**Which Black Defenses are Aggressive?**

What are black's most aggressive but sound openings against 1.e4 and 1.d4?

Sicilian for e4.  Most aggresive line I know.

Off the top of my head, there's Sicilian, French, and KID. But really, I think anything goes... are you trying to come up with a repetoire?

Yes, I haved tried the dragon and najdorf variations of the sicilian defense, but I usually end up with a cramped game where white dominates. I have been impressed with the Pirc before against my 1.d4. Against 1.e4 I have tried the KID too, but I just don't know how to play it.

your playing them wrong if you end up cramped. Any mainline opening is legit if you work at it. After a game look up your moves in a game explorer and see where you deviated (or your opponent) study the next move and a few games and see how the masters played it. 
Welcome to the club! admitting you dont know something is the first step in learning... 

KID is for 1. d4, and Pirc is for 1. e4. They're totally different creatures, even though they look similar at first. To learn about the nuiances of particular openings, try joining some opening groups and pay attention to discussion during vote chess games.

I learned the ideas behind the KID from watching these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtGLHip7yk4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jeldi71hSs&feature=autoplay&list=TLISQImsLTDzo&lf=digest_tue&playnext=2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIXplg2Sr44

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihhkaMq7Iio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nufoi07QioE&list=UUDUDDmslypVXYoUsZafHSUQ&index=1&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nufoi07QioE&feature=bf_next&list=TLKfQ5byWzp-Q&lf=digest_tue

Read this to know what to do when your opponent doesn't let you play KID:

http://web.archive.org/web/20101027141156/http://exeterchessclub.org.uk/Openings/antiindn.html

Against 1. e4, I strongly recommend the French. The big idea is pretty simple, and there's a variation of it for everyone.

My Standard  Opening vs. 1.e4 is the Elephant Gambit...

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d5 3.ed5 Bd6 or Nxe5 Bd6

There is no real refutation against, the best White can achieve is a +=, if he knows how to handle and only a few players does.

It gives very good practical chances in OTB and Blitz on amateur level on an 1800 - 2100 level.

I play it for two years now in league matches and scored +6 =4 -1.

I recommend the actual ebook of Peter Tart to learn the theory and the ideas behind this opening. I think its very underestimated.

Against 1.d4 i would play the Dutch (1...f5) or the Baltic Defence (1.d4 d5 2.c4 Bf5), if you wanna play aggressive, but dont wanna play Gambits.

You might be able to get away with the Baltic Defence otb, but in cc, the refutation line is pretty clear cut.

Refutation of the Baltic???

I dont know...so please show it to me...

1.d4 d5 2.c4 Bf5 3.cxd5 Bxb1 4.Qa4+ c6 5.Rxb1 and now:

5...Nf6 6.dxc6 Nxc6 7.e3 e5 8.Bb5 Qd5 9.Nf3

5...Qxd5 6.f3 Nf6 6.e4 Nxe4 7.Bc4 Qf5 8.fxe4 Qxe4 9.Ne2 Qxb1 10.Qb3

You would be much better off in the Chigorian.

albin counter gambit for d4  sicilian defence dragon variant for e4

Sorry, but your analysis is not correct...

5...Qxd5 6.f3 e5! instead of Nf6?

7.dxe5 and then for example

a) 7...Nd7 8.e4 Qxe5 9.Nh3 Nb6 =

b) 7...Qxe5 8. Nh3 Na6 9. Bf4 Qe6 =

c) 7...Na6!? 8. a3 Nc5 9. Qc2 0-0-0 or Qxe5 =

I dont see a refutation of the Baltic defence in this line...

It has been a while since I checked on these lines.

Looking through my theory, instead of 6.f3, it recommends 6.Nf3 Nd7 7.b4 where the two main black responses 7...e5 and 7...e6 have not shown very good results.

Anyways back to your response.  7...Qxe5 looks best.

6.f3 e5 7.dxe5 and now:

7...Nd7 8.Bf4 Nxe5 9.e4 is pretty good for white.

7...Qxe5 8.Bf4 (this move first) 8...Qf6 (8...Qe6 now would allow white to get away with 9.e4) 9.Nh3 Na6 10.b4 is somewhat better for white.  The f3 pawn is more of a hindrance than anything.  Maybe better would be 9.g3, but now this just looks awkward by white.

7...Na6? is effectively destroyed by 8.e4! With the threat of Bxa6 and the shattering of the queenside, black is in an awful position.

Well I guess I was wrong about 6.f3 being a refutation.  I am surprised at the strength of 6...e5.  Well we all learn something interesting every day.  But 6.Nf3 should be looked at closer.

way I see it you can play any opening or defense & be either aggressive or passive with either. Its how you play them & if you have the nerve to go out on a limb with the tactics.

Thanks for your analysis...as you see, there is still much to discover in the Baltic Defence and it has total different types of positions compared to QGD or similar Standard Openings.

I think, when the Black Player is good prepared, and you have to be prepared when you play such openings, you have good practical chances.

And also you must know how to handle this kind of position or you will be doomed...

I switched from the Baltic Defence to the Englund Gambit, because only a few White Players take on d5 in the third move and then you have to play a London System with Black and thats to dry for me.

I think the Latvian gambit is one of the most aggressive defenses for black

I fear that Strunk_&_White will be turning up here soon.

HANDS DOWN THE TRAXLER COUNTER ATTACK!

as usual some chess amatuer, with way too much free time, i envy you, digs in the forums to revive a 6 year old meaningless thread.