If you have the time, the opening explorer is a valuable tool, but if you do not understand the resulting position, then it's quite a useless tool, maybe even detrimental, if you keep finding yourself in positions where you are supposed to score well, but you can't handle the positions properly after the explorer stops working.
If you can use the explorer to understand the moves and resulting positions, then it's a valuable tool.
Google traduction :
I totally refuse it personally. However, I have not learned the openings and I am sometimes uncomfortable in a position after a few moves. and well Too bad for me I only had to learn the first moves. If I used the opening directories during the game, it would skew my results, avoiding lower positions during the opening. I would have the impression of skewing the game and putting my opponents at a disadvantage. So I prefer to disavow myself and play what I think myself.
On the other hand I don't know if it is legal to study a position on a non-electronic wooden chessboard, I suppose it is.
According to Martin Stahl's answer in another topic on the English forum, you have every right to consult the opening libraries.
So I tested. Effectively this gives all the listed moves of the Masters in the given position. In almost all cases the move I want to play is in the top 2 or 3 of the Masters, which is rather reassuring. I still play the move I had planned, but I note with interest the other moves made by the Masters.
PS: It seems that you have chosen as the language "French" instead of "English" for your topic.
I'm with Yigor in that I think it's whatever works best for you. I prefer to look at an opening on YouTube maybe practise drills on listudy and then screw up the opening because I didn't take advantage of something because I forgot the move and hadn't really learnt the opening. I'm not sure if that works better for me in learning the opening but for me if I used an engine I don't think I would learn because I prefer to learn by making mistakes. But if it sinks in then whatever works for you.
Depends on what you are using it for (and ones like the one from Megabase 2021 are better than chess.com's).
For example, let's say you face the French and do not understand what your options are after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5, and you look at the database and see that 3.Nc3, 3.Nd2, 3.e5, and 3.exd5 were all played hundreds or thousands of times, then it drops significantly. You can probably figure out that those 4 options are likely better than the rest, which the rest pretty much is garbage.
Now you might also see that 3.Nc3 scores better for White than 3.exd5, both based on thousands of games. Probably an accurate assumption.
However, let's say you are 14 moves into a French Winawer, and your position has only occurred 4 times in the database, and in the database, 4 different moves were played, 15.a3 (draw), 15.Ng5 (draw), 15.Be3 (White won), and 15.Rac1 (Black won). To look at the database here and say 15.Be3 is hogwash. It was played once! Unless this forces a win (by mate or by win of material), it is a bad idea to base your move on stats of less than 30 games (too small of a sample size). Now it may not be bad to look and see what has been played, but take win/loss statistics with a grain of salt, and it may turn out that theoretically, 15.Rac1 is best, just that White blundered or ran out of time later on. It could also be a move that was never played that is best.
When you get to this point where games are limited, do not solely rely on the database.
When you are talking thousands of games, like move 3 in the French, then the database is a legit source and you should not be trying to re-invent the wheel with stupid moves like 3.h4.
Depends on what you are using it for (and ones like the one from Megabase 2021 are better than chess.com's).
Do you use ChessBase? If so, at what level were you at when you felt the investment was worthwhile? I find ChessBase interesting but wonder if at my level it is just a waste of money.
Chessbase? Probably 2000.
However, that does not make the database here a good source for lower players. Instead, you should be studying the following:
0 to 1600 - Endgame books, Tactics books, basic Strategy books (like Seiriwan's series), Opening Concepts, etc.
1600-2000 - Openings (particularly 1.e4 and 1.d4 openings), specifically not memorizing lines, but understanding the strategy and reason for every move. WHY after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 did Black play 3.Bb4? If you say "To pin the Knight", you are wrong. WHY did Black pin the Knight? WHY is 3...Nf6 the other main move? What do both moves do? The answer is pressure the e4-pawn and looking to entice it forward to e5, releasing the light squares to Black, like f5 for him to plop a knight. The "big center" with e4 and d4, controlling f5, e5, d5, and c5, is ruined for White.
Advanced level strategy books, like books specifically on minor pieces or heavy pieces, etc.
2000+ - Databases, where you know the opening and are maybe looking for that 14th move novelty - sources like NIC Yearbook, Informant, etc. Advanced strategy books, like many of those from Quality Chess and New In Chess, etc.
Chessbase? Probably 2000.
However, that does not make the database here a good source for lower players. Instead, you should be studying the following:
0 to 1600 - Endgame books, Tactics books, basic Strategy books (like Seiriwan's series), Opening Concepts, etc.
1600-2000 - Openings (particularly 1.e4 and 1.d4 openings), specifically not memorizing lines, but understanding the strategy and reason for every move. WHY after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 did Black play 3.Bb4? If you say "To pin the Knight", you are wrong. WHY did Black pin the Knight? WHY is 3...Nf6 the other main move? What do both moves do? The answer is pressure the e4-pawn and looking to entice it forward to e5, releasing the light squares to Black, like f5 for him to plop a knight. The "big center" with e4 and d4, controlling f5, e5, d5, and c5, is ruined for White.
Advanced level strategy books, like books specifically on minor pieces or heavy pieces, etc.
2000+ - Databases, where you know the opening and are maybe looking for that 14th move novelty - sources like NIC Yearbook, Informant, etc. Advanced strategy books, like many of those from Quality Chess and New In Chess, etc.
Thanks, I hope one day I will be good enough to make ChessBase worthwhile. In the meantime I am making gradual progress through the Logical Chess, Silman's Complete Endgame Course, and My System books, and trying to be less lame at the puzzles.
I've found that if your opponent plays something weird, the opening explorer has a bunch of moves from GM games where they are trying to transpose back into a well known opening, not necessarily the best moves. but it is useful in complex openings like the Sicilian and the Ruy Lopez
I'm confused.
During the games?
Isn't this cheating?
you can use the explorer during daily games. i assume its not against the rules given that chess.com made it a feature
Muskie no apparently it's in a faq or somewhere you can consult opening databases if you want for on line games and something similar for the old correspondence chess federation. I presume because one of the aims of chess proficiency is to memorise with understanding the opening moves. Then when you get to the middle game you play chess. Then it's tactics. I'm old so no this wasn't an option in the last century but I compare it perhaps to maths exams we were allowed calculators first time for O level maths. At the same time we were probably one of the last classes to be taught how to use log tables with a slide rule. Slide rules and log tables were always allowed in exams. The game has changed. But opening game databases are not included in this site as cheating.
I consult opening databases in every daily chess game I play, but I wouldn't say that it replaces my thinking. I usually have a couple of moves in mind before I check them, (I use chess.com and 1 other) and then I check to see if my move is reasonable. I sometimes pay attention to the percentages, but I wouldn't say that I just pick the move that shows the highest "win percentage" because as was mentioned, when the sample size is small for a move, it's hard to derive meaning from what the database says. I would say that using the database helps me get through the first 10 or so moves and still be in good shape, but I wouldn't say that it helps me win. I initially started using it to avoid traps since a lot of low level players try to be trappy, but now that I am in the 1400-1500's in daily where I neither don't fall for the dumb ones and my opposition generally avoids them for more sound openings, I use it so I don't lose just because my opponent chose an opening I am not familiar with. I want my games to be won or lost in the middlegame or endgame.
I'm sorry, but I just don't agree that this is fair play at all.
One reason, unfortunately, why I don't play games longer than 5 minutes is that I do not want to play against my opponent's computer.
Study openings to learn them, of course.
But consulting a database to choose my next move?
Seriously?
I wouldn't want to play someone who felt this was somehow "fair play."
I would love to hear what the chess.com mods think about this topic.
Personally, I would like to see the opening explorer disabled during live games if indeed this is occurring regularly.
muskie I don't play that way but I understand its the way chess has developed. I am still old school it's about making mistakes and learning from them. I am pretty sure this discussion came up earlier it's allowed for daily games but not as you say for blitz
If it wouldn't be allowed during an over-the-board tournament, why should it be supported on chess.com?
I'm so bothered by this one I feel I need to take it to the mods. This practice shouldn't be enabled.
at least for me it's not that useful because it only goes up to move 3. But it is a feature in the UI of daily games
A couple of other players have told me that I should not use Opening Explorer because it is just using other people's thinking instead of thinking for myself.
Is it better to not use the Opening Explorer at all, or is there a sweet spot where it can be used in combination with enough of your own thinking?