Right - so I've never used a database before, but apparently everybody is doing it, right? This forum posting hasn't really cleared anything up for me...
http://www.redhotpawn.com/board/showthread.php?threadid=35699
I mean, if I am referencing a database after every move, and I am following moves from the databases, then I'm not doing any thinking on my own am I?!
Can someone clarify. Thanks.
At some point you'll be out of database moves. Plus you'll have to pick a move from the database yourself. It is only a tool that should be used wisely, blindly playing the percentages will get you nowhere.
Percentages can be very misleading. Maybe a move scores high because it was played by strong players against weak opposition. Or it has been played for a while but suddenly fell out of favor because it was refuted. There's tons of reasons, really.
That's why you should always do your own research and just use databases to give you hints only. Use them to get a general idea of the type of middlegame you want and feel free to deviate.