I don't know any openings!

What do you do, when you've played chess about 20 years for fun...never used any openings...don't know any openings...don't really have a clue about openings.

I'm not totally hopeless, i mainly play Fritz and i've started winning most games at around 1600 fiarly easily if i actually concentrate and aren't doing about 5 things at once. I have a few wins at about 2300, though at that level i maybe win 2 draw 2 and lose 16 out of 20 games. I must be doing something right to win any of them though.

The ones i lose at that level, either i lose very early with a careless mistake like letting a bishop get round the back door or i get to the end game level or a pawn up and i get done by fritz moving his pawns more effectively than i do.

Just started playing on here and i find it difficult defending structured openings whilst the clock is ticking down on me! Players at 1400 play a lot more disciplined than me, because they know openings. But if i learn openings, am i just ripping up everything i know about chess?

It feels a bit like a tennis player who has never had any training, suddenly going back and learning the basics. Isn't it too late now?

Carry on as you are. I have been playing for 45 years and dont bother with memorising openings....simply because I can't. My brain does not allow me to remember.

Just to make sure your understanding of opening principles is sound, why not try these free chess mentor courses?  Yes, there is the very gentlest of introductions to some of the most common openings but it's all done to show opening principles in action.  Oh and the tactics courses might be helpful too if you've never studied.  Anyway they're well written and have proven useful to a lot of folks.

http://www.chess.com/blog/webmaster/free-chess-mentor-courses

Thanks for the replies.

I've played the last few games a bit differently to usual with better results. D4 instead of E4 in blitz seems to help my game better. Keeping the pawns tight means i'm a lot less flustered when my opponent moves quickly and the clock gets me in a panic. Even in 10 minute games, there just doesn't seem enough time to think 5 or 6 moves ahead like i'm used to doing. It seems better to just put pieces in good positions and let the other player worry about what to do. At 1400 level anyway.