I find chess goes from tedious and overwhelming in the opening game, to interesting in the midgame, and fascinating towards the endgame. Sad you have to memorize thousands of opening lines to get good at it.
If you don't enjoy studying openings, you can get far by just being aware of opening ideas and common traps, and spending the rest of your time on midgame and endgame. Memorizing thousands of opening lines is really only for 2200+ Elo players (global top 20,000), even though Chessable and other marketing teams are doing their best to convince amateurs otherwise.
...Chessable and other marketing teams are doing their best to convince amateurs otherwise
The study of openings is a very easy thing to 'productise' in comparison to other elements of chess. One's progress with learning openings is particularly tangible and easy to measure, but the law of diminishing returns sets in pretty quickly. There is also the more practical element that openings have names; it's quite difficult as a beginner to talk about more philosophical or abstract parts of the game, such as identifying and referring to the situations when a certain bishop is strong or not.
In many ways, the focus on openings is not a new phenomenon - chess opening books always seem to have dominated the genre of chess books. They're also excellent ways for publishers to sell updated editions... New openings are discovered like clockwork; the genre exists alongside sport almanacs and travel timetables as a perfect way to keep the printing presses going!
It doesn't avoid it fully though; some basic knowledge about opening theory is still essential. It is quite possible for certain permutations to open up wide gaping holes in each side's defences, which the more experienced player can use to checkmate almost immediately. It's like the Scholar's Mate but manifold.
Not true, in fact, this is backwards. Memorizing openings is the last thing you do to squeeze every bit of advantage out of the game. Opening theory and practicing tactics will get you to almost ~2000.
Comments
I find chess goes from tedious and overwhelming in the opening game, to interesting in the midgame, and fascinating towards the endgame. Sad you have to memorize thousands of opening lines to get good at it.
If you don't enjoy studying openings, you can get far by just being aware of opening ideas and common traps, and spending the rest of your time on midgame and endgame. Memorizing thousands of opening lines is really only for 2200+ Elo players (global top 20,000), even though Chessable and other marketing teams are doing their best to convince amateurs otherwise.
The study of openings is a very easy thing to 'productise' in comparison to other elements of chess. One's progress with learning openings is particularly tangible and easy to measure, but the law of diminishing returns sets in pretty quickly. There is also the more practical element that openings have names; it's quite difficult as a beginner to talk about more philosophical or abstract parts of the game, such as identifying and referring to the situations when a certain bishop is strong or not.
In many ways, the focus on openings is not a new phenomenon - chess opening books always seem to have dominated the genre of chess books. They're also excellent ways for publishers to sell updated editions... New openings are discovered like clockwork; the genre exists alongside sport almanacs and travel timetables as a perfect way to keep the printing presses going!
very true
You could try Chess 960 (a.k.a. Fischer random) which was designed to avoid opening theory. It's very fun.
It doesn't avoid it fully though; some basic knowledge about opening theory is still essential. It is quite possible for certain permutations to open up wide gaping holes in each side's defences, which the more experienced player can use to checkmate almost immediately. It's like the Scholar's Mate but manifold.
Not true, in fact, this is backwards. Memorizing openings is the last thing you do to squeeze every bit of advantage out of the game. Opening theory and practicing tactics will get you to almost ~2000.
Endgames with few pieces remaining require memorization as well. You don't want to draw when you had a sure win.