I don't try to memorize names and telephone numbers. It get's memorized after using them often. So it goes the same for my chess openings.
Here is how I practice my opening theory: Before I play an opening, I already have a pawn structure in mind.
For the passed 30 days, I've been practicing a pawn structure and it changed my opening repertoire. So in a way, I'm learning more than just a mainline. I've learned or more like got familiarized with a new opening tree. The responses to the opening is often changed by my opponents, which changes my plans most of the time. But the aim to place the three pawns, the 2 knights, maintaining my two bishops and to castle king side, has often succeeded but at a cost to who has the advantage. My blitz rating has increased in the passed 30 days, by trying to play the King's Pawn Game: Leonardis Variation.
What's nice is there is puzzles for lots of openings....
lichess.org/training/Kings_Pawn_Game_Leonardis_Variation/white
lichess.org/training/Kings_Pawn_Game_Leonardis_Variation/black
lichess.org/insights/Toscani/acpl/openingFamily/period:30
lichess.org/@/Toscani/perf/blitz
youtu.be/kZH_WKuqh5c
Here is how I practice my opening theory: Before I play an opening, I already have a pawn structure in mind.
For the passed 30 days, I've been practicing a pawn structure and it changed my opening repertoire. So in a way, I'm learning more than just a mainline. I've learned or more like got familiarized with a new opening tree. The responses to the opening is often changed by my opponents, which changes my plans most of the time. But the aim to place the three pawns, the 2 knights, maintaining my two bishops and to castle king side, has often succeeded but at a cost to who has the advantage. My blitz rating has increased in the passed 30 days, by trying to play the King's Pawn Game: Leonardis Variation.
What's nice is there is puzzles for lots of openings....
lichess.org/training/Kings_Pawn_Game_Leonardis_Variation/white
lichess.org/training/Kings_Pawn_Game_Leonardis_Variation/black
lichess.org/insights/Toscani/acpl/openingFamily/period:30
lichess.org/@/Toscani/perf/blitz
youtu.be/kZH_WKuqh5c