don't study openings until level 2000?

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Cybord2000
Laskerator wrote:

Don't MEMORIZE openings until 2000.

 

That's the correct tip. You could even argue that 2200 is the correct rating cap.

 

Studying openings, at all levels, is immensely useful, because it teaches you new ideas, both tactical and positional. There are a lot of excellent opening books out there that will improve your chess greatly.

 

BUT.

 

Knowing openings won't help you break 2000! It's your general chess knowledge that will, and sub-2200 games are almost always decided by something entirely other than the opening. If player A gets a "comfortable advantage" out of the opening, that doesn't mean they're going to win the game at sub 2200-level.

   Middlegame magick plays a huge role in high level games , and an unforgiving endgame..    

  p.s.  i like your grandmaster rating.

fieldsofforce
Cybord2000 wrote:
Laskerator wrote:

Don't MEMORIZE openings until 2000.

 

That's the correct tip. You could even argue that 2200 is the correct rating cap.

 

Studying openings, at all levels, is immensely useful, because it teaches you new ideas, both tactical and positional. There are a lot of excellent opening books out there that will improve your chess greatly.

 

BUT.

 

Knowing openings won't help you break 2000! It's your general chess knowledge that will, and sub-2200 games are almost always decided by something entirely other than the opening. If player A gets a "comfortable advantage" out of the opening, that doesn't mean they're going to win the game at sub 2200-level.

   Middlegame magick plays a huge role in high level games , and an unforgiving endgame..    

  p.s.  i like your grandmaster rating.

                                                                            __________________________

 

I've got a special 3 letter title after my name.    PSD

TheAdultProdigy

Eh, I took the advice I was given when I began playing, and have not studied openings, expecting to learn some lines when I hit 2000.  When I hit USCF 1800, I thought I'd have to learn openings to go any higher, and so as soon as university work and teaching obligations ceased for the year, I planned to study openings hard.  Actually, I've crossed another 100 points, cracking 1900 (USCF) without knowing pretty much anything.  I'm at a huge disadvantage out of the opening, but end up winning many games. 

 

I wrote a little about it here: https://www.chess.com/blog/Milliern/cracking-uscf-1900-right-above-it