How many openings should be in a tournament chess player's repertoire and why?

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Happy Easter :)

Chess is more fun when there is variety in openings. Study as much openings as you like. Just dont ignore studying middlegames, endgames and tactics.

In every opening there are certain move orders and traps that will trick you, and may even cost you the game. It just takes time to learn most of them (you probably never learn all of them).

Also, it's difficult to keep track of lots of theory.

Although the negative impact of both these are diminished, IMO, in internet speed games. Not many players play a lot of theory, and due to the speed, the objective evaluation isn't as critical.

The good thing about playing a lot of openings is you become comfortable with many different types of positions. Then when (or if) you finally do settle on 1 or 2 main openings, it will be very hard or impossible for your opponent's move order to create an uncomfortable position that's outside of your knowledge or experience.

Thanks, and yes I think eventually I'll find a few which really work for me and I feel totally comfortable with. I'm already beginning to feel that way about certain openings and defences through repetition.. so I guess time will tell, ultimately. 

all of them...

if your in a spot when e4s played out and you must win knowing my opponents good on the clock c4 could work. 

c4 requires lots of analysis before playing it in tournaments,fischer studied that alot before winning spassky.