Variations

Hey,

I have a question, when we learn openings there are countless variations of those openings that usually are a response to the move of the opponent but each time the opponent makes a move it branches out the amount of options we have even in a determined variation so first move you got 1 option (opening, imagine e4) then the oponent plays and it opens the possibility of 2 benefitial moves, you chose the variation accordingly from what you memorized, then he plays a move that is not on the line of the variation of your opening and so you get way more possibilities, you can't just follow the line you would do if the opponent played the optimal choice so chess players do follow some kind of rule or play the next moves by intuiton and what benefits them the most on that particular move?

I'm not sure what the question is here, but chess players will have their prep and when the opponent deviates or the prep ends we use knowledge of past games and the ideas of our openings to help us choose a move, or maybe we know we can transpose back to prep with different move order.

Yea you got to the point I wanted to understand. I wasn't sure what to do if you memorize a variation that is supposed to go that way and your opponent just doesn't play the moves you are expecting them to.

I mean there is value in learning a plethora of lines, but I would say that this is one of the lesser importance of chess. If you know a simple set up like the london system it can take you a long way, and over time as you play you can build upon it or pick up something new.

I'm not sure if I should learn the london for the future.

London doesn't "answer" to the opponent , you just play till you get that pyramid built contrary to almost every other opening where you answer to the opponent moves.