mathiassmall ... Are YOU really suggesting it is easier to learn to play against a 100 ways of meeting 1.e4? than the easygoing Reti? Which btw was not one of my suggested openings for this poster. I said it was one of MY first openings, when YOU asked for some Masters to post what they Did use first themselves. If you cannot remember my posts, please at least remember your own. Also you misread and confuse my secondary goals with primary. Re one such, KI positions do not require maneuver to initiate the attack. It is self evident and flows naturally from the position. You should know that. Why don't you?
Meeting 1.d4 for that matter. Whereas ways vs Reti's are naught but one of the myriad ways vs d4.
DonaldLL ...glad you Are entertained. That is why you are here, isn't it? Since at least my reply about opening use was tailored to this particular posters problem, I don't expect it would fit you unless yours are the same. However, the original poster has suggested that they Have tried many openings and would have a broad idea of what is out there at least. Incredibly, it is also possible to Look Up what you do not know. If someone is going to be too lazy to study they should not expect to become appreciably better. Knowing what you are trying to play is indeed a good place to start, for you, imo. Those who come on expecting it all to be handed to them, and crave 'secrets of play', while unwilling to put in their own part, should ask themselves the Question: Why Should anyone be willing to give you their knowlege?
I started at 777 and went on to mastery, even getting to play two persons who have participated in the world championship, without loss of a game to them ... thru work. If that is what someone wants to do, let them read my posts. And if they want some quick fix from some person who's lack of overall knowlege, and fear to even talk specifics, seems to suggest purely computer generated lines ... go for it.
WORMROSE Delightful! Your attitude to the game is a coaches dream. Above all else, that continuing fascination is what keeps one coming back for more. If one can enjoy the game like that and keep the fascination, it is better even than Mastery. Instead it is Artistry and ongoing friendship with a fascinating subject.
When I was a beginner I knew nothing but 1.e4 or 1.d4. I knew absolutely nothing about playing Black. Still, I won enough games to hold my interest. So, I started to learn the openings and it didn't seem to help much. But it was fun. I still study openings but it's because I like to study them.
What really made the difference for me was to study the endgame. That's when my game began to improve; because I was learning general principles. Studying tactics had a similar effect. Things like having a Rook on the seventh rank, a Knight on e5, pins, forks, skewers, etc.
I play hypermodern openings and I don't have a good sound reason why, except that I enjoy them and they feel natural to me. My only hope is that the opening will get me to the middlegame where things start to get good. My enjoyment of those openings has lead me through a wonderful world of discovery about this great game of chess. There is no end to it. Enjoy it! And good luck.