>How does one get good at chess? Like where do you even start? I've barely played
Study Morphy games and try to play like him. Get all of your pieces out and castle quickly. Your rating will go up quickly as most low-rated players like making 20 queen moves and leaving all of their pieces on the back rank.
This is why chess is a shitty game for computers and memorizers who think they're intelligent.
It eventually devolves into a forced sequence of moves that nobody has any choice over. Thats boring as shit, might as well just read a list of moves someone else made.
NRS games are unironically easy to learn but hard to master
Play chess960
Good, next you'll understand that not even quantum fluctuations are random.
>It eventually devolves into a forced sequence of moves
Nothing is "forced" if you don't see it, like 99.9% of chess players wouldn't as in the OP. Being good at chess actually requires good calculating skills and positional understanding. high rated players can play zero moves of theory in an opening they don't know, and they will totally crush an autist who's memorized it out 30 moves but is a shit player.