What is the meaning and importance of strategically and tactically thinking?

What ids the difference between those two?

Borg, this one's yours...

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/if-you-know

All over again?

Ok, I'll bite.

Tactics the the calculation of moves and responses to moves.  Its the ability to visualize and say "ok, i go here, he goes there, i go there, im up a pawn at the end."  The result of tactical victories is typically material, meaning you end up having more forces to work with than the other guy does.  For new or lower level players tactics is critical.  You have to be able to keep your forces safe and see where you can threaten the opponent.  If you are dropping material without compensation no amount of strategic thinking will help.

Strategy is concerned with elements of the position that do not deal directly with with material gain or loss.  This could be things like controlling space, diagonals, files, or key squares, making your pieces more active and limiting the activity of the enemy pieces, creating positions that favor the type of minor pieces you have, pawn structure, etc.  All of this kind of thing is important, and becomes more important as you improve a player, but it is often said that chess is 99% tactics.  As I said above, tactics first.  Without sound tactics the pressure that good strategic thinking brings can not be made effective.

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