http://www.classicalgames.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=001138&AFFIL=JEREMY Chess Tactics]''. Batsford Chess Book, ISBN-13: 978-0713489347, [http://www.jeremysilman.com/book_reviews_jd/jd_chess_tactics.html Reviewed] by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_John_Donaldson John Donaldson], [http://www.amazon.com/Chess-Tactics-Batsford-Book/dp/0713489340 amazon]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Polgar Susan Polgar] ('''2006'''). ''Chess Tactics for Champions''. Random House Puzzles & Games, ISBN-13: 978-0812936711, [http://www.chess.com/article/view/book-review-chess-tactics-for-champions Book Review] from [http://www.chess.com/ Chess.com], [http://www.amazon.com/Chess-Tactics-Champions-step-step/dp/081293671X/ref=pd_sim_b_2 amazon]
+
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Polgar Susan Polgar] ('''2006'''). ''Chess Tactics for Champions''. Random House Puzzles & Games, ISBN-13: 978-0812936711, [http://www.chess.com/article/view/book-review-chess-tactics-for-champions Book Review] from [[Chess.com]]
  
 
==Computer Chess==
 
==Computer Chess==
 +
==1960 ...==
 
* [[Jack Good]] ('''1968'''). ''A Five-Year Plan for Automatic Chess''. Machine Intelligence II pp. 110-115, excerpts reprinted in [[Computer Chess Compendium]], covering Quiescence, Turbulence, and Agitation <ref>[[David Levy]], [[Computer Chess Compendium]], Chapter 3, Position Evaluation pp. 112: Perhaps non-linear evaluation functions will become popular at some future date, in which case some of Good's ideas will come into their own.</ref>
 
* [[Jack Good]] ('''1968'''). ''A Five-Year Plan for Automatic Chess''. Machine Intelligence II pp. 110-115, excerpts reprinted in [[Computer Chess Compendium]], covering Quiescence, Turbulence, and Agitation <ref>[[David Levy]], [[Computer Chess Compendium]], Chapter 3, Position Evaluation pp. 112: Perhaps non-linear evaluation functions will become popular at some future date, in which case some of Good's ideas will come into their own.</ref>
 
* [[Hans Berliner]] ('''1974'''). ''Chess as Problem Solving: The Development of a Tactics Analyser''. '''Ph.D. thesis''', [[Carnegie Mellon University]]
 
* [[Hans Berliner]] ('''1974'''). ''Chess as Problem Solving: The Development of a Tactics Analyser''. '''Ph.D. thesis''', [[Carnegie Mellon University]]
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* [[Steven Walczak]], [http://www.cise.ufl.edu/~ddd/ Douglas D. Dankel II] ('''1993'''). ''Acquiring Tactical and Strategic Knowledge with a Generalized Method for Chunking of Game Pieces''. International Journal of Intelligent Systems 8 (2), 249-270.
 
* [[Steven Walczak]], [http://www.cise.ufl.edu/~ddd/ Douglas D. Dankel II] ('''1993'''). ''Acquiring Tactical and Strategic Knowledge with a Generalized Method for Chunking of Game Pieces''. International Journal of Intelligent Systems 8 (2), 249-270.
 
* [[Alexis Drogoul]] ('''1993, 1995'''). ''When Ants Play Chess (Or Can Strategies Emerge From Tactical Behaviors?)'' [http://www.informatik.uni-trier.de/~ley/db/conf/maamaw/maamaw1993.html#Drogoul93 MAAMAW ’93], [http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.50.4902 CiteSeerX] [http://www2.hawaii.edu/~nreed/ics606/papers/drogoul95when.pdf pdf]
 
* [[Alexis Drogoul]] ('''1993, 1995'''). ''When Ants Play Chess (Or Can Strategies Emerge From Tactical Behaviors?)'' [http://www.informatik.uni-trier.de/~ley/db/conf/maamaw/maamaw1993.html#Drogoul93 MAAMAW ’93], [http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.50.4902 CiteSeerX] [http://www2.hawaii.edu/~nreed/ics606/papers/drogoul95when.pdf pdf]
 +
==2000 ...==
 +
* [[Miha Bizjak]], [[Matej Guid]] ('''2021'''). ''Automatic Recognition of Similar Chess Motifs''. [[Advances in Computer Games 17]]
  
 
=Forum Posts=
 
=Forum Posts=
 
* [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.chess.computer/browse_frm/thread/6a777c45b62ce3a1 Some Computer Chess Questions] by MWells, [[Computer Chess Forums|rgcc]], September 1, 1996
 
* [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.chess.computer/browse_frm/thread/6a777c45b62ce3a1 Some Computer Chess Questions] by MWells, [[Computer Chess Forums|rgcc]], September 1, 1996
 +
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=15220 Trouble Spotter] by [[Harm Geert Muller]], [[CCC]], July 19, 2007 » [[Evaluation]]
 
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=53387 Need ideas on recognize 'tactics' from game database] by [[Fermin Serrano]], [[CCC]], August 22, 2014
 
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=53387 Need ideas on recognize 'tactics' from game database] by [[Fermin Serrano]], [[CCC]], August 22, 2014
 
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=66302 Is chess still 99% tactics?] by [[Alvaro Cardoso]], [[CCC]], January 11, 2018
 
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=66302 Is chess still 99% tactics?] by [[Alvaro Cardoso]], [[CCC]], January 11, 2018
 
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=70165 delaying tactics: prune or extend?] by [[Harm Geert Muller]], [[CCC]], March 10, 2019 » [[Selectivity]]
 
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=70165 delaying tactics: prune or extend?] by [[Harm Geert Muller]], [[CCC]], March 10, 2019 » [[Selectivity]]
 
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=70472 Positional and Tactical] by [[Ferdinand Mosca]], [[CCC]], April 11, 2019
 
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=70472 Positional and Tactical] by [[Ferdinand Mosca]], [[CCC]], April 11, 2019
 +
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=74170 Tactical search] by [[Alvaro Cardoso]], [[CCC]], June 13, 2020 » [[Search]], [[Selectivity]]
  
 
=External Links=
 
=External Links=
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<references />
 
<references />
 
'''[[Chess|Up one Level]]'''
 
'''[[Chess|Up one Level]]'''
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[[Category:Quotes]]

Latest revision as of 21:14, 30 November 2021

Home * Chess * Tactics

Mikhail Tal [1] a formidable Tactician!

Tactics in chess is the coordinated task in realizing short-term advantage or equilibration, yielding in mate attack, material gain, or forcing draw in inferior positions. Tactical moves either change the material balance immediately, or in a wider sense, threaten to win material and/or checkmate considering certain tactical motives. Often tactics of several types are conjoined in a combination including short-term sacrifices. While tactics is most often a domain of the middlegame, it already appears in various opening lines, specially gambits, very early in the game. During the endgame, technical or strategical play seems to dominate, but there are many tactical motives like pursuits, stalemate, zugzwang, pawns breakthrough and passed pawns to name a few, to be considered there as well.

The concepts of strategy and tactics in chess and other sports are derived from military origins as defined as a fourfold hierarchy of strategy, operational objective, tactic and task.

Quotes

[2][3]

  • Richard Teichmann: Chess is 99 percent tactics. [4]
  • Gerald Abrahams: The tactician knows what to do when there is something to do; whereas the strategian knows what to do when there is nothing to do.
  • Max Euwe: Strategy requires thought, tactics require observation.

Tactical Positions

Tactical positions usually involve tension and offer tactical motives and moves, possibilities to attack and counter attack kings or valuable pieces, often one tempo is decisive. Tactical positions require concrete calculation rather than strategic long-range planning, and that is what makes most chess programs so strong compared to human players in these kind of positions. On the other hand, certain chess tactics, even if a domain of the computers, are still too complicated and deep for chess programs to solve in a reasonable time frame, and require hours or days of computer and/or human master analysis, to eventually discover the "truth of the position".

Tactics in Chess Programs

Todays rather selective chess programs almost perform an exhaustive search of immediate tactical moves, and even tend to extend them, or at least to don't prune or reduce them, and further perform a quiescence search at horizon nodes. If the iterative deepening search-routine of a chess program "suddenly" recognizes a "big" score jump at the root, there is almost certainly chess tactics involved.

Search Control

Search trees of highly tactical positions tend to be narrow and deep. Often, replies are singular due to forced recaptures or check evasions, triggering for instance check extensions, recapture extensions, singular extensions or one reply extensions. The somehow complement set of non-tactical moves may be reduced by null move pruning, multi-cut and late move reductions. Tactics is therefor covered by search, even with rudimentary evaluation (better with some king safety terms involved) - but positional evaluation and strategical knowledge is necessary to drive the program into tactical positions, where it might out-search the opponent due to its superior search. Anyway, some programs consider some tactical motives in their evaluation or search control, which are usually not subject of a quiescence search, to become aware before they occur two or more plies behind the horizon, especially in PV-nodes and to avoid standing pat if the opponent has some threats.

Evaluation

Some programs consider some tactical features in evaluation, i.e. penalties for pieces en prise of either side. One may also consider too many hanging pieces, even if not actually attacked but the opponent has resources to perform double attacks. Pinned pieces may subject of respective penalties in evaluation as well.

Terms and Motives

Related

Tactical Pattern Programs

See also

Publications

Chess

1980 ...

1990 ...

2000 ...

Computer Chess

1960 ...

2000 ...

Forum Posts

External Links

Wikipedia

Tactic (method)
Military tactics
Tactical politics
Tactics (manga)

Misc

References

  1. Mikhail Tal from Wikipedia, Photo by Gerhard Hund, European Championship 1961 at Oberhausen ]
  2. Chess - Wikiquote
  3. Chess Corner - Chess Quotes
  4. Is chess still 99% tactics? by Alvaro Cardoso, CCC, January 11, 2018
  5. Copying by Edward Winter
  6. David Levy, Computer Chess Compendium, Chapter 3, Position Evaluation pp. 112: Perhaps non-linear evaluation functions will become popular at some future date, in which case some of Good's ideas will come into their own.

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