I don't usually lose much strength when cutting, unless I go to super low levels.
1) Total calories are the most important. Finding your optimal deficit is best. The smallest deficit that still allows you to continually drop weight is the best (slow and steady). I also tend to look at this over the course of the week rather than each single day, hardest training days of the week may still be in a slight surplus, but overall weekly intake will be in a deficit.
2) Macros are next. When performance is involved I'd prefer to keep the carbohydrates as high as possible while still allowing for desired amount of fat loss (so with protein typically being untouched this means dropping predominantly fats to drop calories on training days). Training days higher carbohydrates and lower fats, non-training days lower carbohydrates and more fats (if total calories allow).
3) Timing follows these. Again with performance and lbm retention as the top goals keeping carbohydrates around workouts (and usually during workouts as well) seems to work best. This is the last place I would remove carbohydrates from as things progress.
Exact amounts will depend on current condition, training, and metabolism. There is still plenty of room to tweak these for each persons needs and for the approach that seems to keep them consistent, but these are always in my mind when planning to keep performance up and drop some fat.
