How to be a more aggressive player?

Thats why an opening principle is knights before bishops because bishops can be kicked easily from their position. Best is not to let your opponent win too much tempo's on the bishop, sometimes just trade it for a knight instead of letting your opponent pawns move forward and your bishop losing tempo's is a lot better.

If you have the two bishops slowly open up the position, the more you will trade to the endgame the better your game will become, but playing blunder free chess is I think the main objective to become a better player and win more games.

Playing more aggressive is all about piece coordination and development, your pieces have to work together, an example is a knight and queen because they are very good working together mating the enemy king, they supplement each other. Another example is the two connected rooks on an open file, often two rooks connected with each other are stronger and can be more aggressive then two lose rooks on the board.

If you want to be more aggressive still you can use principles like opposite side castling ( your opponent goes kingside, you go queenside) and giving up a few pawns for a lead in piece development. Also always look for sacrifices if you got 3 or more pieces aiming at the opponent king(side). Most sacrifices are on f7/f2 or h7/h2 so always keep an eye on those squares.

Another good tip is to sacrifice the exchange, capture your opponents knight or bishop with a rook because rooks only become good later in the game when the position has been opened up and traded a bit. Instead bishops and knights are better in this phase so sometimes a trade will increase your attacking chances alot.

If I look at your games I would focus on playing more aggressive openings. If you answer e4 with e5 from black, going into a philidor defense with d6 is a bit passive, it will take a while to get your pieces into attacking squares.

Also keep in mind that playing "agressive" doesnt always mean crazy sacrifices, questionable moves, or something that leads to...nothing.  Playing agressive can also be placing your pieces on their most active square, gaining space to push your opponents pieces back, an exchange sacrifice for a nicely placed Knight, or simply following the opening principles:

Control the center

Develop your minor pieces toward the center

Castle

Connect your Rooks

All seems like common sense stuff, but following these principles leads to active play, which in turn can lead to agressive play.  The name of the game is piece activity.  Without it you dont win.

"Thats why an opening principle is knights before bishops because bishops can be kicked easily from their position."

Also...after playing e4-d4-e5-d5, your bishop already controls the open diagonal - 5 squares.  Moving the Bishop again, doesnt really increase its activity.  Knights at there initial position control 3 squares.  Developing a Knight to say f3, and it now controls 5 squares, with 2 being central squares. 

In that case, the QB audibles a Red Blast 47.  The TE pulls, and leaks out 5 yards toward the middle of the field.  The RB lead blocks as the QB pulls offf an end around for 9 yards.

Attack to the death constantly let them have no room to breathe constantly pretend you are God throwing your opponents into that big lake of fire and do whatever it takes to win destroy them all!

(Be Nasty; Be Aggressive!) Or

Defend for the life constantly let no attack go unpunished - always equalize make sure you have multiple backups and freeze their lake of fire into a lake of ice and turn the tide to your favour - keep holding on firmly right up until the end and in the end most attackers will make a huge blunder or rush near the end then you need to capatilize on that calm ending!

Whatever you do! - Attack - Defend - Aggressive - Calm - Whatever you do! - Do it best! - Everyone has a natural tendency to do just that!

For example? Australians tend to play Aggressive Chess better naturally due to their extreme heat and aggressive natures in real life.

New Zealanders tend to play Calm Chess better naturally due to their kickback and laid back culture and peaceful environments.

But that all being said everyone is different!

Just find what works best for you! - Besides man! Being aggressive 100% all the time is not always the best way to win! (Sometimes it's the worst thing you can do!) :P

Good luck!

Thanks Blockah!

1.  Play openings that develops your pieces early.   
2.  Don't take the offered exchange without good reason.  Exchanged pieces can't fight.
3.  Castle. 
4.  Study tactics first and most but keep playing.  Blitz is ok to see a lot of positions.  Play longer games once you are comfortable with your openings.  Analyse every long game. 
5-100. Repeat 4.

Other things I do sometimes: 
a.  Read a chess book cover to cover and play out every variaion on a board.  Which one?  Any one. There are lots of suggestions on the forums but I don't think it matters (as I look over at my neglected library.)
b.  Finish a tactics puzzle book.  Then finish it again.  Usually the puzzles are grouped by motif which drills in the pattern recognition.  No time?  Keep it in the bathroom.

You're allowed to listen to music on an MP3 or your phone while playing in a chess tournament (the TD has the right to make sure you're listening to music, not cheating, but it's allowed.) If you want to be more agressive, listen to intense music. I like Heavy Metal when I play blitz, but I'm an agressive player anyway so in long time controls I listen to classical to calm me down.

Hmm, good idea. I may have to try that. 

I would check that rule if I were you. I thought that in serious tournaments electronic devices are banned, infact I am sure in the British championship one player forfeited his game for answering his mobile phone during play.  Perhaps its different in America.  Anyway, i doubt that listening to death metal will help you concentrate any better.  In fact I would suggest something more relaxing to calm the mind and help it focus and concentrate on the task at hand.

I play in high school level tournaments, and I do know that some people listen to music while they play. And you may have a point about the music genre, but I think that's mostly a matter of opinion. 

Anyhow, thanks for the concern. :)

Music can,and will change your mood, that is one of the things that is so nice about it.  But...studies have shown that listening music while enjoyable, lowers your results.  "Multi-Tasking" is a myth, for everyone but 2% of us.  Listening to music while playing chess, is distracting your brain from the task at hand.  While it may make you feel better, it doesnt help your game, and actually hurts it. 

Hmm. A couple years ago I tried listening to music, and it was distracting, mostly because I couldn't hear the activity going on around me so I was constantly checking over my shoulder.

If I'm really into the game, I can completely zone out and everything outside the chess board ceases to exist. lol 

You sound like me.  I used to listen to music, but i too find it distracting.  Its your brain trying to do 2 things at once. 

Yes, music genres and whether it's a good idea is a matter of opinion, but I have rea the USCF Official Rules of Chess 4 times so I know it's legal unless specified otherwise at the tournament (which I have not yet seen.) But yes in the US cellphones are also illegal in chess tournaments.

In my opinion, any device that plays music with the use of headphones/earbuds should be illegal in tournaments since the noise can carry in an otherwise silent room distracting the other player.

It is a requirement that it not be audible to anyone else in the room.

You're welcome friend!

You must have changed your username?

You have to be agressive to play gambits, if you have trouble being agressive you won't play gambits well and you'll lose. You have to build agressiveness before you play all-or-nothing openings that rest upon your skill with attack.