There is a saying that goes- ‘Forewarned is forearmed’, which means that if you have prior knowledge of possible problems or situations, you will be able to tackle them better. Be it real life or the game of chess, if you are put in a position, from which you cannot find a way out then you would definitely lose everything. The game of chess includes not only strategies but also skills, techniques and behavior. Every player is different and so are their ways of playing. Some play for fun, some come well prepared with skills and techniques whereas some come only to win the game. The ones who come to win the game are not just well prepared but also have the mindset and aggression of winning the game anyhow.

Let us know more about the 5 most aggressive chess players of all time-

1. Garry Kasparov

Garry Kasparov, currently the chairman of the Human Rights Foundation, is a Russian chess grandmaster, former World Chess Champion, writer and much more. With an undisputed World Champion record from 1985 to 1993, Garry Kasparov has also been the Classical World Champion from 1993 to 2000. In 1999, he achieved his peak rating of 2851, which was the highest one recorded until Magnus Carlsen surpassed it in 2013. Known as a fiercely aggressive chess player, Garry Kasparov flourished on confidence and energy. He was an intimidator over the board. He fed on the reality that everyone in the chess world was afraid of his chess-playing techniques. He had a totally different method of playing chess. He used to start the game by faking a lot of confidence which would actually lead him to great confidence. He used to let his actions inspire his beliefs.

2. Mikhail Tal

Mikhail Tal, also known as the ‘Magician from Riga, was one of the greatest chess grandmasters in the history of chess. He was the typical example of an attacking player. Mikhail Tal’s style of playing chess was quite different. He did not play the game on his strategies but on confusion. He would deliberately play insanely complicated positions which were impossible to play correctly. He would play in such a way that neither he nor his opponent would be able to find the best moves. He had a strange intuition and great ability to calculate the moves which would confuse his opponent but make a path for himself, thus leading to his win.

The attack moves of Mikhail Tal used to come out of nowhere. It seemed all magical, thus he got the nickname, ‘The Magician from Riga’. His world record for the most consecutive winning games stood unbroken until Ding Liren won in 2018. This shows that there was nothing bad in his hyper-aggressive style of playing. Though it seems reckless at times but adds quality in you, as a chess player.

3. Paul Morphy

Paul Morphy, an American chess player was well known for his astounding memory. His strength was his great positioning and aggressive style of playing. He was capable of recording every factor while playing a game. Be it openings, defenses, or the entire game, Paul Morphy had an instinctive grasp of all possibilities. His visualization of the board was several levels deep. This encouraged him to anticipate and capitalize on even the slightest miscalculation in steps. Paul Morphy was not just a player but much more than that. A lawyer by profession, he was taught that games of chess cannot make a living. There is a full-length biography of Paul Morphy named, ‘The Pride and Sorrow of Chess’. This biography tells his full life story. Right from his privileged upbringing in New Orleans to his supremacy in the world of chess and later the tragedy of his demise.

4. Bobby Fischer

Bobby Fischer is universally known as one of the greatest competitors in history, in any competitive pursuit. His obsession with winning every competition resulted in some really true slaughters on the chessboard. Bobby Fischer single-handedly made the game of chess recognized in the entire world and proved it as competitive as football.

On the chessboard, Bobby Fischer is considered a pitiless attacker. He used strategies like the King’s Gambit which was considered romantic but at the same time too risky. He had always been too confident with his games. According to him, women could not be great chess players. For this, he was advised to see a psychiatrist too. Though he was volatile and difficult as a player, Bobby Fischer’s victory was broadly seen as a symbolic triumph of democracy.

5. Alexander Morozevich

Alexander Morozevich, mostly known as the ‘Mystery Man’ of modern chess has immense talent in chess. He is utterly unpredictable both on and off the board. He was ranked as World’s number 2 player and also No. 1 on the ‘live’ rating list.

Alexander Morozevich was and still is one of the most aggressive players in the chess world. At the age of 17, he won the Lyods Bank tournament in London which was his first shot at international prominence. His ultra-aggressive and unconventional chess techniques gave him the superpotential to destroy a field of any class. But he is simply a chess genius and has a big fan following. His chess fans really hope that he is around for a long time.

Displaying one’s ability often results in confidence. Being confident is a wonderful thing. It will help you overcome your fear, and uncertainty and drive your behaviour to your beliefs. Even if you aren’t a great player, play as if you are the best and on top of your game. Interact with your opponent with full confidence. Your bold actions will trigger your bold mindset. Sometimes, people misunderstand bold actions to be aggressive ones, but in the end, it is about winning the game and the title.

Imperial Chess offers training programmes that will help you build skills, and prepare you for all future battles.