Fencing is nothing like chess. You have to train yourself to react. There's no planning or thinking. It's sorta like chess in that you want to advance. You always want to push your opponent down the lane .. even hitting off target can be beneficial since you push back the start point.

In Foil the legs are off target. In Epee you can score on the legs, but it's dumb luck if you do. Arms are the easiest.