Additional Chess Terminology
Attacking-Play Terms
[Initiative]

Initiative

The "Initiative" ISN'T played when you simply attack another piece ...

The Initiative IS played when you attack another piece and your opponent is FORCED to react to protect it.

It could be that your piece is putting the opposing King in "Check" - your opponent would be forced to capture the piece, or block the Check with another piece ... Your piece would have played the Initiative.

Or, it could be that your piece is attacking a more-valuable piece - such as in the video, when White's Knight leaps out to attack Black's Queen ...

Not wanting to lose a Queen to a less-valuable Knight - without a good tactical reason for doing so* - the Queen would be forced to move to safety ... White's Knight would, therefore, have played the Initiative.

* A good 'tactical reason' would be, if, say, losing the more-valuable piece would result in imminent victory; or, would result in the subsequent captures of a number of pieces, whose collective Point Count adds up to more than that of the single piece you'd lost.

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