Tekoa - I feel you'd find a comfortable repertoir more quickly by buying a second-hand MCO & loosely playing through everything first.....anything else is just a stab in the dark IMHO.
What's good for one person is not always good for another......I know a reasonably large chunk of opening theory but hardly ever veer from 1.Nf6 2.d4 as white/black & Philidor's Defense against 1.e4 It's all horses for courses mate!
I think at least 3 people have suggested against KID vs 1.d4 for Novices.
If following proper principles, keeping it classical.
That would indicate some 1.d4 d5 line to me. QGD.
Vs 1.c4 you can stake your claim with 1..e5 (in a non-KID stylie).
I take your point about the KID and I'll give your recommendation of the QGD a try.
With the e4 opening, which I do prefer, the choice of the Ruy and the italian seem best suited to my style of play at the moment. I know the Ruy is played at high level and I can find some recently annotated games, but I'm having trouble finding annotated games for the Italian which leads me to believe that it is not played that much at GM level. Would I be correct in saying that?
Thank you all. I've got lots of good advice. Can I sum up then and say the following:-
Playing e4; the Ruy Lopez or Italian game
Playing d4; the Stonewall or Colle
Defence to e4; Berlin against the Ruy and the Giuoco
Defence to d4; the KID.
Does that sound like something I could run with?
I think at least 3 people have suggested against KID vs 1.d4 for Novices.
If following proper principles, keeping it classical.
That would indicate some 1.d4 d5 line to me. QGD.
Vs 1.c4 you can stake your claim with 1..e5 (in a non-KID stylie).