What is the most aggressive defence against 1.e4

Most aggressive? I dunno, the Scandinavian? The Latvian Gambit? The Danish Gambit? Alekhine's defense?

1...f5

I think I would call 1. ...Nf6 the most ambitious and 1. ...c5 the most aggressive.

richie_and_oprah what do you mean by ambitous and what sicilian opening. I think it would be nadjorf.

Of the theoretically accepted lines in modern superGM play I would venture a guess that the Sicilian is both the most popular and the most 'agressive' ... the french defense (irritatingly enough) has it's strong points too though.

Ambitious means trying to do the most and having the loftiest goals.  Attacking the loose e pawn on move 1 and trying to prove 1.e4 is an error because it leads to an unstable centre is rather ambitious, and hard to achieve/prove.

 

I think the Najdorf is awesome, very solid, but I think the Dragon and some other lines may be more directly aggressive, but so much depends upon one's chess definiton of 'aggression.'

To me, 'aggressive' means trying to force a win before one even equalizes as black, creating complications in that effort, regardless of theoretical status.

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If that's the case how about a gambit? 

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And that is one of its bonuses. People who don't play the French seem to find it really annoying to face.

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Yeah I HATE facing the french!

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The part I find 'annoying' is that in the philisophical world of chess theory, the mainline Winawer should be considered innacurate.  Black could not be considered correct to exchange his good bishop for white's knight, simultaneously leaving white with a minor space advantage and a relatively solid center (not to mention play on the kingside)... yet, I've never scored worse against any other defense...

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I have friends that basically refuse to play if I play the French. I tell them they are free to either resign, or STFU and play. 

Interesting, because the French is sort of under cloud at highest levels with the 3.Nc3 lines currently proving tough slogging for Black as the Winawer has been giving White good games lately, the Chatard attack is still raging and the Classical gives white a long lasting, although slight, advantage.

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Fortunately for me, I don't play at anywhere near the highest levels.

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Yes, but your opponents should emulate those lines against you.

 

I would!

 

 

 

I am guessing you see a lot of 'advanced' and 'exchange' variations?

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I'd say I get the Advance Variation about 80% of the time, the exchange about 3%, and the knights variation about 6%. I very rarely see the Tarrasch, the Charrard, the Alkehine's or the Winawer.

Hmm, so many people hate French as White. Have you tried to play Winawer fingerslip? That is fun!

And as French player, these (Advanced & Exchange) are no worries!  Heck, the exchange is downright good for Black...easy eqaulity and active piece play and Black is usually the one that can deviate and play for the full point.

 

I wonder why people are so scared of playing main lines?

The Pirc(1...d6) and Modern(1...g6) are the most aggressive replies to 1.e4. They are theory intensive though.

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Imo, most people just don't like it when Black controls almost as much space as White and they get flustered. That's why beginners will play the exchange because the c and d pawns look "aesthetically pleasing." The problem is that they know little about queen's pawn games so they don't realise that Black can easily equalise.