Help out a beginner
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Hi, does anyone have any tips on how to become a more aggressive player? In my opinion, I see myself as alright in the defensive sector, but I lack when it comes to attacking. If anyone, any rating, has any tips on how to be slightly more aggressive, please let me know.
Thanks, I'll do my best to remember this in my games.
Any tips or helpful thoughts regarding keeping pressure? I felt like it might fit into this thread.
In my game I was winning, but I think I ended up feeling I need to make a move (around move 21 onwards), always a move and not just improve my position. I was playing black.
search 'attack'...
Improving Your Chess - Resources for Beginners and Beyond...
https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/improving-your-chess-resources-for-beginners-and-beyond
https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell
Sep 24, 2023
0
#5
Instead of just responding to your opponent's moves, aim to set the pace of the game. This can put pressure on your opponent and force them to react to your plans.
llama_l wrote:
After 18.N2xb3 you're ahead a pawn and an exchange, and rooks are pretty clumsy attackers, I think this is a good example of when attacking isn't the right idea. Mostly you just want active pieces... more specifically, if you have a rook on the open d file (not blocked by your bishop) and a bishop on a long diagonal, white will be pressured into trading even though trades are bad for white (even trades are bad for you when you're behind in material).
If white doesn't trade, then you use those lines to infiltrate, like Rd2. If you keep putting pieces on your opponent's side of the board, you'll either win pawns, or white will be forced to make even trades... either way white loses the endgame.
As for specific moves, I'd say your moves 18 and 19 are conceptually fine, but I'd follow up with 20...Rd6 and then try to play c5 (b6 then c5), to open the d file for the rooks.
21...c6 traps the rook, but even without that tactic, it's a positionally ugly move. It impedes your knight, your bishop, and your b6 rook. It's a super annoying pawn for black, it would much rather be on c7 or c5.
Great! I went through the moves you mentioned, especially Bd7 I can see it being very hindering. Could I instead try to reroute it to Be8 to Bg7 or Bh6?
If I understood it correctly, in a game where I don't have seemingly good ways to attack, threatening to infiltrate may force trades and is useful when up material?
llama_l wrote:
And just to drive the point home... these are not happy pieces
The way you played Rf8-f6-b6 shows you understand moving pieces to places where they're not blocked by pawns, and that's good but apply that same idea more rigorously, and to all your pieces. Pieces don't like to "look" at friendly pawns (I say "look" or "touch" but I just mean "be blocked by"). If you have to defend a pawn (or a pawn needs to defend a piece) then of course do that, but otherwise they don't want to touch each other (so to speak). They get in each other's way.
Being blocked by pawns is worse, but to a lesser extent the same idea applies to non-pawns. On move 18 the d7 bishop is annoying to the d8 rook.
I will pay extra attention to this concept, I think I need to play more games while paying attention to this to find better positioning for my pieces and pawns.
I recently watched a good amount of fog of war chess and there too i could feel the touchiness of pieces and pawns.
Sep 24, 2023
0
#8
RascalX_IV wrote:
Hi, does anyone have any tips on how to become a more aggressive player? In my opinion, I see myself as alright in the defensive sector, but I lack when it comes to attacking. If anyone, any rating, has any tips on how to be slightly more aggressive, please let me know.
Play the Smith-Morra gambit. You are down a pawn in the opening and have no choice but to play aggressively. Also, up to about 1500 level it has a great win rate.
Study games by Paul Morphy. Buy a book on Paul Morphy games.
Here are 12 games to get you started:
ChessMasteryOfficial wrote:
Instead of just responding to your opponent's moves, aim to set the pace of the game. This can put pressure on your opponent and force them to react to your plans.
Yeah, this makes sense. I think I need to recognize this and I could use it as a way to play time and improve my position (I guess it could be preparing for attack).
Some games it's easy to recognize that I am pressuring by being able to take and enemy responding to most if not all of my movements, but likely due to them also being beginners like me. (Maybe I don't have an actual threat but it may be perceived as one by fellow beginners)
Thanks everyone, this is super helpful
if you want aggressive games then you could learn the 
s gambit or dutch defense which gives up king safety for an aggressive game
Sep 24, 2023
0
#12
Hi!
You could study games of attacking or tactical players like Kasparov, Tal, Alekhine, Morphy and the like and try to modify the way you play. Or you could be true to yourself and make good use of your strenghts. Countless great players were comfortable when defending and then winning their own way, mainly positional players like Petrosian, Karpov, Capablanca...
Good luck!
Daddy_Chillimao wrote:
@PATRlCKSTAR2
Dutch defense is a fighter against d4. Beginners can play d5 to go for equal chances at both sides.
i was listing aggressive opening choices. d5 is fine but i wouldnt play it
Style is overrated at lower levels. Study tactics and learn more about positional ideas. This will teach you automatically when an attack is called for. If you are willing to put in the work, "The art of attack in chess" is a great book.
