Pick 4 Openings to Study in 2020.

2020 is almost here.  I am thinking about picking 4 openings to 'concentrate on" and study for those 12 months in 2020.  Probably 2 for Black and 2 for White.  Here is my current leanings.

1. Ruy Lopez for White.

2. A d4 for White (undecided)

3.  A Sicilian for Black (undecided)

4.  Semi Slave for Black.

Just thought I would spark a discussion and see if you would make any goals for 2020.  I realize my aims are fairly broad, one could pick a more specific line in an opening, etc.

Seems to me to be a bit much to work on both 1 e4 and 1 d4 for White.

Seem to me to be a bit much to work on both 1 e4 and 1 d4 for White.

Yes, I realize the quality and depth will be compromised by picking 4, but if you  limit yourself to 2 a year it would too many years to gain fair exposure to other openings.  I think you are imagining a supremely deep and detailed mastery;  I am more a general exposure to 4, with a 12 month commitment before bouncing around to other openings.

My suggestion would be to go for three, including only one of 1 e4 and 1 d4 for White - going a little more deep on one instead of more general exposure on both. If, for example, you choose "Ruy Lopez for White" and discard "d4 for White", you can spend more time on Petrov for White, Sicilian for White, Caro-Kann for White, French for White, etc.

"... Overall, I would advise most players to stick to a fairly limited range of openings, and not to worry about learning too much by heart. ..." - FM Steve Giddins (2008)

I have resolved to improve my repertoire in 2020. I have picked 1 White repertoire and 1 Black repertoire book to research and compile games in a database. I started Thanksgiving week. 

“A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.”

But being the mere mortal I am, I will try to master less ... supremely deep with detailed mastery!

Seem to me to be a bit much to work on both 1 e4 and 1 d4 for White

so i want to explain about me

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I can understand the desire of a chess teacher to be able to help players with both 1 e4 and 1 d4 as white. However, even for the purpose of helping others, I suspect that it will work better to focus on just one, if one does not know much about either.

It really depends on the person.

Take me.

I could play the French the rest of my life if I wanted to

I could play the Kings Indian for the rest of my life if I wanted to.

My White game is a train wreck.

So it might be 3 or 4 openings for me in 2020, but it is pretty much going to be all White and then middle and endgame.

Sure I will spend a little time expanding and keeping up to date in the French and Kings Indian, but 90 percent of mine will be White in 2020.

I wrote my comments while thinking of someone with a rating somewhat lower than yours - someone who might have more of a need to spend time on non-opening study.

1. Najdorf. (Black)
2. My e4 e5 repertoire. (Black)
3. Improving my Black repertoire against minor lines, such 1. b3, 1. f4, 1. g3, 1. Nc3 etc.) (Black)
4. Finetuning my White d4 repertoire. (White)

1. Polish my Queen's Gambit from White's perspective (1. d4 d5 2. c4)

2. Study more about Torre Attack/ Trompovsky.

3. Study more on isolated pawn structures. (French defence and Tarrasch defence is already on my repertoire)

4. Endgames! Endgames! Endgames!

What is Semi Slave defence?! What is best opening to win but do not require too much study?

Semi-Slav: 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3 e6

There is no answer to that natural question. "Best … to win" and "too much study" are not yes-or-no issues. Roughly speaking, the better an opening is, the more work it is likely to involve. Moreover, "better" is a very subjective quality. "Better" for you may be very different from what is "better" for someone else. Consequently, it is often not practical for someone else to choose an opening for you. You are the one who knows how much work you are likely to be willing to do and what sort of play appeals to you. There are a number of books with suggestions on what to play. One idea is to look for online book samples in order to find something that appeals to you.