Quick Thoughts about LiChess' new opening tree.

This is great news for lazy people. It's also good news for people like doing things the fashioned way (loading up chessbase, and hitting the enter key), or opening another tab to visit openingtree.com.

I used to worry that technology is making it too easy for lazy people to beat me. That was a silly thing to worry about. Now I know that for every 1 brilliant software tool that makes it easy to learn something useful, there are billions of YouTube/TikTok/ distractions being released at the same time.

I like the LiChess opening tree because I can search faster and more easily. I don't have to open another tab, and I don't have to fire up ChessBase.

I first thought that the LiChess new opening tree might be missing some important features that I used in openingtree.com, but upon closer examination, I think all of the tools are there. Note that with the OpeningTree.Com site, you can load games from other websites, and they also have little collections of trees for famous players.

Tree Tip: It's important to use the date filter. This was a feature that I couldn't find at first, and was relieved to know that LiChess has it. I looked up a player today, who was scoring 48% with a certain White opening. Then I added a "last 3 months" filter, and got better information.

In summary, the new feature is a great thing, and I highly recommend it. I'm not sure if I will be using OpeningTree.Com much, but I will definitely rely on ChessBase for serious research. ChessBase is the best for doing research, but it's hard. Things like OpeningTree.Com or the LiChess Opening tree, are pretty good. I think of it as having like a GIANT dictionary, or having a normal dictionary. Most people are too lazy to use any dictionary!

I've seen a lot of great and easy to use chess tools be ignored. A bad carpenter blames his tools.
A bad chess player ignores the tools and watches YouTube videos about the Stafford Gambit and Bong Cloud all day. Definitely get in the habit of looking up your openings after you finish playing.

And yes, I have to admit... I do naturally worry, for a few seconds, before snapping back into reality: "Oh no, now it's going to be so easy for people to prepare for me! I better play different openings or make an anonymous account for playing chess." But that's a bit silly and egocentric. Because the information and tools are so good now, it's a good idea to play more openings (if you are at a level where your opponent's preparation can help them beat you).

Photo Credit: Thumb art for this How To Draw a Tree YouTube Video (I didn't watch it and don't plan to).