How do you learn to be a more aggressive player?

It seems I am always on the defensive, trying to keep from losing something (usually because of my blunders but not always.) I am not an aggressive player and I want to learn how to be.

What do you suggest? What  books? What software? What transformation of my state of mind?

How did you all learn to attack and not just try to defend?

stwils

Ask yourself with each move--can I create a bigger threat than he is making against me?

If he attacks a bishop and you can attack a queen then he will most often have to respond to you.  (You have to be careful to not hang pieces while doing this).  Likewise be aware of pure counter-attacks where you each have a valid attack.

You will learn by doing and seeing where you can do this at...it is no different than seeing combinations--they are there and once you first start to see the chances to do so you will see them easier and easier.

Go over the games of Morphy, Alekhine, or Tal. Also start playing aggressive openings that force you to attack. On the white side, try a gambit. This will force you to leave your comfort zone and you will soon become an attacking player.

As far as the basic attitude, you are either aggressive or not, I don't think you can change your basic make-up.  But as the other person suggested, if you familiarize yourself with some games by aggressive players (Morphy, Alekhine, etc.) you will see what some of the possibilities are.  Then if you encounter a similar position you can take advantage of it.  This isn't exactly being aggressive because once you know you have an advantage it's just common sense to exploit it.  I think the person who is by nature aggressive will look more for these possibilities even in unfamiliar positions, and will be willing to take a true risk in order to attack.  I don't think you can develop the risk-taking aspect if you aren't that way by nature.  But many great players played without risk (Capablanca, Petrosian).  So to me the best idea would be to be true to your nature, and develop it to the maximum.  If you are more in the Capablanca mode, study his games.  Don't try to be something you're not.

I should add, I do tend to be aggressive, and I am finding that I have more success as I tone this down and save it for the right moment.  So if you are the other way I suppose you could look for the right moment to be aggressive.  I think there is a lot to be said for playing it safe; if you find you are being put on the defensive by this it may just mean that you don't always recognize all the possible danger.  If you did, then you would head it off before it could happen.  So maybe it's also a matter of being more aware of the possible threats against you and prioritizing them, so you deal with the big ones before the less dangerous ones.

Yes, once again, study games of aggresive players. Studying Gary Kasparov turned me from a defensive player to an attacking player almost overnite. Of course, you can not just make attacking moves no matter what. Learn how to prepare your position by positioning Rooks, Bishops and Queen before busting open the position with a pawn lever.

This will help the most. Notice how the great aggresive masters hold their position together with minimal force, while they conduct an attack with the rest of their pieces.

Also, get out of the mindset of always exchanging pieces. When you are presented with an exchange opportunity, look for a better maneuvering type move. Ask yourself, what squares have just been weakened by my opponents move.

Reviewing Master tournament games, many in a row, will help your openings, and get your game off to a good start, instead of being on the defensive from the start.

Attack the king.

The way I teach my students to develope an aggressive attitude for playing is to first study the games of aggressive players--Morphy, Tal, Fischer, Kasparov.  A steady diet of attack tends to adjust the attitude of "playing it safe."  I have them play e4 as an opening move and study gambits, such as King's Gambit, the Smith-Morra Gambit, etc.  Then we play a series of 5 minute games to gain actual playing experience in these lines, going over the games after to look at possibilities and alternative lines.  All this tends to shift their thinking.  As Mr. Spock in an episode of Star Trek, "Constant exposure leads to a certain degree of contamination."  But like anything that doesn't come naturally to you, it takes work, work, work.

In order to attack it is useful to develop your pieces and control central squares. This is also useful for defense. If you are always trying to avoid losing something, then you probably have to reduce the number of mistakes in order to play at your current level of stregth more consistently. Consider not just material, but squares, as things to not lose. It is important to be able to reach an equal position to test your abilities fairly. If your position is playable and you do not blunder, you should do well with equal players.

learn by doing

to me the best way was just to keep playing games.  reading books is very helpful.  but playing games helped me become more aggressive.

It looks like there is lots of good advice here by everyone. I am more of a positional player, but I try to be aggressive when I get the chance. I also think part of being an aggressive player is not letting you opponent be too aggressive. One way to put this is to stop enemy counterplay. Some books I have read even talk about this as a strategic concept. I hope this helps with all of the other good advice.

One other thing struck me that I wanted to say. Aggressive positions often lead to 'tactical simplification'. This being said, the more you try to be aggressive, the more important knowing tactics becomes. So work on those tactics as well! :-)

Solve puzzles.  Use less valuable pieces to push more valuable pieces of your opponent around.  Seek to control the middle board.  Don't be in a rush to trade off pieces you have advanced.

Thanks everyone for your good suggestions. I was surprised that no one recommended books  - and I guess I was hoping the answer for me would be to get more books.  (That would be the easy way out I was hoping for.)

I see that a lot of my problem is in my basic non aggressive nature ( though I am not a passive person and can  be tough - but as yet not in chess), and is due to my lack of really having tactics thorougly and deeply in my veins and vision.

Therefore, I am going to spend a lot more time on the tactics trainer and doing some of the tactics puzzles which are in some of the books I ALREADY have.

Thanks for all of your thoughts.

stwils

excellent advice

if you want a book recommendation - I have dozens of chess books.  only one has made a difference to how i actually play.  'Reassess your Chess' by Silman

I would suggest the book 1001 brilliant sacrifices and combinations by Fred Reinfeld.You can probably find this at your local library since it a classic.I also reccomend mastering checkmates by Neil Macdonald as this gets you in an agressive state of mind since the objective is to mate the king which is of course what chess is all about!!!!!!!!

You said you are a defender.  Well that's good.  If you want to transform into an Attacking Player, I'll give you some basic guides.  Remember, learning how to defend and eliminate your opponent's defenders will make you a stronger player.  Learn how to Remove your Opponent's Defenders - this is your goal from now on.  Some methods include : Eliminate the defender by 1.capturing 2.chasing it away (threat to capture) 3.luring from it's defensive post (sacrifice if necessary) 4.deflecting or interposing 5.pinning.  Hope this helps a bit.

Try to play more end-games.. pawns, knights, bishops and rocks.. than queen's end games.. here u may improuve the analytical side of your mind.. here, each pawn is precious and you may really apreciate the advantage of one figure when you have just a fiew".. so, you'll make an attitude to not sacrifice easily your figures from the begin.. and that's important, because u'll start to fight more agresively for positions and material - because you'll now better that the advantage ( material or positional ) may decide the game .. Good Luck!

Muro..