I've been trying the French defence for a couple of years. If I'm ever comfortable with it I suppose I'll look at something else. Good luck with achieving your plans by the summer.
Developing Basic ideas to build a repetoire.
Sort:
Feb 12, 2010
0
#4
I don't know how much available time you have, but building a complete repertoire is extremely long. Though I think your methodology is good, maybe you should accept to have only a part of this repertoire ready by this summer.
Anyway, I'd be interested to know how it works : please keep us posted ! 
Feb 12, 2010
0
#5
hicetnunc wrote:
I don't know how much available time you have, but building a complete repertoire is extremely long. Though I think your methodology is good, maybe you should accept to have only a part of this repertoire ready by this summer.
Anyway, I'd be interested to know how it works : please keep us posted !
Fair point!
I think its a good choice. I've been working on my opening repertoire for the past few months and have made little progress. I've tried to play gambit chess, tactical chess, postional chess, and hypermodern chess. I've been leaning towards posstional chess openings.
Feb 15, 2010
0
#7
Hello mkirk--
A consideration-- you've obviously got a fair amount of experience with chess, as you have a few hundred games even just here on chess.com. Yet your plan for determining a repertoire doesn't seem to include a component based on your own experiences and preferences thus far. Points 2 and 3 may be for this, but as written, it sounds almost like those actions are meant to start from this point forward, rather than with your own history to date.
Do you keep any sorts of records of your games organized by openings? You might be able to narrow down what you like, or just as importantly, what you don't like, by examining your data base that you already have. Looking at your own play at this point should already give you ideas as to whether you like open, closed, or flank positions, or whether they tend to get you in trouble. Spending some time with the data you already have could save you lots of time gathering and parsing new information, and best of all, the data within your own games are already tailored to your playing preferences and style.
Just a thought . . .
--Cystem 
Hi,
So here is my plan to devise my opening repetoire:
1. Make a thorough study of common sound opening practice by working through Reuben Fine's book "Ideas Behind The Chess Openings" [a little dated I know, but a good foundation book all the same - served a whole generation of master strength players]
2. Choose some openings that I like the feel of and investigate further e.g. use opening explorer, www.chessgames.com, and general large opening book (I will be using NCO -'Nunns Chess Openings'). May also purchase some of the 'Starting out...' series.
3. Make a full and accurate record of my opening repetoire in notebook/electronically.(I like pen and paper personally - one of the old school!!)
4. Trial my reptoire in live chess games/blitz for real game feel. Amend as appropriate.
5. Use in proper OTB games and tournaments.
Aim: to complete this by the summer this year.
Any comments from fellow players.
BTW- please don't think I am only studying openings, I am working on tactics, strategy and the monotonous road of endgames too.