I  have only been playing chess for about a year, moreso recently. I have never studied any books on openings. I just know a little about what should come out first and controlling the middle. I have played a lot of games against the computer and have won about half of my games against other 900-1200 rated players here online so I have a long ways to go.  I find that when I lose, it is often because I got into trouble early in the game.  That and the fact that I make quite a few thunder blunders at crucial times. What I am looking for is a book or CD or DVD that teaches one decent opening...but preferably not a super common opening that everyone else plays.  I want something that most people are not too familiar with. I do not want to learn every single opening out there because my brain cannot handle it nor do I have the time. I just want to learn one (for now) and learn it well enough to hopefully either gain an early advantage against average players or at least keep my butt out of early trouble! Thanks anyone!

Brett

For someone at your level I wouldn't recommend playing unorthodox openings, just stick with simple openings. 

All you should be conserned with in the opening is making to the middle game.

To do this just focus on controlling the center, development, and king safety.

I would just play basic king's pawn openings like the Italian game until your rating is 1700+.

for the kind of opennings you're speaking of is very simple. If you know what your strengths are... open to your strength, try different things, I set up a board, and make 6-12 moves to see what moves can counter that set-up before I make my first sacrifice...

Problem is, you can't learn just one opening. You have to have a variety of things to counter what your opponent does.

Whatever you choose for your opening system, just remember not to waste too much time studying and memorizing openings.  At the club level, being competent at tactics (Developing pattern recognition and calculation/analysis abilities) and training yourself to eliminate blunders is where you should be focusing the majority of your attention since that's where the games are almost always decided. 

Buy "Starting out: The King's Indian Attack" (white opening system)

Then buy "Starting out: The Pirc/Modern" (black opening system)

The two openings have similarities in the positions that arise.

And...They are solid openings that you can learn quickly.

Totally agree as me either made it the false way round :)

Play some time to learn your playstile ,chose openings you stick with and dont change every week.

After that tactics and endgames.

Endgames is supposed by some strong players often to be the thing to be started with , and at my lvl it is surely not up to me to crtiticize them , but I hate this boring studiing.

I always recommend to beginners, read Reuben Fine's Ideas Behind the Chess Openings.  The analysis itself is a bit dated, but the approach is what's important -- understand the strategic goals for each side in a given opening, and good moves will flow naturally from that.  You really shouldn't need to read another opening book for a long time after that one.

Thank you all for your advice. I have been enjoying playing my first few moves as white:

 e4

bf4

then both knights (provided that my opponent does the normal e5 and a knight defense. I have gotten very comfy with this opening and usually win if I don't blunder and it does not get into and end game battle where I royally stink. Does anyone know the name of this kind of opening so I can study it more? Thanks!

1.f4 birds !

????

I´m going to make an argument I read from someone, and it basicly goes like this, if you haven´t got alot of time each day to spend on studying, still learn a proper opening. If your options are between learning a shoddy opening in 3 weeks, and a usefull opening in 2 months, pick the later. You are still going to be playing in 2 months aren´t you?

And it might be true that the Spanish is full of theory, so what, most fellas around our levels will barelly be knee deep in the theory, and you can continue to evolve your opening as the rest of your skills evolve. And, in case you do meet someone our level who knows the Spanish the inside out, you still have a good chance beating him, someone around our level who spends his time memorising each and every line of openings, probably doesn´t spend alot time on studying the rest of the game, or obviously he wouldn´t be at our level.

Edit: I missed your last post, the Opening you are talking about is the Three Knights opening, or, The four knights opening, if he decides to take his second knight out aswell.

I am finding games called Giuoco Piano or Italian games that very much resemble what I am talking about except that I have been bringing out the bishop first instead of the f knight.

I´m assuming you mean 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4, and not Bf4, seing as how that would be an illegal move, it´s called the Bishops opening, dunno where I got the idea you said you brought out your two knights at the start.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop%27s_Opening

 Birds opening, in the normal line is 1.f4, d5, e3.

A good opening for Black vs. d4 is The Budapest Defense, Fajarowicz variation.  It is not really sound, but you can get a lot of quick wins vs. unsuspecting players.  The opening is handled well in a book titled "The Fighting Fajarowicz", by Tim Harding. 

If you are going to play the Budapest, I recommend you learn the main line too, where Black plays to regain the pawn.  And then use the Fajarowicz for a surprise weapon.

Also, it will give you good practice playing a true gambit (i.e. down a pawn) and learning to obtain compensation in the form of superior piece activity, or superior development.  But also learn the traps.  Even GMs have lost on move 5 or 6.  Now if the traps work, don"t expect your opponent to resign.  Even if you are up a queen for two pieces, you will still need to demonstrate a win to most of your opponents.

You are right. I have figured out a way to gain a queen for 2 pieces against the computer at chess.com but I still have to work very hard for a victory. I have seen players resign losing a queen for a rook and a knight which is a  little ridiculous to me. That is only a one point difference.

BTW Tricklev,yes, I meant bishop to f4