The openings are memorization. But afterwards it isn’t. To think that it is all memorization fundamentally misunderstands the game.
I am nowhere near the strength of my son, but among strong players the middle game is really about creating tremendous pressure on both sides until one side finds a small weakness in the other to gain better board control or win material. This is where deep visualization, the part where Beth saw moves on the ceiling, is most important.
Anyway, my point of this thread is that it can be a wonderful game for gifted kids, and for a while at least, is likely to be a popular social activity.
