
Three kinds of wins
Looking at elite chess games that ended in a win I have noticed three different patterns:
1) The technical win, where the stronger party accumulates small advantages and mounts ever more pressure until the opponent crumbles. This is the grind.
2) The attacker executes a clever sacrifice that secures a winning edge, such as a material plus or a winning endgame.
3) The loser simply blunders, allowing a tactic by the opponent that wins material or threatens mate.