Next Best Move Question

Hello,

I would like to know, is there a way to know the best move in a position, other than memory? Let me give you an example:

In the position below is a game I played recently. Now, if I plug this into the computer, it is easy to see the best move for white, but other than memorizing stupid amounts of theory, is there a way to know the best move for white here? I was thinking Bd3, e5, Qd2, Bg5... all of which seem ok, but is there a way to know which of those is best?

Hmm, I'm assuming your asking me why the 4 I suggested were what I thought initially. It's really as simple as it's early in the game and I need to develop my pieces to optimal places, it's too early for a concrete plan. 

Yep, you want to complete your development, and place your pieces on active squares.  BUt what does each move do?

Bd3

e5

Qd2

Bg5

Bd3 - develops, takes aim at h7, and allows white to castle.

e5 - dislodges the knight

Qd2 - develops, and takes aim at h7

Bg5 - attacks knight to either trade it off or dislodge it.

... I'm not sure if this is what you mean.

You don't need to know what the best move is.

I would try to develop all my pieces in a way that coincides with what do you plan on capturing.

In the example position I would plan on capturing blacks e6 pawn in the nearish future so I would choose to develop my pieces with that in mind.

I would try to castle on the queenside for white so that my rook on d1 would be well posted to go along with capturing the black e6 pawn via d5 and dxe6

If black doesn't move or merely castles and doesn't do much I would expect to play 7.Qb3 8.Bf4 9.0-0-0 10.Bc4 11.Rhe1 12.d5

Thanks for the reply,although I'm still struggling a bit to get what I was looking for. Let me show a few more moves and I'll show you. So after black plays Be7, then: Bd3, O-o, O-o, c5. From here I ask myself the same thing  I have lots of options  but how do I know what's best? Computer always shows  but how would I know in a game? I played bishop e3, to keep developing and defend the pawn. Computer obviously shows better moves, but what else can I do? I didn't just move a random piece because it was my turn. 

The first and best piece of advice i can give you is this.  FORGET what an engine says, and FORGET about what a "best move" is.  You have basically answered you own question.

If you do not understand "why" an engine says a move is the "best" move, then you shouldn't be using an engine.  I do not say this to be mean, I simply mean it as yu should not be using a piece of equipment that you don't know how to use.

I think flame throwers are really cool, but i have no business being around one, or using one.  Why? Because i don't know how to use one.  Sure...someone can say: "All you need to do is pull the trigger, and <WHOOOSH> out comes fire.  The same thing can be said for chess engines.  Pretty much anyone can turn on a computer, and start a chess engine.  But that doesn't mean they know how to use it.

You are going to have to  learn to develop your own chess knowledge, and intuition, and not rely on blindly memorizing what an engine says.  So how do you do that?

You're overthinking it a bit worrying about what's the 'best' in my opinion. In the example you give, there are several (actually more than several moves) that while they may not all be of exactly equal strength, they're close enough that up to a certain point it probably doesn't make much difference: in other words, the position is non-critical and the game won't be decided by whether you pick the first or say,, the 4th best move in that scenario. As long as it doesn't drop material (or fail to win some) it probably does the job.

I suspect that based on your rating you would be better to focus more on situations with concrete tactics, those ones where only one particular idea will do, and at this stage don't worry too much about those positions where the best continuation is somewhat open to interpretation or a matter of taste and so on.