"Fine at the top end level where they are equal, at my level I simply don't know what's losing until its obvious."
Memory has nothing to do with it. When you study a topic and learn it, you KNOW who has advantages, or at least how to exploit weaknesses. Recognizing that is an acquired skill through study.
The opening is just a set up designed to minimize weaknesses on your side and possibly force weaknesses on the opponent side.
"When at 1050 guy says "I know this line" then - whilst there are blunders etc - my assumption (which is seemingly wrong) is Im at a disadvantage as he knows the next best moves, I have to find the next best moves."
when you have a 1050, chances are he is out of theory by move 5 or 6 at most. And if you have weaknesses by move 5-6 your problem is not openings, you are failing to recognize the opponents plan and you ignored his moves too much until it was too late.
"Remembering, Im not particularly good so me "finding" the best move is not as high as a 2000 player. A guy at 1050 who "knows" the next moves may therefore get an easy advantage that otherwise he would not have."
Again, the problem there is not the opening, nor memory. He might "know" the best move, but a detailed analysis of the board
will tell you whats going on. Puzzles for example, they give you a set up position, many times you dont know how they arrived to that, most players wont even bother to find out either. We just see the final position and continue from there. Real knowledge of several topics will allow you to understand the position. Again, its an acquired skill through studying and learning different topics, not memorizing patterns.
"But again - have to take the advice here and stand corrected that the emphasis I placed on openings was naive."
Good. You overestimate openings, you can have no knowledge of them and still get the main lines if you find the moves. But you dont find the moves with luck, You kinda have to understand whats going on. and you acquire that skill, again, but studying.
But you see studying as a burden, or time consuming. If you dont have time to study, then study instead of playing against a computer or human. At the end of the day, you are basically replaying some one else's game.
Memory has nothing to do with it. When you study a topic and learn it, you KNOW who has advantages, or at least how to exploit weaknesses. Recognizing that is an acquired skill through study.
The opening is just a set up designed to minimize weaknesses on your side and possibly force weaknesses on the opponent side.
"When at 1050 guy says "I know this line" then - whilst there are blunders etc - my assumption (which is seemingly wrong) is Im at a disadvantage as he knows the next best moves, I have to find the next best moves."
when you have a 1050, chances are he is out of theory by move 5 or 6 at most. And if you have weaknesses by move 5-6 your problem is not openings, you are failing to recognize the opponents plan and you ignored his moves too much until it was too late.
"Remembering, Im not particularly good so me "finding" the best move is not as high as a 2000 player. A guy at 1050 who "knows" the next moves may therefore get an easy advantage that otherwise he would not have."
Again, the problem there is not the opening, nor memory. He might "know" the best move, but a detailed analysis of the board
will tell you whats going on. Puzzles for example, they give you a set up position, many times you dont know how they arrived to that, most players wont even bother to find out either. We just see the final position and continue from there. Real knowledge of several topics will allow you to understand the position. Again, its an acquired skill through studying and learning different topics, not memorizing patterns.
"But again - have to take the advice here and stand corrected that the emphasis I placed on openings was naive."
Good. You overestimate openings, you can have no knowledge of them and still get the main lines if you find the moves. But you dont find the moves with luck, You kinda have to understand whats going on. and you acquire that skill, again, but studying.
But you see studying as a burden, or time consuming. If you dont have time to study, then study instead of playing against a computer or human. At the end of the day, you are basically replaying some one else's game.
