Putting it all together

Material is only one of the imbalances you weigh. A pawn — sometimes a piece — can be a fair price for more active pieces, a better structure, or a safer king, when what you get back is worth more over the whole game. When several advantages are yours, don't drift move to move: pick the most important one and build a plan around it.

Converting a winning position takes one more habit — shut down the opponent's counterplay first, then simplify toward an ending where your edge decides.