Master Mind – Calculation – Defend – Dynamic – Emotional

AGGRESSIVE	POSITIONAL
LOOK FOR IMPERFECTIONS	IMPROVE
INTUITION	CALCULATION
EMOTIONAL	CALMED DOWN

MASTERMIND

Players of this style seek to dominate their own emotions and impose their reality on the chess board. A mind like these players always looks for the right move, and believes that attacking is the right way.

They typically choose offensive openings, and win with incredibly deep calculations, producing combinations that are highly hidden in properly constructed positions. Masterminds thrive in complicated positions, where their precise calculation skills and nerves of steel give them the advantage.

Recommended Openings:

White: Ruy López, Queen's Gambit

Black: Ruy López, French Defense

Example:

Alexander Alekhine (1892-1946), the fourth world champion, was a true representative of this style. One of the best attacking players of all time, who was able to produce spectacular combinations from positions that seemed to promise no such thing.

His calculation skills were phenomenal, and his combinations often included deadly, unexpected surprises at the end of a series of obvious moves: the famous "scorpion tail stinger."

The most important thing was his ability to build an attacking position and create complications without taking unnecessary risks.

Alekhine held the world championship from 1927 until 1935, when he lost a match against Max Euwe, and then from 1937 (after beating Euwe in the second leg) until his death in 1946.

See the 16 Chess Personalities