I used to love chess.  I played it all the time after discovering it in sixth grade, and I'd play the computer (and get whipped, haha) pretty often.  I only lost one game during that span, to a middle-aged man.  Then again, I was playing a bunch of weak sixth graders, mostly.  Anyways, I picked up the game a few days ago after watching one of my friends play it online in school (going into senior year, by the way.  Woooooo!).

I'm looking for a good place to begin studying opening theory.  I'm looking primarily to memorize the names and moves of common openings, but I'm simply overwhelmed by the sheer number of openings, including their variations, that I've no idea where to begin.

Also, if anyone can recommend a decent computer engine that will help me whip myself back up to shape, that'd be nice to share.  Especially if it's free.  : )

Thanks guys!

Stick with 1. e4 openings and dont go into detail. I suggest u study the Scotch opening a little bit but focus on ur tactics and skills. After that, study the opening. Memorization isnt fun and takes away the point of chess becuz now it is simply home preparation versus home preparation and u dont even know why ur moving the pieces.

STUDY TACTICS

This is the answer you're going to get from everyone who knows what they're talking about for good reason! TACTICS, TACTICS, TACTICS!

I agree with that you need to learn tactics, but there is nothing wrong to learn the principles of the opening, a good book to start with would be Logical Chess:Move by Move by Irving Chernev.

Yes, that's right. Also I'd recommend getting Jeremy Silman's Endgame book and learning all of the most basic Endgames (K&Q vs K etc.).

In my opinion at this stage if he's going to do that it should be nothing but the most basic ideas behind those openings.