Artificial Intelligence

Before, opening repertoires weren't easy to form. Not only did it take a long time to understand your opening, but sometimes an opening you are taught to play just doesn't feel right, so when you play it you get worse positions, or positions that aren't to your liking. Nowadays with neural-networks and easy-to-download analysis engines, such as Stockfish 10, opening theory is re-assembling itself, with 2nd class openings moving into the 1st class, and long-forgotten gambits resurrected, proved strong, and their piece activity sufficient compensation, by computers. In short, computers are radically changing opening theory. This is because computers don't judge positions based on a positional feeling that strong players have, but pure, concrete calculation. Even if a sacrifice is technically sound, and the player gets enough compensation, the computer only looks at perfect play, and if it doesn't see anything forcing or convincing, it won't take that route. Computers are useful for learning openings, because it is easier to check all the variations with a computer than with a team of players, because the computer never fails. Computers make opening preparation easier, because they offer an insight into an otherwise invisible world, where passive play can be the best way to hold a worse position, or stunning ideas can come to light. Imagine the shock people would get when they thought they had calculates everything, but when after they check it with the engine they find out that they missed a tactical motif! Look at this example.

SuperGm Radjabov willingly exchanged from a drawn position into this lost one, thinking it was a draw. If Fedoseev hadn't seen the move, then the engine definitely would have!

This is what poor Radjabov was expecting...

When he would have a draw and he could have pushed for advantage. Unfortunately the game didn't end so.

And here Radjabov resigned. If he tried the same plan,

Then that would happen. And if he tried to divert the Black king with the b-pawn,

Then he is one move to late. What a beautiful finish.