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Best Way to Learn Openings

Hi all,
I wanted your opinions on the best way to learn openings. Is learning openings through a flashcard concept using chess position trainer the best way to learn openings? It seems that using a flash card concept isn't such a good idea since you will be memorizing the lines and not understanding the purpose of the opening.

I'm not sure if some people are just more naturally gifted with a good memory that they can remember the lines of certain openings that they do not need a program such as chess position trainer

Does anybody have a different method of how to remember openings that is different than the flashcard concept?
Advice from former world champion Capablanca: do not waste your time studying openings. Study endgames instead.
yes tpr is right, endgames much more important.
But for the opening, just get a book that will explain the general idea, learning specific variations and sub variations and sub sub variations is kinda useless at our level imho
I was playing this 1800 and he was telling me that I wasn't following the book moves, and that if the World Champions never played what I play, then it was proof that my play was 'very wrong'.
Whatever, I won the game about 15 moves later lol..
Studying endgames is really important. But the opening phase is crucial. The opening is so important that top GMs spend most of their time preparing their openings. Most of them have a powerful memory and that's why they benefit more from studying openings. In my opinion, if you don't have that kind of memory, the best way to study is by playing the same openings all the time. Stick to a narrow repertoire and learn your lines well. Use a strong engine and give it time to think during analysis. Play many games online and analyse them all. After some time you can start learning new openings.
Yes it's important for top GM's who make a living off chess. But like I said, I think at our level it's not so important.
I can probably play a4, b3, Bb2 or any other 3rd rate opening against guys in my range and have a fine game.
The higher you get to the top (Masters, GM's etc..) then that's another story.
Those guys MUST know sub variations and the latest novelties etc..
Well one idea instead of using chess position trainer is to calculate the moves and try to use the rule out method to dismiss a certain amount of candidate moves. This may not work so well if you are not good at calculation. Also, this may not be so good in the opening since there may be more candidate moves in the opening compared to the middlegame.
GoodChessMind, if you have to calculate anything during the opening you're already in some kind of trouble. At least the first 10 moves must be known by heart.
@GoodChessMind you don't need flash cards to learn openings. I mean, that could work if you want to learn all of the openings. Just get a book, and create a repritiore of openings that lead to comfortable middlegame positions that lead to winning endgames for you.
What some people here are not able to comprehend is that a chess game starts with an opening.

Maybe they do not know the meaning of that word? I am not sure, but it is really stupid to say " hay go study endgames instead..."

If you are at a disadvantage at the begging of the game then it is harder to come back. Of course if you are playing against someone who is bad it will not matter but against someone of your skill then your knowledge of opening theory will help a lot.

If you really want to improve then opening,midgame,edgame,tactics etc should all be a part of your training.

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