I feel gambits are normally very sharp. I prefer the Italian game (over the Ruy Lopez), and I find it more positional. I'm a balanced player (I like to think), so I can play either fairly well.
1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Bc4 is very sharp. I'm getting into this position in one of my Online games right now actually.
Maybe that's what it is. I'm not usually someone who tries gambits, so that may be why this seems so different than what i'm use to playing.
Yeah, gambits are one of the sharpest types of openings, where attack/tactics are very important for the attacker who has to do it quickly or else he'll be a pawn down for nothing. So it probably feels totally different than calmer openings. I personally don't like having that kind of pressure on myself to prove compensation.
e4 is considered a good opening for beginners because the games are usually very sharp and rich with tactics. Starting with e4, have people found that some openings are righer in tactics than others, or are they [the openings] simply a reflection of a players style? For instance, i've been messing with the king's gambit lately, and it seems more tactical than the italian game, 4 knights and others i've tried. Do people find this to be the case, or is this simply a case of style?