This is what I meant. Openings aren't traps, and openings can branch as players choose different variations, but to stray from the opening book entirely is seld

This is what I meant. Openings aren't traps, and openings can branch as players choose different variations, but to stray from the opening book entirely is seldom a wise move. (That's one reason I never got too far into chess; I realized that competitive play would require a lot of opening knowledge.)