Has Chess Become a Memory Game???

What are your thought's on this?

To become good, ALWAYS WaS!

Not quite sure what you mean...

What else? Everyday starting again from scratch?

Well, Capablanca was more or less a natural. His approach can be read in Chess Fundamentals. His undoing, in fact, was when he played Alekhine without preparing much. However, that was at absolute top level. My point? Well, up to a certain level, you don't need to learn all the lines of several openings, although as Capablanca recommends, you'll do well to learn endgame techniques.

Indeed, Capa‘s natural strength was his weakness, too. A bit lazy to calculate the full monty...

This is problem of classical chess at superGM level. Computer kinda calculate all solid opening lines that superGM's can play in classical. Avoiding them and create something can be dangerous for classical game. So, superGM's just play all this moves from memory and fight starts only at middlegame. Drawing chances increases. Thats why some superGM's want to play more rapid and blitz or chess960 with classical time control.

At the amateur level this problem doesnt exist. no reason to worry.

@Sarg0n said in #6:
> Indeed, Capa‘s natural strength was his weakness, too. A bit lazy to calculate the full monty...

You could also argue that in the modern world carlsen has gone down this route, relying largely on safe uncomplicated openings in order to get opponents into a level middlegame where his natural superior gameplay takes over.
Unfortunately it also feels like now he has developed an ego to the extent that any losses suffered against prepared opponents must be cheating as there is no way they could possibly win against him...

@MrPushwood said in #3:
> Not quite sure what you mean...

Don't worry let the one's who understood the topic answer

Agreed