In reading and listening to analysis I often hear the phrase "and now so and so has a winning position."
My question is: doesn't that depend upon the skill level of the players? A position with a very high probability of winning (four sigma or more) between 1800 rank players may have only an b ordinary probability of winning (one sigma) in a game between 1200 level players.
Or does winning position mean a position that would win even against a grandmaster no matter what the level of the players in the game being analyzed might be?
"Winning position" simply means the game will result in a win with good or correct play. Alone, it does not factor in practicality or level.
That's why commentary may include caveats such as "it is a winning position for Black, but Black needs to be precise." - indicating practical chances for a win to slip.
Or maybe there's a game between lower-rated people, and a commentator says, "This is a winning position for White, but White needs to understand this endgame to convert." - indicating that the skill of the player is suspect in executing the win.
In reading and listening to analysis I often hear the phrase "and now so and so has a winning position."
My question is: doesn't that depend upon the skill level of the players? A position with a very high probability of winning (four sigma or more) between 1800 rank players may have only an b ordinary probability of winning (one sigma) in a game between 1200 level players.
Or does winning position mean a position that would win even against a grandmaster no matter what the level of the players in the game being analyzed might be?