OTB Chess: Strategy > Tactics?

I have a good idea.

Learn the fundamentals of strategy, planning and endgames.

Then spend the rest of your time studying tactics, going over master games, and learning about your openings. This is basically what I do.

Some good books:

Strategy: Modern Chess Strategy by Ludek Pachman

Planning: The Amateur's Mind by Jeremy Silman (read this after pachman)

Endings: Silman's Endgame Course by Jeremy Silman

AtahanT> your huge tactical knowlege of ungodly tactical combos

Thanks, but I'm only an intermediate player. It follows that I am only "Okay" at tactics else my rating would be much higher.

Practicality made the point that you have to know the strategies necessary to reach good position, in order for those tactics to materialize. I believe my sample game, and many tournament games, make the opposite point. That while tactics can flow from good strategic play, they also sometimes (often!?) just pop up!

Susan Polgar writes, "[Y]ou can get a lot further by being very good in tactics and have only a basic understanding of strategy." De La Maza broke 2000!

AtahanT> Where/when is it time to put more effort into strategy in ones chess development instead of going deeper into tactics...

The best way to tell is by analyzing your games. That's why I suggested that you post your last three OTB games here so we can see. :)

I'm suprised. The reason I usually lose is to a tactical miscalculation or oversight no matter how good my strategic play has been. If you're that good at tactics, then focus on your strategy quite a bit.

Nobody posting in this thread is that good at tactics.

I'm going by his first post. I need to work more on tactics, they're decent but that's usually why I lose games. But if he doesn't understand chess and doesn't lose on these mistakes, strategy is important. At the very least he must understand the different features of a position and how to use them, while not forgetting to study tactics daily. But no I don't think it's all tactics. You need both, especailly in OTB.

 I use Encyclopedia of Chess Wisdom by National Master Eric Schiller. I also use the tutorials in Chessmaster GrandMaster Edition. Between both I have learned the conepts of maintaining tension in a position, making threats on one side of the board that may leave weaknesses on the other side of the board, good bishops, bad bishops. etc. Don't confuse strategy with positional play.

As a 2000+ player, I think 90% of the time I spend looking at the board is calculating tactics and the other 10% deciding where my pieces want to be (strategy). most of my wins against other 2000+ players have ended with tactical combinations that were set up by good strategy (e.g. active piece placement and provoking weaknesses in my opponents position)

I developed my strategic sense mainly with My Sixty Memorable Games by Robert James Fischer, and My Best Games: Volumes 1 and 2 by Victor Korchnoi, while reading through these I did (and still do) countless chess puzzles either online or from other books I have to constantly work on my tactics

Why is everyone throwing out this U2000 number?  If you haven't played in OTB in a while, you would know pretty much B class in higher require a decent knowledge of opening and endgame strategy... that's why the USCF started rating floors at class B!

 Any advice on what to focus on?