You're Correct!

When you play a standard golf shot, you should normally align yourself in the direction you want to swing the golf club. To hit a straight shot at the target you would align yourself parallel to the target line.

When you look at how better players stand to chip and pitch shots, you may often see their stance is aiming open (left for right handed golfers) to the target. This open stance is ideal for hitting pitches and chips as it gets the lead leg out of the way so the hands and arms have room to move into the follow through and also quietens the hips. You dont need a quick hip turn in the down swing like the full swing when you are hitting a chip shot, as you dont need to create much speed or power. With a pitch and chip, you are only hitting a short shot which is controlled. Take this hip turn out of the equation and use the body to control the arms to help make your distance control more consistent.

With the full swing, you ideally should have the feet, knees, hips, shoulders all running parallel to each other. The feet and hips are best aligned open to the target when you chip and pitch, but you still want the shoulders to be aligned square to the intended target. The shoulders will control the direction the club is travelling rather than the club swinging across the ball and down the feet line.

When chipping and pitching, align your feet and hips a touch open of the target and the shoulders square to help you hit some clean, crisp shots close to the hole.

If we aim to the right of target we are setting up to swing in this direction. In order to get the ball back on target, you would need to make compensations during the stroke to hit the ball at the intended target. You normally see players flicking the wrist to manipulate the club path and face alignment to chip the ball straight. Work on your alignment to reduce the number of compensations during your chipping action.

If you aim your body directly at the target, you are actually aiming right of the target. To actually aim square, you need to aim parallel to target. When you chip and pitch, it is ideal to stand with the feet and hips aiming open and the shoulders square. This chipping alignment gives the arms room and also quietens the lower body action.

Alignment is a very influential part of dictating how you will have to move the golf club to hit the ball in the desired direction. If you just align yourself in a general direction, you will have to manipulate the movement of the golf club in order to hit the ball to your target. Feet and hips open and shoulders square are ideal when chipping and pitching.