Stylish.

Chess types › Precision

ASRO The Tactician: Hides traps inside safe-looking moves. Picture: If the queen takes the bait pawn, the knight attacks queen and king at once
The picture If the queen takes the bait pawn, the knight attacks queen and king at once (white pieces are you, black pieces are the opponent)

ASRO The Tactician

Hides traps inside safe-looking moves

AAttackMany moves target the enemy king and pieces directly. High aggressive and tactical scores.
SSafeYou prefer moves that hold up against any reply, and trades that tidy the position.
RReactiveYou parry threats and wait for the right moment to strike back.
OOriginalYou often play moves that people at your rating rarely play, according to the human-move model Maia3.

What a Tactician is like

The Tactician plays moves that look ordinary and safe, but hides traps inside them that are easy to fall into. Rather than attacking directly, they let the opponent move first and slip through the gap with an original tactic. From the other side of the board, it's hard to tell what's dangerous.

What shows up in their games

Strengths

  • A knack for setting traps
  • Reading the opponent's psychology
  • Practical choices that cost nothing

Weaknesses

  • Less to do against opponents who avoid the trap
  • Passive about taking the initiative
  • Less effective against stronger opponents

Real moves by Tactician players

Picked from real games of Lichess players (names removed) that Stylish classified as ASRO when building its cutoffs. Routine recaptures and moves everyone plays were skipped in favor of moves that show the style most clearly.

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Signature move

28... Rxe1

Rated 2101 · Black

Counterattack 89Aggressive 75Simplifying 75

A move with high counterattack and aggressive scores. A human at the same rating would play it here 9% of the time, so it is an unusual choice that is hard to find.

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Signature move

41... Qa1

Rated 2072 · Black

Defensive 89Aggressive 63Solid 43

A move with high defensive and aggressive scores. A human at the same rating would play it here 1% of the time, so it is an unusual choice that is hard to find.

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Typical mistake

17. f3

Rated 1733 · White · Blunder

Aggressive 69Defensive 66Initiative 60

This move dropped the expected score by 50 percentage points. The better move was Nf4 (green arrow). It leans strongly aggressive and defensive, the kind of mistake a Tactician makes when the habit goes too far.

How to improve

The opposite type

PWIE The StrategistFollows the big picture even in complicated positions. Every letter is reversed, so against this type your style either works best or not at all.

Other Precision

Players who aim to attack without overreaching, striking sharply inside a safe frame.

ASIO Sniper ASIOSniperWaits quietly, then ends the game with a single move ASIE Commander ASIECommanderDrives the enemy king back with relentless pressure ASRE Prosecutor ASREProsecutorHolds firm and makes the opponent pay for every mistake

Are you really a Tactician?

Check with your recent games.

A type describes tendencies, not skill level. See all 16 types