Döntetlennél is fontos a stratégia.

Döntetlen means draw, tie, or tied result.

The ending -nál / -nél is a Hungarian case ending that literally often means at / by / near, but it is also used in more abstract meanings. In this sentence, döntetlennél means something like:

• in a draw
• when it is a draw
• in the case of a tie

So Döntetlennél is fontos a stratégia means that strategy matters even when the result is tied.

A very close paraphrase would be:

• Döntetlen esetén is fontos a stratégia.
  = Strategy is important even in the case of a draw.

It actually is döntetlennél in spelling, but that contains a doubled n sound because of how the word is built.

Breakdown:

• döntetlen = draw / tied
• stem ends in -n
• case ending is -nál / -nél

When -nél is added to a stem ending in n, the result is naturally nn:

• döntetlen + nél = döntetlennél

This is normal Hungarian spelling and pronunciation.

Is usually means also / too, but in many contexts it can be translated more naturally as even.

Here, Döntetlennél is fontos a stratégia most naturally means:

• Strategy is important even in a draw.

The idea is that strategy is important not only in clearly winning or losing situations, but also / even when things are tied.

So is adds the sense of inclusion:

• not just in other situations
• in a draw too

Hungarian often leaves out the verb to be in the present tense, third person singular/plural, when one noun or adjective describes another.

So:

• A stratégia fontos. = Strategy is important.
• literally: The strategy important.

This is completely normal Hungarian grammar.

If you changed the tense or person, the verb would appear:

• A stratégia fontos volt. = The strategy was important.
• A stratégia fontos lesz. = The strategy will be important.
• Fontos vagyok. = I am important.

So in your sentence, the missing van is not an omission in casual speech; it is the standard grammatical form.

Hungarian word order is flexible, and it often reflects focus, topic, and what the speaker wants to emphasize.

In Döntetlennél is fontos a stratégia, the opening phrase Döntetlennél is sets the situation or frame:

• Even in a draw, strategy is important.

This feels natural if the speaker is talking about different situations and wants to highlight the draw situation.

If you say:

• A stratégia döntetlennél is fontos.

that is also natural, and it may feel a bit closer to:

• Strategy is important even in a draw.

Both are possible. The difference is mostly about emphasis and information structure, not basic meaning.

In Hungarian, adjectives used in predicate position do not agree with the noun in number or gender the way they do in many Indo-European languages.

So:

• A stratégia fontos. = The strategy is important.
• A stratégiák fontosak. = The strategies are important.

Notice that in the singular, fontos stays just fontos.

Also, Hungarian has no grammatical gender, so there is no masculine/feminine/neuter agreement to worry about.

It can function as both, depending on context.

As an adjective:

• döntetlen meccs = a tied match / a draw

As a noun:

• A meccs döntetlen lett. = The match ended in a draw.
• döntetlennél = in the case of a draw / at a draw

In your sentence, döntetlen is being used more like a noun-like concept: a draw / tie.

This kind of flexibility is common in Hungarian.

Yes. Both are possible, and the difference is mainly about style and emphasis.

Because of is, the sentence can suggest:

• too / also
• even

Possible English renderings:

• Strategy is important in a tie too.
• Strategy is also important in a tie.
• Even in a tie, strategy is important.

In many contexts, even sounds best because it captures the sense that a draw might seem like a special or limiting situation, but strategy still matters there.

Usually, döntetlennél is better here.

Why?

• -ban / -ben usually means in / inside
• -nál / -nél can express at, but also in the case of, when it comes to, or under the condition of

With something like döntetlen as a game state or result, döntetlennél sounds more idiomatic for:

• in a draw situation
• when the score is tied

Using döntetlenben would sound less natural in this meaning.

Stratégia is an international loanword, similar to strategy in English.

It is pronounced approximately:

• shtrah-TAY-ghee-aw

More carefully:

• str at the beginning is pronounced with Hungarian s = sh
• té has a long é
• gia is pronounced clearly, not reduced like in English

A rough English-speaker guide:

• SHTRAA-tay-ghee-aw

Also remember:

• Hungarian stress is almost always on the first syllable
• so the main stress is on stra-

Usually, a stratégia is the more natural choice here.

Hungarian often uses the definite article a / az in places where English may use no article.

So:

• Fontos a stratégia. = Strategy is important.
• literally: The strategy is important, but in context it can still mean strategy in a general sense

If you said just:

• Döntetlennél is fontos stratégia

that would sound incomplete or unnatural in standard Hungarian.

So for this sentence, keep a stratégia.