It feels like I am getting caught back on my heels in every game and don't even have time to attack before I amall of a sudden playing defense the entire game, responding to the initiative of my opponents. Any suggestions for getting out ahead without being stupidly aggressive (which I have tried, I can assure you)?
Your question is a bit general so its hard to give an answer . Ill just give some comments from a game of yours i looked at
Knowing when and how to counter attack is something you learn with practice and good calculation ability. The best advice I can give is to study tactics and opening principles. These things will help you get to a more or less even middle game where you can work on your strategic ideas.
thanks for the detailed analysis of my game. I am going to study it a few times.
thanks for the detailed analysis of my game. I am going to study it a few times.
no prob
You were on your heals because your opponent played the scotch and you played the most passive defense!
It seems like you are not interested in paragraphs about opening theory, but here is the best and simplest way to deal with the scotch in my opinion:
You can decide if you like this line and why it's good in your own time, but in my opinion you played quite possible the most passive defense.
There is an entire thread about how this defense cannot be specifically refuted, and people could not even agree on what the best move was for white.
But what they did agree on is that all of their candidate moves were good for white and that it is not very fun to play black, even though the game is probably even.
I would not reccomend this move, as it makes white's life very easy and gives him no problems.
This happened to me a lot.
It's a sure sign you need to stdu and develop a working and legit opening repertoire. It takes work and isn't intuitive- I have to buy books on specific openings , not overview books, to learn it.
When you're under pressure right away and on your heels, your opponent is beating you in the opening.
Possibly helpful:
Discovering Chess Openings by GM Johm Emms (2006)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627114655/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen91.pdf
Openings for Amateurs by Pete Tamburro (2014)
http://kenilworthian.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-of-pete-tamburros-openings-for.html
Starting Out: Open Games by Glenn Flear (2010)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140626232452/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen134.pdf
Thanks for the advice and suggestions! I have only done a very quick overview of openings and I thought that was enough. Obviously not...Thanks again!
It feels like I am getting caught back on my heels in every game and don't even have time to attack before I amall of a sudden playing defense the entire game, responding to the initiative of my opponents. Any suggestions for getting out ahead without being stupidly aggressive (which I have tried, I can assure you)?