I can memorize books on open heart surgery, but that doesnt mean im qualified to perform open heart surgery.
I kick booty at space shuttle flight simulators, but it doesnt mean im qualified to fly a space shuttle.
I can memorize books on advanced math stuff, but that doesnt mean im qualified to teach it.
Obviously memorizing things is great, but if you dont understand the "why" behind what youre memorizing? What are you going to do, when youre out of what you have memorized?
"... In my experience the majority of books on the openings are concerned more with giving numberless variations than with giving such explanations of the game as would lead the beginner really to understand the why and the wherefore of the moves he sees made; and in this way encourage the development of his Chess sense, thus enabling him to think his own thoughts in Chess, based as they will then be on the wide principles underlying the game. As it is, the reader, after wading through these endless variations, has probably really understood but a very small number of the moves given. He sets out to memorise the variations. And what will be the result? There can be only one. In a couple of weeks most of these variations will have been entirely forgotten; the moves which he does succeed in remembering will have probably got into their wrong order, or otherwise be confused in his mind. As he never really understood them, he remembers only that such-and-such moves are made in a given opening, and the odds are on his making them at the wrong moment, or in the wrong variation. ..."
http://store.doverpublications.com/0486209202.html
The Quality Chess author Nikolaos Ntirlis who lied about being a black belt in jiu jitsu and lied about being a correspondence IM in his books made a very uninspiring video on memorizing theory. He doesn't understand much
I have recently been memorizing stockfish lines of popular openings and variations. and I have found it's helped me gain a advantage in games. So I was wondering why people say it doesn't help? or have they simply not tried it themselves?
Well, it is not you alone. Everyone does analysis with computer, except some old traditional people.
If you can analyse for 10 moves, someone who can analyse for 20 moves will beat you.
This is what Carlsen says,
How important are computer programs for your preparation?
Computers are very important for sure. All the analysis I've done has been with the help of the computers. You constantly need them.
If you can analyse for 10 moves, someone who can analyse for 20 moves will beat yo.
"... It is illogical for one who has not earned his master title to ape the complicated opening variations played by, say, a world champion. After all, while the opening is indeed important in chess, it is still only one part of the game; victory can be found as well in the middlegame or endgame. Your only task in the opening is to reach a playable middlegame. ... to all players I can recommend the following: simplicity and economy. ... the most complicated variations demand huge amounts of time for home analysis, time available only to professional chess players. ..." - GM Lajos Portisch (1974)
I have recently been memorizing stockfish lines of popular openings and variations. and I have found it's helped me gain a advantage in games. So I was wondering why people say it doesn't help? or have they simply not tried it themselves?