How is chess still surviving?

One opinion.
Fischer claimed a few years before his death that old chess is played out.
Today during last round f an OTB tournament I was flanked by two positions which occupied my attention more than my own game.
And I got an idea why this "old chess" is still living.
Because we are all imperfect and we forget, and do not regret to waste our precious time on the positions which had been played million times.
We play over the table, stupid and forgetful, blessed in our ignorance, and a boring played out position is for us new ocean we can get drowned in.

On my right side, following opening:

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 a6 6. Nd6+ Bxd6 7. Qxd6 Qf6


It was obvious that the opening was terra incognita for White, he spent a lot of time and now he ventured into deep thinking. His thinkig cap got hot.

And I knew the opening. But would I have played better than him? No. This opening was played in a game in Curocao candidates in 1962, Fischer was white and Tal was Black.
I remembered the joy when postman brought complete year of 1962 of Chess Messenger to my address 25 years ago. I was leafing through yellowish pages of those issues and was surprised Fischer plyed Qd2 or Qd1 in this position, you see, I don't remember. I would have played Qc7 and after couple of moves I would have probably cursed myself for playing theory without understanding it.

Well, the player to my right played 8. Qd3...

8. Qd3 Nge7 9. Be2 O-O 10. c4 b5! 11. c5 Bb7 12. O-O d5!



On my left--->>>>
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Bg7 5. c4 Nc6 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Nc3 Nxd4 8. Bxd4 d6
Two old guyz went to deep thinking.

White played
9. Nd5!? O-O 10. Nxf6 Bxf6 11. Bxf6 exf6 12. Bd3

And now Black moved 12. ...f5!? on which White castled...

Out of boredom and still upset after yesterday's incident, I was calculating--->>>
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Bg7 5. c4 Nc6 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Nc3 Nxd4 8. Bxd4 d6 9. c5!?? dxc5 10. Bxc5 Qc7 11. Nd5 Qxc5 12. Rc1 Qa5+ 13. b4 Qd8 14. Nc7+

But I overlooked, typically, that Black could have captured 11. ...Nxd5.

Is it really that popular?

I guess mostly for people who make 120k dollars a year or more.

Most people don't make that much.

What is the theory that White should play Qd1 or Qd2 or whatever is theoretically correct in the 1st game? Where can I learn such theory that white should play this or that in such a position shown. How did you learn the positional "theory?"

Originally posted by KingOnPoint
What is the theory that White should play Qd1 or Qd2 or whatever is theoretically correct in the 1st game? Where can I learn such theory that white should play this or that in such a position shown. How did you learn the positional "theory?"

"Theory" in chess means something different than what it means in every other endeavor. "Theory" are those moves that have been played by GMs enough times to be considered a "right" move. Sometimes that is once, as in the case of Fischer. If you know the moves in Fischer's games, you know a lot of theory.

VdV points out in his comments that it's a good idea to know the REASON the move was played lest you get lost when your opponent doesn't follow the same game.

Yep.

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/explorer?node=2666844&move=8&moves=e4.c5.Nf3.Nc6.d4.cxd4.Nxd4.e5.Nb5.a6.Nd6+.Bxd6.Qxd6.Qf6&nodes=21720.32033.32034.32035.32036.32037.32038.321282.321283.2666485.2666486.2666487.2666488.2666844

We can sing an old song, many times. I can reproduce the game Capablanca-Marshall 1918, many times.
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We found 'something' in chess.
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Now chess for a GM is different as I live my chess.
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Maybe the 'magic' of chess left Fischer, that is why we have RF or Chess960, and other variants.
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Or players that left chess just to play Go, (or for another activity, art or hobby)

We found something valuable in chess

Had Fischer gone to prison, he might get out after not too long and furthermore, he could have continued chess while in prison (CC). at least.