How to learn theory?

Hello everyone, I've had this question for a long time and never got around to asking it. What is the best way to learn theory for different openings? Should I download an engine or is something like chessbase better? 

use chessable

it is the easiest way to learn theory

hi

watch agadmator videos 

jk chessable is pretty good

You can do puzzles

for theory?

i looked at your profile and i would say the best idea is don't.

i'd recommend playing more chess games (even short time controls like 3|0), imo that's a much more instructive way to improve chess than something like chessable.

if you play more you can work out what openings work for you and basically learn the theory by learning from your mistakes

especially if you haven't played many games. i don't know if you play on lichess mainly but based on what i can see if you played more games that would help you a lot

To learn openings you need:

1. To have an excellent understanding of the chess principles for openings.

2. To group the openings in groups ordered by the initial move, and then by the name of each opening,

3. To learn the reasons of each consecutive move of each opening until the move 10 aprox.

4. To be aware of traps of each opening.

5. Watch videos of good comprehensive analysis of games of top chess players and computers. There are good analysys on internet and here on chess.com.

All of this is a huge work and chess plataforms like chess.com help. My best advice is to learn very well the chess principles for openings, and to learn only 2 openings for e4 , two for d4/Nf3, and two for c4, this could give you a good understanding.

The problem is that there are so many lines, and you need to study the reasons behind each move, this take a few years (if you are already busy it could take decades, and also a good memory is needed too).

For example after white moves 1.e4, black's most common half-move or ply is :

1.... e5

1.... e6

1.... c5

1.... c6

1.... d5

1.... g6

1.... b6

1.... Nf6

1.... Nc6

Each one of those lines have many openings, for example 1.e4 e5 could lead to Berlin Defense, Spanish Game, Petrov Defense, Scotch Game, Italian Game, etc., etc., etc.

If you really have talent for chess, these years of learning are worth it, but if not, just take it as a hobby.

Any video or pgn or anything works, you just have too practice and commit it to memory.

The issue at my level is the theory almost never goes far and it's more about learning how to punish inaccuracies; so the few times we do get a few moves into the classical scotch or whatever, I forget. If I really wanted to learn though I'd treat it like school and quiz myself, but until I face opponents who play the moves it's not worth it for me.

Another issue is breadth vs depth, do you study the first few moves of many sidelines, or pick one and learn it to move 20. I'm doing the 'pick one' thing now. 

At my level blunders decide games, almost exclusively. I like the scotch because it cuts tension and suits my play style, but I'm not winning because of it.

Anyways, that was long; my point is resources matter less than behavior; get the moves from anywhere and commit them to memory rigorously.

just study openings

Sometimes, learning theory (openings) by heart is not necessary if you learn basic principles (control middle, develop pieces, protect King etc). Most often after games, when analyzing, I find myself playing openings that I never studied just because at that moment I considered those to be the strongest moves. So just play consistently and you will improve naturally. Ofc, learning opening theory helps a lot

4Head

HELLO EVERYONE, CAPTURES CAPTURES

Ok. #1) If you are like, devoted to theory, and are willing to spend several hours and a lot of money on it, then you won't find a better deal than Chessbase. That being said, that is the best way to create, practice, and explore theory, (thanks to their database). If you want to study theory, books are an amazing way to do so. I have a book on Openings for white that covers some key lines in the Scotch Gambit, up to a certain extent. I continued for a few moves in that theory. I also bought 'The Sizzling Scotch Gambit' pack from Chessbase. All in all, I spent like 50 bux total on the Scotch, but it is so worth it. I am killing game after game purely with theory

I mean, I am on a winning streak kind of bcuz the Scotch..

Play games against  higher rated players because losing all the time isnt much fun but its a great way to becoming a stronger player by analysing the games afterwards. 

HELLO EVERYONE, CAPTURES CAPTURES

SORRY BOUT THAT