Markovich (and anyone else),

Above, you recommend for white the Scotch 4-knights and also the d4 two-knights. If one wants to play the d4 two knights, what do you suggest if black plays 3)…Bc5?  Also, what are your feelings on the Max Lange for amateurs? 

Thanks in advance

Quote:


Are you talking in the first person about a hypothetical beginner, or talking about yourself?  These are two different questions which you have managed to confuse here.  In any case, I've lost my patience, so goodbye.

@Markovich

Something like this was my first reaction too, but then I read that Cyronix has an otb-rating of slightly more than 2000 and already feels comfortable in open positions. So he might need a little more sophistication; the problem is that he is also quite lazy in openings - see the thread on the Bishop's Opening.

@Cyronix
Having received a compliment that I know a little about openings I feel obliged to throw in some thoughts as well. First of all, shake of that laziness and do some work on important lines. Secondly do not switch from 1.e4 to 1.d4 to 1.c4 every three months; you will get nothing out of it. If you decide to chose  1.d4 (imo at least as sharp as 1.e4) or 1.c4, then stick to it for at least 10 years or so. But given your laziness I would say stick to 1.e4. It means you will have to accept some long manoeuvring games now and then.

Open Games:
A) either Petrov 5.Nc3 combined with Evans Gambit and Two Knights 4.Ng5 evt. 4.d4 exd4 5.e5
B) or the Bishops game, combining the KG-Declined and the Modern Italian/Giuoco Pianissimo.
C) or Petrov 5.Nc3 combined with Ruy Lopez Qe2. Buy Andrew Greet's book then.
All options require work. The last might be the most sensible on the long run.

Sicilian:
as studying the Morra Gambit takes more time today than the Open Sicilian (except if you chose topical stuff like the English Attack of course) I would say 2.Nf3, 3.d4 and a 5.Be2/6.Be2 repertoire. Again some serious work is necessary.
Against the Najdorf you will have to chose between 6.f4, 6.Be3 and 6.Be2. In all cases 6...e6 transposes to the Classical Scheveningen. Especially the setup Qg3, Rad1, Rfe1, Bf3, Bd4 preparing the sac Nd5 is interesting.
Against the Scheveningen proper the problem is 6.Be2 Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.f4 Nc6 9.Be3 not ...a6. White can avoid this with either the Keres Attack 6.g4 or 6.Be3 evt. x.Bc4.
While the Richter-Rauser 6.Bg5 is the most challenging, the Sozin 6.Bc4 is much less work and still contains some venom. Play 7.Be3 and 8.Bb3 and decide only then whether to play the Velimirovic (9.Qe2 and 10.0-0-0), the Fischer (9.f4 or 9.0-0 and 10.f4) or the modern 9.f4 and 10.Qf3.
Against the Dragon and Accelerated Dragon again a second best option saves a lot of time, eg 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Be2 Bg7 6.Nb3 Nf6 7.Nc3 d6 8.0-0 0-0 9.Kh1.

French:
Probably the Universal System/Kortsjnoj Gambit will suit you: 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.c3 c5 6.Bd3 Nc6 6.Ngf3.

Caro Kann:
There are several options here. The Exchange 4.Bd3 might not pose enough problems, but either 3.f3 or the Short System (3.e5 and 4.Nf3) or some main line deviations with an early Bc4 are possible. If you don't might some irregular stuff you might take a look at

http://www.kenilworthchessclub.org/games/java/2007/caro-adv-h4.htm

Pirc/Modern:
a setup based on Be3/Qd2, postponing the choice between x.f3 and x.Nf3 a bit.

Classical Scandinavian:
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bf5 (c6 6.Bc4 Bf5 7.Ne5) 6.Ne5 c6 7.Bc4 e6 8.g4.

Scandinavian Marshall Gambit:
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.Bb5+.

Alekhine:
that is a bit of a problem, as the most interesting (Four Pawns) also involves a lot of work. I will have to think about that.

I have to think about a Black repertoire as well.

Play classical openings.  Don't start off playing openings like the King's Indian Defence or English until you attain some proficiency with more classical openings, like the Queen's Gambit.

Of course at first the open games, symmetrical stuff I think,
but if a player has aquired a certain strength,
I believe, White: English Black: KID + French could form a good opening repertoire.
Very Different Openings, one fianchetto with c pawn advanced, the other fianchetto with e pawn advanced,
and French is more normal, but can be much more dynamic than a QG, so I think many different and complex positions are reached and one can learn a quite universal positional understanding.