Markovich, you are correct that I see 1 e4 e5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 f4 exf4 4 e5 Qe7 5 Qe2 Ng8 all the time.  I guess white isn't winning, but it's a pretty nice position to be in after five moves.

Katar, I agree that many of the openings suggested here are not particularly aggressive in their approach, though I have found that aggression seems to come more from building a good position and being aware of tactical opportunities than from playing a certain opening.  In my own repertoire, the 3 f4 Vienna is considered pretty aggressive I suppose, while the Scotch 4 Knights is not. However, I get a lot of fun action in both.  For your suggestion of 1 e4 e5 2 d4 I would think that Danish Gambit would be considered much more aggressive than the Center Game.  I'll have to take a look at the Dangerous Weapons book to see what they propose there.

sharpplay wrote on 11/18/09 at 15:41:44:


I congratulate you on your rapid improvement, and I'm overjoyed if I made any contribution to it.

At the level you're playing, I think 3.f4 is an excellent choice, and I would stick with it, particularly given your practical successes with it.  I imagine you've also had some wins with 3...exf4? 4.e5.   

Johnny Hector used to play 3.f4 and 5.d3 all the time; it would probably be worth looking at his games.

Markovich, I am an adult (50+) rated between 1500-1600 though I optimistically consider myself "an improver".  Since generally adopting your recommendations on openings (1...e5, Tarrasch as black and open games as white) a couple of years ago and concentrating more of my time on tactics, I've improved from around 1100 to close to 1600.  

When I play the Vienna gambit at my level, I rarely see what I consider the best line for black:  1 e4 e5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 f4 d5 4 fxe5 Nxe4 5 d3 Nxc3.  When I do see this I usually continue 6 bxc3 d4 7 Bb2 which seems about equal to me.  Most of the time, I get stuff like this (from a blitz game last night):  1 e4 e5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 f4 Nc6 4 fxe5 Nxe5 5 d4 Ng4? 6 e5.

In the mainline, many people are too tempted to resist playing 5...Qh4+.  I beat a master in an OTB simul with the well known line: 6 g3 Nxg3 7 Nf3 Qh5 8 Nxd5 Na6 9 Nf5 where black will lose his knight.

I don't know if the Scotch is really going to be what you're looking for. It's funny that you use the word aggressive, because there were some descrepencies with this word with regards to opening variations in the General Forum under the thread "An Aggressive 1. d4 Repetoire" or something to that tune. If you're looking for attacking lines where you get the initiative, the pure Scotch, especially the main lines, aren't for you. In both the 4...Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5 and 4...Bc5 6. Nxc6 Qf6 lines, White gives Black a lead in development and activity for structural superiority and some endgame prospects. 

I think one problem that crops up here quite a bit is that there are a lot of players who are looking for something "non-theoretical" but "aggressive", and in chess nowadays, that's simply nearly impossible to find. Sure, you might be able to dig up some sidelines that are offbeat and weird and might offer up some nice ideas if Black plays like crap, but otherwise, sharp attacking openings that contain any potential have been analyzed to death! You might play some sidelines or weird gambits for a while until you get sick of people finding the right moves and leaving you with nothing. 

That said, if you're looking for something, here are some options, some of which have been stated already, but I'm just repeating them because I agree:

1. The Evans Gambit

2. The Scotch Gambit

3. The Center Game

4. The Bishop's Opening, with the intention of delaying Nf3 and playing for f4 at some point.

Good luck and happy hunting! 

Like you, I prefer to keep things efficient against 1...e5 so that if I need to spend much time on theory it is in the open Sicilian.  I play 1 e4 e5 2 Nc3 with the following breakdown:

2...Nf6 3 f4 I enjoy the Vienna gambit.  If black really knows the line he gets equality but I rarely see anyone play the correct moves.   

2...Bb4 3 d4 with an interesting game

2... anything else 3 Nf3 and Scotch 4 knights which is open and though it's considered drawish at high levels there is plenty of action and there are plenty of winning chances for both sides at my level.

So, not much theory above (certainly less than any of the Ruy options) and no Petroff, Latvian, etc.

ACSian wrote on 11/18/09 at 05:23:44:

For someone who likes to play the Scotch, 2.Ne2 is indeed a good choice - 2...Nc6 (best) 3.d4, and it is likely to become a Scotch.

Interesting tactical melee in the Ruy López:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.d4!?