Being accurate means playing the "correct" moves, eg, moves recommended by the strongest engines. In many positions there are multiple candidate moves that can be correct but style often dictates the move chosen
What does 'accuracy' mean?
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Sep 26, 2017
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#3
An inaccuracy is where you play a move that is not quite the best, but is far from a mistake. Grandmasters can take advantage of an accumulation of inaccuracies. An accurate move is considered a good move. An excellent move is one which the engine thinks is very strong.
Cheers, and I hope you improve your chess, friend. 
Sep 26, 2017
0
#4
Harmbtn wrote:
Sometimes you can execute a general plan with many different moves or move orders, but in tactical positions that require calculation there are usually only a few really good moves that keep the initiative alive (or keep your position from collapsing).
Morphy was an extremely accurate attacker, meaning he was really good at finding the moves that put his opponent under maximum fire. It's not related to predictability
Totally agree....but it is important to note that inaccuracies gradually build to an inferior position. GMs take full advantage of such.
Neskitzy wrote:
Being accurate means playing the "correct" moves, eg, moves recommended by the strongest engines. In many positions there are multiple candidate moves that can be correct but style often dictates the move chosen
The term is older than engines though isn't it? It was a contemporary of Morphy's who used it of him.
LeonSKennedy992 wrote:
An inaccuracy is where you play a move that is not quite the best, but is far from a mistake. Grandmasters can take advantage of an accumulation of inaccuracies. An accurate move is considered a good move. An excellent move is one which the engine thinks is very strong.
Cheers, and I hope you improve your chess, friend.
Thank you, that is helpful! So an inaccurate move is one which weakens one's prospects in the scheme of things, though perhaps only subtly, when there was a stronger move available?
Harmbtn wrote:
Sometimes you can execute a general plan with many different moves or move orders, but in tactical positions that require calculation there are usually only a few really good moves that keep the initiative alive (or keep your position from collapsing).
Morphy was an extremely accurate attacker, meaning he was really good at finding the moves that put his opponent under maximum fire. It's not related to predictability
Very helpful, thank you! I get the distinction between accuracy and predictability now.
michaelpulsford wrote:
Thank you, that is helpful! So an inaccurate move is one which weakens one's prospects in the scheme of things, though perhaps only subtly, when there was a stronger move available?
That's the gist of it
As LeonSKennedy992 said as well. Grandmasters don't even need their opponents to make any serious mistakes to beat them. They pressure them to make small inaccuracies here and there and slowly accumulate an advantage over time until everything collapses.
Sometimes you see the best players have a completely winning position and it's hard to say when it went wrong for the other side.
DeirdreSkye wrote:
Accuracy means to play a series of moves that will you a specific positional advantage, in a way that prevents the opponent from stopping you.
Usualy that is achieved by creating minor tactical threats.
For example:
In the above position . white wants to double rooks on d-file.
He can play 1.Rd4 preparing Rfd1.But this is inaccurate because allows Black to challenge the file with 1...Rad8 or 1...Rfd8.
So the accurate move is 1.Rd6 threatening the queen and winning the tempo that he needs to double the rooks.
Now white wants to advance his q-side majority or invade with his rooks on the 7th rank The advance of the q-side pawns is not possible for now and Nf6 guards d7, so the invasion of rooks is also not possible.White wants to play Be5 chasing away Nf6 and protecting c3 followed by b4-c4 or/and Rd7.
Again accuracy is needed.If 3.Be5 then 3...Nd5 gives Black adequate defense as the white rooks are no longer connected.Again a minor tactical threat gives the solution.
Super helpful, thanks so much!
Please excuse my ignorance, but I haven't yet been able to find a definition of what 'accuracy' means in a chess context. It sounds from the face of it to mean the degree to which one follows a template or pattern correctly, which sounds a lot like predictability. But then I read someone describing Paul Morphy as the most accurate player they'd ever seen, and I wouldn't have described Morphy as predictable. So I'm confused. Can anyone please clarify?