1200-1500

What openings should players in this rating use.  I started using caro kann at 900 and it has served me well. I feel most players are using a variant of this.

What openings will take me to the next level?

Openings won't take you to the next level. Ratings follow playing strength, so the best way to improve yuor rating is to ignore it and focus on improving your play. At the 1200 level, that means studying model mates (lolli. greco, philidor, anastasia, morphy mates, etc) and practicing basic tactical elements like pin, fork, skewer, guard destruction, decoying and diverting, sweeping and sealing, etc. Openings should be almost the LAST phase of your study.

Having said that, you should play openings that suit your own approach to the game. If you like the Caro-Kann against 1. e4, then you should consider one of the Slav or semi-Slav responses to 1.d4, and perhaps play some sort of semi-closed system as White.

Thanks very much for your repsonse. A lot to study for me, and the slav response aspect will help me immensely in the near term

Thanks again ;)

I doubt at 1000 you see many d pawn openings. I'd guess 80% are going to be e4 players.

But you may as well pick sound openings that complement each other as not - so the caro kahn for e4 and slav/semi-Slav for d4 are good choices...

I like the french defense. Pretty easy to play and understand.