the definition of defensive chess?

im pretty sure someone who is considered a good defensive player dosen't mean his passive about it. so what does it really mean to play good defense and be a good defensive player? do you have any examples of some games with good defense in it? and how do you win being a defensive player?

A good defensive player is not always a player that plays cautiously and passively, but one who can find all the resources that are there to ward of an attack if he's under one and who can hold worse engames.

Petrosian was good at defense, but he was indeed passive, only attacking when he was absolutely certain nothing could go wrong.

Korchnoi believe it or not was a great defensive player, often luring his opponent into the attack only to fend them of and counterattack to take the point.

Kaprov was great at defense, loved simplifying positions so that he would have slight positional pressure and just build on that and slowly squeeze his opponent.

The fact is, diehard attacking players don't like playing on the defensive and generally like concrete play. The Kasparov-Kramnik match is a great example, Kasparov had no patience in the Berlin and didn't play as subtle as Kramnik, with white Kramnik developed slight pressure, swapped of the queens and Kasparov couldn't hold a slightly worse endgame.

I think keres said that defensive play was putting as many problems in front of your opponent as possible. Making the win as unclear as you can.

Of course you need the skill to judge a position in the first place.

Lasker and Capablanca are renowned experts in defense I believe.

I think it depends who're playing against that makes you a defensive player; there are people who play really aggressive sometime they are reckless and the thing is not to lose your cool under pressure and see through until finding a way out which there is; because it is most likely your opponent thought more on the attack leaving unprotected pieces to defend.


Game 4794466 On this one I started attacking till I saw how to bust an opening on the kingside, it was till then that I attacked

Game 4750044 On this one I attacked again AFTER I saw I could undermine his kingside (also I hate playing 3..a6 against the Ruy Lopez), if he would've played 11.Be2 things might have been different

Hope this helps
later

Originally posted by Garnoth
Korchnoi believe it or not was a great defensive player, often luring his opponent into the attack only to fend them of and counterattack to take the point.