What does a few knots of battleship speed change strategically?

How important is ship speed at the strategic level, and what difference does 28 knots versus 32 knots make?

Speed determines which operational roles a capital ship can perform: roughly 32 knots supports independent pursuit, 28 knots can suit a carrier group, and about 23 knots confines a ship more closely to the battle line.

A faster ship can pursue independently and gives commanders more choices about where and when to engage. A 28-knot ship can still operate effectively with a carrier force, while a 23-knot battleship belongs more naturally in the battle line. Lower speed may buy the protection needed to enter a heavily contested area and sustain gunfire, so the slower design is not automatically inferior. Range and cruising efficiency remain important, but they do not compensate if one ship forces the rest of its formation to slow down. The useful answer is therefore a balance among speed, armour, firepower, endurance, and the assigned role.