How do you learn to be a more aggressive player?

The advice I'd give you is not to think only in defensive and offensive moves, but more in "Active" and "Passive" ones. I've won several games by playing a defensive game, but with active moves against an oponent who would attack to early or without proper consistency. This will most certainly lead to a successful counter-attack for you.

Most people enjoy being on the agressive position of a chess game, but it's not the only playing style that can lead you to victory. I believe (if you can take the pressure) it's quite viable to play on the other players initiative and just exploit every single mistakes he does. This is probably not the best way to play for a win against a 2700 rated player, but it works against most mortals.

In my opinion, the most enjoyable victories are when frustrating a ruthless attack and then turning the tide for the kill. Specially against players who love themselves too much... but then again, it's all about finding your own style.

I recommend the "Training Regime of Champions":

1. Five mile run before sun up.

2. Auto-flagellation with brambles/nettles until truly sorry for your previous        inadequacies as a man and a chess player.

3. Breakfast of raw steak and onions, washed down with raw eggs (parsley to taste).

4. Four hours of chess study and at least two hours of Internet or OTB play (every time you make a bad move, don't forget to punch yourself in the face).

5. Early to bed, no ladies at training camp please, they're bad for concentration and stamina.

I guarantee this regime will make you more aggressive.

All the greats have followed this path or similar, you'll be a GM in a very short period of time, if you can stick with it.

All the best and don't spare yourself!

Regards Ray.

Being proficient with tactics and working out combinations in your head I believe helps the most to be agressive.  Try solving lots of puzzles, this will help you look for the most agressive attack - all puzzles make you force moves.  Naturally I have an extremely attacking style so I can't help ya much.

Attack , try  the gambits .

 What???? No ladies at training camp.!!! LOL

stwils

lmfao. I was laughing when I read it. :)

I do not believe that you have to be aggressive. In my opinion the best games are those where you seemingly do nothing but the opponent's position just falls apart (Capablanca, Petrosian, Karpov). But if you're defending all the time then there's something wrong with your positional sense. Because you start defending (from the perspective of saving the game, not to prevent counterplay) when your position is seriously bad-by which time it may too late already. So I'd advise, firstly, to work on your positional sense-study Nimzo's My Sytem and Chess Praxis, and games of other positional players like Petrosian (and Nimzo of course).

I am a patzer myself, but would think that as regards studying one's own games (or any other for that matter) it would be good to summarize the essense of positions that arise from these games-the features, so to speak, such as the advantages and disadvantages of either side, recommendations, etc. For example, in trying to setup an outpost square for your knights-look at Petrosian's games and you'll see outposts in so many of them; no one gives away outposts for free, so there must have been some forcing strategy that brings this about.

As regards tactics, I think this is straightforward. Just look, and calculate. Play longer games where you have more time for calculation. Maybe you get into positions where you need more time to think up the schemes and have to watch out for opponent's moves-which would be a very valuable skill if learned well (one that few of us pocess). So don't get discouraged if you're always getting into defensive (but tenable) positions. It might just need some cleaning up, work and practice. Also, try doing the tactics trainer for exercises.

Play the kings gambit, and other aggressive opens.  Playing gambits more or less forces you to become more aggressive and you'll get better at using each and every tempi.  Because if you play passive when playing a gambit you're almost certain to lose.  Also as mentioned go over classic games of aggressive players.  I highly recommend Frank Marshalls best games collection.

At least this has worked well for me.  I used to very often play passively.  I was always very afraid of sacrifices material.  And I almost never attacked the opponents king unless i was up plently of material.  I've since stopped playing gambits so much, but my approach to the game (and my rating) has improved greatly.

Push kingside pawns

Sacrifice at every moment you think it is possible(or even if it doesn't feel quite right).  In this way you are forced to attack.  After doing this for a while you start seeing a little better at what works and what doesn't. 

 Of course studying tactics and attacking players games is another great way.  But don't just memorize (or just pay attention) the moves that finish up.  Look at how they built up (and or) disguise their attack. 

play super solid and dont lose with black

Also, don't just get stuck in a state of mind like "defender", "aggressive", "passive" or "active" player. You should aim to play the board. If the board is screaming for slow play don't go sac'ing pawns and pieces to get something going but you should never ever back down from a bishop sac either if its staring right at you eventhough the position was totally calm a move ago. In short, try to learn how to play defensively but also with initiative. You can't be either alone, you need to be allround to get better. Play what the board tells you to play and not what you feel like playing.

Possibly of interest:

Simple Attacking Plans by Fred Wilson (2012)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708090402/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review874.pdf
https://www.newinchess.com/Shop/Images/Pdfs/7192.pdf

Logical Chess: Move by Move by Irving Chernev (1957)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708104437/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/logichess.pdf
The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played by Irving Chernev (1965)
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/most-instructive-games-of-chess-ever-played/
Winning Chess by Irving Chernev and Fred Reinfeld (1949)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708093415/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review919.pdf

50 Essential Chess Lessons by Steve Giddins

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708100833/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review534.pdf
Chess Strategy for Kids by Thomas Engqvist
http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/Chess_Strategy_for_Kids.pdf
Starting Out: Attacking Play by James Plaskett
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708101549/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review467.pdf
Simple Chess by Michael Stean
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708104258/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review400.pdf
Amateur's Mind by Jeremy Silman
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708094419/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/ammind.pdf

Funny, I've been working on the same thing. Here's a good start I found by chance on YouTube: a 50 minute lecture by GM Ben Finegold called "Attack!":

First learn how not to blunder your pieces. Then learn about strategy. Once you have become a good player, you may start thinking about style.

Another thought on this and two crazy games

https://en.chessbase.com/post/shogi-masters-play-chess

Try the vienna gambit. its agressive and wrong moves will equal death

.....and white has got 2 CONNECTED passed pawns.