Opening lines for lower rated players

I'm a novice chess player who started playing opponents that are several 100 points higher than me.  After the games, I typically go ove my moves.  I have been playing openings based on fundamentals only.  That is, control the middle, knights before bishop, castle early, etc.  After several moves, I'm typically find myself playing defense. I don't want to just memorize a certain opening, but I feel that I should follow an opening that has been tested through the years.  Some openings seem to be too complex.  What are some opening lines that a player under 1400 should be studying?  I typically play players rated between 1400 and 1600.

With white: 1. e4, following basic guidelines. 1.. e5 2. Nf3, with probably the italian game. The c3-d4 is complex enough for getting fun games.

With black: 1.. e5 against e4

2. Nf3 Nc6, following basic guidelines (and when you meet 3. Bb5, try not to study it too much, its extremely complicated), 3. Bc4 should be the most common, after 3.. Bc5 and both players has good chances.

1. d4 d5

2. c4 e6, Nf6, Be7, and just logical play. One of the best way to ¨study¨ the opening is to look through Cabablanca-Alekhine match 1927, all games except 2 was that opening.

Hi Axe or is it Sir Knight?

Thank you for your comments.  It is the key threats that I'm trying to avoid, too.  How did you go figure out how to stop the marching of the pawns?  I've replayed my games through Fritz, but the commentary hasn't been enough to know why a move is better than my actual move.

Thank you for the comment Victor!  I'm going to look into the Italian game. I enjoy starting with D4 more than D4.  You are correct about Bb5. I have always wondered if it was better to take the knight or retreat and then have my Bishop be chased along the A and B files. I found a great site for the Cabablanca-Alekhine matches.. http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?tid=54140

Thank you once again.  

I would like to recommend you do this: stop playing blitz. In my opinion, it messes up your ability to see clearly and plan your moves effectively.

I am actually in the middle of a corr game as we speak. If I was not, I would offer you an unrated game and offer you what little advise I have as I am not the strongest of players (but not the weakest).

Hi, thanks for the reply, maybe some other time then!
I do understand that as a downside of blitz, but on the upside it does allow me to test out various variations of the same opening in rapid succession and I try to just see how different variations play out and try to build from there, but still I prefer to play standard chess. 

Do you have one of your notated games handy? I'll take a quick look at it and see if I can help somewhere. After a day or so, I'll get back to you.

@ Aaron and AxeKnight:

Watcha makes a good point. You usually should not move a peice to an unprotected square. I call that square unprotected because the white Q is not sufficient since it will be lost if white recaptures with it.

Perhaps instead of 4.Nxd4, 4.Bc5 should be played. Then 5.Bf7, losing your LSB but robbing your opponent of his castling rights. Not saying it would be the best move, but I think works better than what is shown.

I recommend not hanging a knight with 1. e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Bc4?? What was the idea? 5...Bxd4 (a) 6. Qh5 Qf6 is not promising and (b) 6. Bxf7+ Kxf7 is two pieces for a pawn.

Check out http://exeterchessclub.org.uk/content/lessons-philidors-defence

http://exeterchessclub.org.uk/content/playing-black-against-queens-pawn-openings

and http://exeterchessclub.org.uk/content/italian-game-beginners.

This is probably all the opening knowledge that you need, at least for now.

The Scotch game is simply not sound. This is the main problem.

I'll send over to you the notations of the next game I play. Thanks a lot it would be much appreciated.

And I was just getting ready to study the Scotch. Guess I choose something else.

Don't take me that seriously. The Scotch is regarded by many as a legitimate opening. I simply believe there are stronger opening choices for white.

@ Watcha:

I have been studying the Najdorf for about two months. And I've been looking for an opening to study for white. I was choosing between Ruy Lopez, Scotch, and Maroczy Bind. Not going to take on all three at once, just one at a time.

Of those three, which do you like?

To tell you the truth my current understanding is that the best opening move by white is 1. d4 and in within the queen pawn game I regard the Queen's Gambit/Catalan system the most dangerous for black. One of the main reasons I don't play 1. e4 is because I don't understand the Sicilian ( this is true from both white's and black's perspective ) so I can give you no advice on the Sicilian. The Ruy Lopez is beyond doubt the strongest line in the king's pawn game but it can be defended against in a rock solid way by the Berlin defence.

There is nothing wrong with the Scotch, but I find the Scotch Gambit's popularity enigmatic. A player that plays the Two Knights against the Italian has 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 which is simply 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 by another move order. If Black plays the Giuoco Piano he has 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5 5. c3 Nf6 which is 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 by another move order.

Basically the Scotch Gambit is a backdoor into the Italian Game and limits White more then it limits Black. Evengy Sveshnikov plays these lines of the Italian, so that is not my compliant, my complaint is that the opening is little more then a move order gimmick.

Looks like Q's Gambit, Ruy, and Berlin are next on my list then.

The Najdorf is sharp as a razor. It's worth studying in my opinion.

Thanks.