No one here will be able to tell you what opening you should or shouldnt play.
I can vouch for Gm rep 1 and 2 they're both top books.
Good luck
Expand White repertoire on 1.c4?
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I'm not an expert on the opening but...
I don't think tempo is that important in this kind of slow, positional opening. It's more important that you get the pieces on their optimal squares. Bg5 isn't really a loss of tempo anyway because it has drawn out h6 which could be a weakness to target with the queen and bishop.
5. d4 is not an 'improvement', rather a completely different opening with different ideas behind it.
It looks to me that in the position after move 12, white's most obvious plan is to play f4 and try to create threats on the kingside. Also, if black exhanges on c4, then white can pile up against the d6 pawn with his queen and rooks.
Hi, all. I have been playing the english opening for quite some time now after reading "The Dynamic English" by Tony Kosten, and it has given me a great edge as white, due to its relative surprise value. Like Kosten advises, I play 1. c4 followed by 2. g3 against virtually all of black's first moves. With that said, after playing the english to this point, I am wondering if I can use 1.c4 as more than my main opening, but also use it as a transpositional weapon into 1.d4 lines. For instance, when black plays moves that don't control d4 (1.e5 and 1.c5), I'm tempted to play 2. d4 myself. However, I have no experience with 1.d4 and the main lines that follow. Here are some examples of black trying to divert white into queen's pawn main lines after 1. c4.
Of course, I knew that when I was buying the book that it will not cover the main lines after 1.d4.
Should I expand my 1.c4 repertoire to cover 1.d4? I'm thinking of buying "Grandmaster Repertoire: 1.d4" volumes 1 and 2 by Boris Avrukh, but if you have better suggestions, I would appreciate your greater experience. Thanks.