Answers.Body: <p>"Winning" means that the advantage is large enough that one side can be expected to win, not merely draw. "Better" means that one side has an advantage but it is not necessarily enough to  claim a win.</p>
  
  <p>The terms aren't scientific; there can be a lot of grey.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-01-10T12:21:44.443Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-01-10T12:21:44.443Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Tony Ennis
Answers.Body: <p>"White is winning" means that White should be able to FORCE a win with proper play.</p>
  
  <p>"White is better" means that White has a clear advantage, but if Black plays perfectly going forward, he will be able to draw (or win).</p>
  
  <p>It often takes only one more advantage to get from "White is better" to "White is winning."</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-01-26T20:23:22.527Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-01-26T20:23:22.527Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Tom Au
Answers.Body: <p>In the late stages of the game, an advantage can be easily recognized to be enough to win or not. In the earlier stages (the end of the opening, typically), it's a lot harder to tell.</p>
  
  <p>If White is better, <strong>and if he manages to obtain something sizeable out of this avantage</strong>, then he will win. If Black fights well, he'll still manage to draw, or turn the tables and win.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-01-10T14:37:01.800Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-01-10T14:37:01.800Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Body: <p>Many times in literature there are statements like "White/Black is winning" or "White/Black is better". How does one differentiate between the two? How could it be possible for White to be better and not be winning, or be winning and not better? Is there really a difference between the two or are they the same thing?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2013-01-11T00:55:09.720Z
Comments.Text: When one side is said to be winning, that means with perfect play from both sides (the losing and winning side), the winning side will still win the game no matter what. If a position is better, that just means that one said has the advantage, his position might be easier to play, he has more space, or what have you, but with perfect play from both sides, it will still result in a draw.
Comments.UserDisplayName: flicflac
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2013-01-11T06:29:47.093Z
Comments.Text: @flicflac: I agree, and to the last sentence: or a win, only we can't tell already.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Tags: <terminology>
Title: What's the difference between "White is winning" and "White is better"?
ThreadText: # What's the difference between "White is winning" and "White is better"?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2013-01-10)
  
  Many times in literature there are statements like "White/Black is winning" or "White/Black is better". How does one differentiate between the two? How could it be possible for White to be better and not be winning, or be winning and not better? Is there really a difference between the two or are they the same thing?
  
  **Tags:** terminology
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: When one side is said to be winning, that means with perfect play from both sides (the losing and winning side), the winning side will still win the game no matter what. If a position is better, that just means that one said has the advantage, his position might be easier to play, he has more space, or what have you, but with perfect play from both sides, it will still result in a draw.  
  > **username_2**: @username_1: I agree, and to the last sentence: or a win, only we can't tell already.  
  
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  ## 3 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2013-01-10. Score: 6 | Accepted answer
  
  In the late stages of the game, an advantage can be easily recognized to be enough to win or not. In the earlier stages (the end of the opening, typically), it's a lot harder to tell.
  
  If White is better, **and if he manages to obtain something sizeable out of this avantage**, then he will win. If Black fights well, he'll still manage to draw, or turn the tables and win.
  
  
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  ### Answer by username_3 on 2013-01-10. Score: 4
  
  "Winning" means that the advantage is large enough that one side can be expected to win, not merely draw. "Better" means that one side has an advantage but it is not necessarily enough to claim a win.
  
  The terms aren't scientific; there can be a lot of grey.
  
  
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  ### Answer by username_4 on 2013-01-26. Score: 1
  
  "White is winning" means that White should be able to FORCE a win with proper play.
  
  "White is better" means that White has a clear advantage, but if Black plays perfectly going forward, he will be able to draw (or win).
  
  It often takes only one more advantage to get from "White is better" to "White is winning."
  
  
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