tactics, what it's all about

[ColonelCrockett]

well, having not played very long I can't give an experienced view of the game so please bear with me. I can tell you from personal experience that this game is mostly tactics. Not in the sense that you win by gaining material (material is usually considered to be tactical in regular chess). But, in the sense that tactics are simple aggressive piece placements (and not the passive moves usually associated with "strategy" in chess) then Gothic is extremely tactical. This is very much a game of attack and counter-attack, there isn't much room for a defense. That should not be viewed as a flaw in the game but an exciting teaching tool. I think we can learn alot from Gothic that will help us with its mother (chess).

[GothicInventor]

When one is new to Gothic Chess, the immediate immersion is with tactics. At almost every turn we see complex combinations that lack a similar launching platform in the "flat" 8x8 chess world.

Once we wend our way through a few turnstiles, and tabias become "old friends", we can start to appreciate the strategical bent a little more.

Consider this opening:

1. c4 f5 2. Nc3 Axc4 3. Nh3

Is is "tactical" in nature, or "strategic"?

Clearly the latter. I have many scalps from BrainKing using this system of play, from either side. In fact, we had a thematic tournament where the first two moves were fixed, producing scintillating games.

Wade deep in the new pool of tactics, but forget not the long and churning waters of the River Strategic!

[ColonelCrockett]

I would be willing to wager that the position you mention is BOTH tactical and strategic. In fact it illustrates my point in some ways. It is just move three and already there is room for tactical error (where most people seem to fail at this game). Perhaps I have made a mistake in using the word "strategy" instead of saying "positional". There is no slow constricting build up of more than a few moves in this game. There is no classical way to play. Every opening configuration (no matter how you look at it) seems to lean more toward the hypermodern style. By-the-by, I have seen a few games from the tournament you mentioned, very interesting stuff. Thematic tournaments are a great tool, it makes the game interesting. (now, enough arguing with the inventor about his game, it's like telling a writer that his story means something different than he wrote it mean, LOL).

[Phil Raymer]

Strategies and tactics are almost the same thing. They are a little different though. A strategy is a long term tactic, and a tactic is a short term strategy. For example; lets say that you can gain a queen in 3 moves. You just made a little strategy to do that, or you can call that a tactic. If you want to attack an isolated pawn, some people call that a strategy, or you can call that a huge tactic.

[Cartaphilus]

If you ever read Gothic Chess Review you'll see a quote on the side of the magazine:

"Tactics is what you do when there is something to do. Strategy is what you do when there is nothing to do."

[Phil Raymer]

I like that saying. I know my next question is off the topic, but I have to know something. Hey Ed; is there a book on Gothic Chess out, or is there going to be a book out soon?