@StateYourPoint said in #70:
> It's also very possible to get a substantial advantage out of the opening in chess960.
Yes, but not with rote memorization.
> Most games are not decided by the opening.
So? Doesn't change that opening theory significantly affects the game. Even if the effect is that both players come out of the opening unscathed.
> You can also get diverse positions and structures in chess by playing different openings. If I wanted a hypermodern setup, I could play the KIA. If I wanted a quick, solid setup, I'd play the London system.
Sure, but the range of positions and structures is much less than that of 960.
> Fun is a subjective concept.
Sure. I think the average person would find the range of positions and structures in 960 more fun than classical chess. Especially if we got rid of the cultural bias in favor of classical chess.
> You have equal opportunity to get an opening you like. But I think this is a strawman. My point is that if you consider openings "dead", then endgames must be as well, no?
This isn't true. You don't have an equal opportunity to get an opening you like. In classical chess, all you get is SP 518. You're out of luck if you don't like that starting position.
And yeah, again, there's no way to avoid opening prep unless you prefer a dubious opening. It should be possible to avoid theory and not have to sacrifice an advantage in the opening by playing inferior moves.
And again, no. Endgames are fine because they are easily avoidable. If you don't like certain endgames, just avoid them by playing differently in the middle or endgame. When it comes to openings, you either play theory or accept a positional disadvantage if someone memorized more than you.
> It's also very possible to get a substantial advantage out of the opening in chess960.
Yes, but not with rote memorization.
> Most games are not decided by the opening.
So? Doesn't change that opening theory significantly affects the game. Even if the effect is that both players come out of the opening unscathed.
> You can also get diverse positions and structures in chess by playing different openings. If I wanted a hypermodern setup, I could play the KIA. If I wanted a quick, solid setup, I'd play the London system.
Sure, but the range of positions and structures is much less than that of 960.
> Fun is a subjective concept.
Sure. I think the average person would find the range of positions and structures in 960 more fun than classical chess. Especially if we got rid of the cultural bias in favor of classical chess.
> You have equal opportunity to get an opening you like. But I think this is a strawman. My point is that if you consider openings "dead", then endgames must be as well, no?
This isn't true. You don't have an equal opportunity to get an opening you like. In classical chess, all you get is SP 518. You're out of luck if you don't like that starting position.
And yeah, again, there's no way to avoid opening prep unless you prefer a dubious opening. It should be possible to avoid theory and not have to sacrifice an advantage in the opening by playing inferior moves.
And again, no. Endgames are fine because they are easily avoidable. If you don't like certain endgames, just avoid them by playing differently in the middle or endgame. When it comes to openings, you either play theory or accept a positional disadvantage if someone memorized more than you.