My point is, at below master level all one really needs to do is to not make blunders and he will be good to go. You don't need strong grasp of what to do in a position. You just need basic, very basic opening principles and that's it. You can keep on making "ok" moves and as long as u don't blunder, you will win
Then why are you only a 1700?
One point that you seem to overlook is that we are talking about Human beings, not engines... and in games between real people, bad positions tend to generate bad moves. Very few people continue to play as strongly when under serious pressure as they do when in a commanding position.
This is one of the reasons that tactics tend to flow from a superior position... the simple fact that accurate moves are easier to FIND when you are the one applying pressure, rather than being under pressure yourself.
Another obvious reason, of course, is the fact that winning moves only exist in winning positions. That's one of the things that MAKES them winning positions.
Well that is simple to answer, i am only 1780 because i make tons of mistakes... however if u are looking for words from an actual GM who has been coaching for decades, i suggest taking the words of ben finegold. He has said that in a game between low rated players, both players play badly until one player makes the worst move of all times and then he loses.... it cannot be more accurate than that.
At my level or even at level till 2200, people will regularly make inaccuracies(positional inaccuracies) and it won't matter since the other person isn't good enough to notice and exploit it. The games are decided based on blunders, that's the end of it. Just like in my last game i made inaccuracies and so did my opponent but it didn't matter before the big blunder he made.
In short, just don't make blunders and the only way to avoid it is to practice visualization and calculation. Nothing else matters at this level, blunders are what decides games
...I've never actually had these tactics come up in a game...
Tactics flow from a superior position. If you don't know how to reach advantageous positions, you won't have the opportunity to play many tactical shots.
That's one of the truest things I've seen on these forums. People are often amazed at tactical combinations like Morphy's Opera game. The tactics are not the impressive part, the knight sacrifice that begins the combination in that game just begs to be made and I'm sure any intermediate player would find that if it was presented as a puzzle. The genius imo lies in getting to a position where the pieces are so well coordinated that such an attack is possible, not in carrying out the attack.
Or in simple terms, everything is connected with everything else. Strategy, positional thinking and tactics go hand in hand.
That is completely wrong. "Tactics flow from a superior position" is a quote by a GM for GMs... it doesn't apply at all to anyone below masters. People who are not at the minimum level of skill are simply not good enough to take advantage of a "superior" position. This quote assumes that you already are good enough.
I often compare chess with gaming since they are so similar. For example in gaming you can give someone the strategically better "highground" position and it won't matter if his aim and combat is not good enough to make use of that position. Same is with chess, your position can strategically be winning but if you are missing stuff then it doesn't matter.
Please look up games of the world rapid championship, the lower board games. People who were rated 1800-2000(very few of them but they were there) were missing many moves and making tons of mistakes, the strength of their position doesn't matter... all that matters is who is it who will "stop making any more mistakes".
I can give u a strategically crushing position against magnus where his pieces can't move and you have a crushing attack(but no forced mate or anything) and u will still lose since u will just miss stuff which he wont'. Magnus even beat a GM by giving that GM 8 moves at the start... that's how little "superior" position matters if u are missing stuff
It's nonsense to imagine that only GMs can exploit superior positions. What are the rest of us doing then? And tactics may flow naturally from superior positions .... because that's what makes them superior. But if by some misfortune you have an inferior position, you have to make the tactics work or you'll lose.