Apart from the speed with which a computer program can evaluate a situation, what is the difference between refering to a computer sorted database and checking in, say, a book for the same scenario and possible lines of attack/defence which have been successful for others. I wonder if there was the same discussion when books on chess positions and reference voumes of played games first were published.

One reason I play little chess these days is that I have come to realise that I cannot compete with people with great experience who can rely upon a knowledge store of past games, strategies and tactics which I do not have. I prefer to play the variants where each game is new and strategies and tactics need to be worked out each time from scratch .... where storehouses of past games just do not exist.