So I am going back to basics hopefully to get it right this time, and I am looking for a repertoire.I never really went too deep in the open games, I started with it for a while in my younger years but then went to the caro-kann never knowing any theory. I reached a 1600 rating. Now I hear a lot that it is important to start with the open games, although some GMs do not agree on this.

Now I have decided to put a hold on studying the repertoire I really want and force myself to play something else in order to get a better chess education. Now I dont want to invest too much effort in this as I plan to focus on tactics, endgames and strategy.

Out of the following which would you recommend (or not recommend) for a beginner and why:

As White:

1.e4 (What I should play although I will most likely see the sicilian most of the time)

2.c4 (What I want to play)

Against e4:

1.French (The defense I want to play)

2.e5 (maybe what I should play, since with white I will most likely see the Sicilian if I open with e4 and I need to try for an open game as much as possible)

Against d4:

1.QGD/Catalan

2. Slav

3. QGA

I plan to stick with this opening until about 1800 - 2000 before I make any major changes.

I'll appreciate your suggestions.

As white, c4 is ok if you're wanting to limit your opening study by following it up with g3. Its not very aggressive and black can play some fun structures like e5-d6-f5-Nf6, but such is the life of playing unambitious openings.

Now if you really want to get stronger on up into the expert range, I think playing the Queen's Gambit exclusively will force you to learn a lot of structures and strategy. This is currently my new study of play as I feel I'm not getting much out of "junk" openings like 1. b3. It requires dedication and hard work, but I'm already liking the very interesting fighting chess games I get with it. Every time I face a new defense from black, I play as best I can an then research the opening after to find out the key points and plans for both sides. I recently had to face the albin counter-gambit for the first time and ended up winning the game using pure intuition. I still felt confused and lost most of the time, but I enjoyed learning something new upon post-game study.

As black against e4, the french is perfectly fine and is what I used for a while, even winning a game against a national master in the process. However, I eventually left it in favor of the open games, mostly because I wanted to learn more structures and also because I found certain variations were just not to my liking (Tarrasch & exchange lines).

Against d4, the QGD is a nice solid approach. I remember just barely missing a draw against FM Hayward in a recent tournament where I brashly sacced a knight in a dead-equal endgame. I remember feeling good about the game even though I lost, because I normally would get crushed playing junk openings against him. It was my first time ever playing the QGD, and yet I held my ground all the way deep into an endgame before I played a bad sac in time pressure.

why do you need choices on the first move? pick one you will still have plenty of choices along the way just pick something you like that can limit your study until you reach master level.  

white: e4 and pick and anti to play against c5. either alpine or grand prix.

against e4: french, and after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 (or Nd2) play dxe4 to limit your study.

against d4: QGA, why not?

I personally think that as a beginner, you should try everything (I know, I know, please keep your objections to a mininum for now and let me explain!).

For one, you do not yet know what kind of player you are (forgive me if I am wrong) , and different opening leads to very different positions. You cannot compare a 1.e4 e5 to 1.e4 e6, nor can you compare 1.d4 d5 to a KID

Also, when you are beginner, playing different openings leads to different positions, and consequently, playing different positions will help you to understand these positions better.

Perhaps, when you get to a rating of 1600 or so, you will know which openings you want to play, whether it is because that opening led to a good win, that opening you are the most comfortable with... whatever, by then you will know.

i personally liked the articles on chess.com on how to choose your openings based on your personality.  do you like open tactical games or closed positional games?  check them out, they have good advice.

Firebrandx: thanks for you reply. I do play the english and french but I feel I am missing out on the open games that so many people recommend. I may just stick with what I feel comfortable with but I am seriously considering taking up the open games in order to do things "right". The dilema is that if most people play the sicilian than maybe I can skip e4 and go with the English and maybe reply with e5 as black as at least with that I can be sure of getting into an open game.

tonymtbird: I didnt want to get into variations in this post, just the major opening. Basically I want to know if I want to get an education in the open game will I not be cheating by playing e4 as white but not the open game from the black side.

I have played many opening just not too deep, just the first 3 or 4 moves.

Also I HAVE achieved a rating of 1600 OTB, 1657 to be exact which is maybe 1700 USCF. As I said in my original post I am trying to go back to basics and pretty much start over.

Thanks I check them out.

Maybe the advise of playing the open games is not as relevant today with a lot of people opting for semi open games, closed games etc.

I'm not sure how to formulate advice for you. Are you 1200 turn based strength here or a good solid 1650 otb player?

Well I have not played much here and most if not all of my games I forfeited early on time. I am 1650 OTB but inactive, this was in 105 tournament games. I am 1900 blitz in playchess on a good day and 1750 at FICS also in a good day. Hope this gives you an idea.

Both the French and the English can easily take you as far as you can go rating wise. And if those are the opening that you want to play by all means play them.

By the way The French and The English have been antagonists for centuries so they might not get along.

Play what you like. You will play better, and enjoy it more.

Yes it does.

If you were a beginner type I'd say worry far less about trying to get winning openings and just settle in for a long stretch of e4 e5 d4 d5 game lessons.

As you are well-advanced I want to give the same advice, believe it or not. Play those classical games for a month or two and really educate yourself on what happens in them. Maybe longer. You seem to want to do this anyway.

When you feel satisfied with your comfort-level with e4 e5 and d4 d5, move along to some of the other opening schemes you and others mention in earlier posts.

Knowing e4 e5 and d4 d5 stuff is a great foundation for the other stuff, even if one can forgo them and just play the English, for example, and get decent games.

The better the foundation the further one can advance, I feel.

you mean e4,e5 ?

Yes kco that's what I mean and I'm not even drunk.

didn't say you were. :-)

Thanks. I'm only slightly tipsy.

oh now you are heading in that direction....

legna, now that you're 1600 I really don't think you have to come back and "do it right" by all of a sudden picking openings you never did before or don't like because you're "supposed" to. At that point, just improving your game is quite enough to move up, and you can always just look at master games in certain openings if you really want to. So only do it if you want to stylistically, not because you think it will make a huge difference in your play. It might be easiest for beginners to move up that way, but certainly not the only one, and you're not a beginner anymore.

Like if you don't want to play the ruy lopez (maybe because of the theory) you could just learn something from master games in that opening instead  of modifying your whole repertoire.

Against 1.d4 the nimzo/QGD would probably be better seeing as how well the exchange variation is doing for white after move 11 white scores a whooping 69%. So I suggest nimzo if white plays Nc3 and only transpose into the QGD if white plays Nf3. If you decide on playing e5 then I suggest the petroff. It has a drawish reputation but that is only because it has been analysed so much by masters. The french is fine though and is my main defence against e4.

1600 rating isn't exactly beginner rating so I would suggest the Queen's Gambit to learn the importance of positional play, pawn structure(the infamous "minority attack" is an example of white trying to create weaknesses.),maneuvering, and timing