White - English, because of its versatility. If my opponent wants to play KID, QG, thats ok.
Black - Benko Gambit, Benoni, Schandinavian (Icelandic Gambit), French Advance
About how advanced are you? Your profile is kind of stealth.
I would say,that RUY LOPEZ is the most important to learn!it teaches so many positional and also tactical things...you dont have to play it,if you dont like it,but you definitely need to be familiar with it from both sides!
Good luck with trying to practise Queens Gambit Declined. I sat down several months ago to learn the Tartakower variation of the Queens Gambit Declined. I did this upto about move 12 (a position which I would feel comfortable playing from). Since then I have played several hundred games on chess.com. On the occasion the Queen Gambit Declined does get played (I still find it reasonably uncommon) half of the time my opponent does not even play Bg5.
Sometimes you can transpose into the QGD...but you need other openings of course...
Instead of thinking about best lines, I would improve first my chess thinking with books like Silman «How to reassess your chess» to understand why we're playing such a move or don't with the idea of multiple imbalances (read the book if «imbalances» doesn't ring bells as hard to explain in few lines)
That book has been on my reading list, yes. Hear very good things.
If I was going to the OTB tournament in my city (I can't because of school, yet :) I would study much harder than I currently have been. Here is what I would study:
Sicilian Defense all main vairations. Dragon for my own benifit in case I'd like to play it. I would also study the another opening (which I'm not going to put in name as it's too good.)
I would study my opening repitoire for e4 and decide what 2 openings to play such as the Ruy Lopez and The Fried Liver Attack.
I would spend twice as much time on middle games as I am very week on them. Or so it seems to me. I would study pawn structures and king side attacks for middlegames.
For endgames I would study pawn endgames and rook endgames and that's about it.
I would maybe find a few articles but that's it.
That's pretty ambitious! I read that the Lolli Attack is better than Fried Liver, but I'm not sure if that is true. I believe there are some similarities. You have to be careful. You can really get smashed if you run across someone who knows how to punish those attacks (although most people don't).
Have you tried having two centers or 2 squares as a center? Or constantly shifting the center?
* Know R+P endgames for both the winning side and, more importantly, the defending side
* The proper way of using/obtaining opposition
* Tactics - learn how to spot mates in 1s, 2s, and 3s, hanging pieces, forks
* Learn how to properly use a pin and how to properly get out of a pin
* For openings, I would study the 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 formation for both sides, how to attack and defend f7
Old, young, first timer, or not. If you know basic tactics and endgames, there are two openings you should learn first.
Also, your comment about which are for White and which are for Black? SCREW THAT! You should be learning these two openings before any other, and should be able to play both from BOTH SIDES before you even think about going with any other opening.
They are the Ruy Lopez (The opening as a whole, not "The White Side" or "The Black Side", BOTH SIDES!) and the Queen's Gambit (again - both sides).
Now you are going to say "but what if they play something else like the French or Nimzo-Indian?" The answer is that it's not important right now. Not like they know opening theory at that level. I play experts that still don't know how to play a Queen's Gambit.
^that 
What's so special about the Ruy Lopez as opposed to, say, the Italian game or something else?
Same question with Queen's Gambit.
and what variation of the Queen's Gambit in particular?
If you look at the second post (first page of thread), ThrillerFan just said learn the Queen's Gambit for White and Black (and Ruy Lopez). He did not specify a variation. I think he means all variations, because he said this is a multi-year project!
So I guess that means QGA, QGD, and sub-variations thereof...
many completly wrong posts in this thread. I wouldnt listen to all of them Chicken-Monster.
many completly wrong posts in this thread. I wouldnt listen to all of them Chicken-Monster.
LOL. Wax on. Wax off.
The ruy Lopez isn't vital but it's very helpful to beginners because it displays all the opening principles like castling early, development, simple attacks, middle game ideas, and tactics. It is really easy to understand when your on the mainline so that is why so many players like the opening and why I think it's the simplest to learn and memorize. I did a blog on it if you want more info. -KH
I appreciate all of the input so thanks -- whether I implement it all or not, I am always interested in what intermediate and advanced or expert+ players recommend...these posts help others too...ultimately, I will probably pick and choose from advice given by various people who know more than I...and I will probably change over time as do most people...
White - English, because of its versatility. If my opponent wants to play KID, QG, thats ok.
Black - Benko Gambit, Benoni, Schandinavian (Icelandic Gambit), French Advance
About how advanced are you? Your profile is kind of stealth.
Im just here to help :-)
hmmm......
If you have any games (or partials) to post please go for it.