Did You Have Fun Building Your Opening Repertoire? Really? Teach me How!

Here is what I do SenoirPatzer, I think it's pretty effective and it's a combination of what several books on "how" to create a repertoire recommend. And to answer your question, yes this is how I had (Am having, years left to finish) fun building out my repertoire.

I like to build things, so you start by building your kit, then using it to build the repertoire.

First, we start with our kit to get us started. I call it the opening rig you kind of built out one time, then have forever. A few things we need to build this thing out.

Some form of Hierarchy Notes Software.
This has to be written down and recorded so you can remember, and dozens of word files don't work well, and a hundred or so Chessbase games in a database still can be hard to deal with. I found TreeDBNotes Pro is absolutely incredible, and nothing even touches it.
Chessbase with the Big or Mega Database (Big is fine)
This is the foundation for finding out what is being played currently, and for finding your responses and creating your trees to every current branch.
Fritz with high level opening book for tree with percentages
This gives you pretty accurate Percent probability of meeting each variation in a tournament setting
NOTE: Lichess Database, set from 1600-2200 might be more "realistic" for actual everyday human players that arent' masters. Chessbase gives you what Kasparov and Carlsen (and other top players) play. Before 2000, you will probably encounter more "trappy" club type stuff, and that's on the Lichess database.
Arena 3.5 with a few Solid Engines set barely above your level
Ply setting or ELO is the best option. I have dozens of options if you want to know more.
Neutral, aggressive, hyper aggressive, hyper defensive, and unorthedox playing styles helpful to train against everying. I built out about 20 engines with books for all different styles.
Brower opened up to Wikipedia
Everyone thinks they are a badass and too good for Wikipedia. They aren't. Wikipedia has the most scuctured, organized descriptions of all major opening and variations, with ideas, I have found on the web.

When I want to start getting booked back up, or knock the rust off an opening, I'll first go to...get ready for it, dont' laugh....Wikipedia. Yes, I know everyone probably thinks they are Kasparov or Defirman, and "past" wikipedia, but look at how detailed their Sicilian Structure alone is... I have 12 books on the Sicilian and not one is this organized.

Look at that organization! Now, I'll go through each main variation, just reading it, to understand what the hell is going on, and at one points the major variations branch off. For example, in the Sicilian, on blacks second move, three main choices determine the "family" of Sicilian games that will come next, each a major family with their own variations and ideas. The d6, Nf6, and e6 family. It's best to try to tackle the major families one at a time before getting lost bouncing back and forth. 

Then I'll open up TreeDBNotes Pro, and build out the hiarchy of major families and variations like a mind map, so that for future reference, I can address the major variations, with ideas, immediately. I'll just past the Wikipedia stuff in all the major variations I intend to deal with, so that you get a good overview, and a place to store all future games, ideas, and variations you needL Like this:


Then, Opening up Chessbase, I'll play through the openings I want, going down each branch and selecting the highest probability played moves, and creating the "Opening Tree" for my own style and direction. You don't have to get everything. Only what he would play to what you do and what you'd play to all the major responses. If you only play Najdorf as Black, you won't have to look at what White does against Tiamanov on move 9. Then, I go to "table" just clip that, along with the game score and branching annotations, and throw them in the TreeNotes with the microsoft "Snipping" tool. This, along with the Wiki stuff, and having played through all the variations in Chessbase, gives you a good, solid start on what the hell is going on in every opening. Like this!:

Of course you're saving all of your Chessbase files in your opening repertoire as well, so you can go back and open those up and play through them on the chessbase board, or on a real board, add to them, annote them, and modify them. 

Then, train against engines to find all the surprises and obvious things you missed that you didn't realize (Which will still be a LOT, sadly) and shore up the holes you missed when studying the opening. You'll want a good book or two on each opening you start to like with annotated games and of course, the ideas and plans for each variation. Without that, all this is for nothing. The process above just gets you started as a place to BEGIN putting in all your real notes and ideas and plans. It does't take that long. Now, you're ready to go through as many games on the opening as you can stand, playing it out against engines that will hurt you dozens of times, and starting to get this whole thing galvanized. 

Then, when you're ready to play the opening in a tournament, sit down...wait.....get into your favorite variation, all your preparation and.....

Have the opponent do something unexpected, screw the whole thing up, every single time, throw all this out the window, leaving you alone on the board anyway...making you wonder if you wasted your time. 

You didn't. Chess never goes according to the plan. That's why starting a repertoire is only about organizing a place to put the ideas, principles, motifs and plans behind each opening. Because the other guy is going to screw up the preparation, every time, and then plans and ideas and main goals will be all we have. But...the variations WILL get you out of the opening mostly safely, without a blunder, and that goes a long way. 

"The way I suggest you study this book is to play through the main games once, relatively quickly, and then start playing the variation in actual games. Playing an opening in real games is of vital importance - without this kind of live practice it is impossible to get a 'feel' for the kind of game it leads to. There is time enough later for involvement with the details, after playing your games it is good to look up the line." - GM Nigel Davies (2005)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627000253/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen49.pdf

http://www.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/How-To-Build-Your-Chess-Opening-Repertoire-76p3808.htm

I agree. Fraternity parties with drunk girls are better.

I never got bogged down in specific move-orders and lots of variations. I studied the ideas behind and goals of the openings after getting a grounding in what I was supposed to do from books like How to Open A Chess Game by Larry Evans and 6 other GM's.

I used survey books like Reuben Fine's Ideas Behind the Chess Openings in order to become familiar with the basics of the most common openings and looked for those that fit my style to let me get to a playable middlegame where I could put together a plan of attack.

For example, I played Q's Gambit Declined, but felt cramped with my pieces limiting each other's movements too much and I couldn't get my QB into the game.  When I discovered the Slav Defense, it solved those problems for me against 1 d4.

Similar to the Slav is the Caro-Kann, and I eventually adopted it, most of the time, vs 1 e4.

I'm now comfortable with both defenses, but I don't go out of my way to memorize a lot of moves since my opponents often leave the books in moves 2-6.  For example, I know that after playing 1...c6 and normally 2...d5, I want to move my QB to f5 or g4 before I play ....e6 and usually exchange it when the opportunity arises for White's B or N.  I want to play e6 and usually Nbd7, which supports an eventual counterattack with ...c5 (attacking White's P-chain at the base) or ...f6 if White's neglecting that end.  Where my KN and KB go, when and which side I castled on, etc. depend on how the game goes.

Note that this not only is good for the Caro-Kann and Slav Defenses, in reverse it also fits the London System as White, where 1 d4 followed by Bf4 and Nf3 is usually the initial White setup.

I've also found life, as White, in the Vienna Game - Bishop's Opening - Giuoco Piano set of openings, where I like to get in an early ...f4, leading to a Q's Gambit Declined position or, if Black doesn't set-up the way I like for an early K-side attack, I'll transpose into the Giuoco - the Glek Vienna is also of interest.

I started playing the Bishop's Opening after it had been out of favor for 60 years - before Kasparov brought it back in favor by playing it in the '90's. It fit my style.

So yeah, I've had fun developing an opening repertoire and I'm always experimenting. Note that daily games here are a great place to do so because you're allowed to consult opening books and the slow game development allows to you to think about the opening a little deeper.

I may not be the best person to ask about building an opening repertoire, because openings are my weakness.  But here's how I did it, back in the day:  I found a book of master games organized by opening, and played through a bunch of them, looking for games that made me happy.  This led me to the French and Dutch, which I still play.

In recent years I've needed to improve my handling of these openings, as opponents now, at least in Seattle, seem very well prepared for them.  (When I'm not in Seattle I sometimes hit 1800-1900 rated opponents who are startled to see a Dutch, and I tend to do quite well in such games!  But not locally.)  I have a couple of approaches:

(1) There are some good books on the ideas behind specific pawn structures.  I like _Chess Structures:  a Grandmaster Guide_.  He talks about, for example, the Stonewall structure and gives three plans for Black and three for White, with illustrative games.  I find this much more interesting and helpful than opening manuals, and I've won a couple of Dutches with ideas from this book. (Managed to get the bad c8 bishop to f3 once, where it backed up a queen sack for mate.)

(2)  Some lines of the French are really, really technical.  Basic ideas aren't enough.  Here I'm sorry to say I'm learning the lines by losing a game, looking up another couple of moves in _Play the French_, and hoping not to lose the next one.  I hope I am also absorbing some generalizations, because it's quite beyond me to learn all the possible lines.

I managed to get a good fight with a GM (in a simul) out of my French, so maybe I am starting to know what I need to know.

(3)  A good way to work on a problem opening, as someone else mentioned, is Daily Chess:  particularly thematic tournaments.  You get a dozen or so games in your opening of choice, plenty of time to look at them, and the ability to consult books and databases.  It's important not to over-rely on the databases--better to think out the move first and then check the database, not the other way round. I have lost a couple of games by following a database line, then my opponent diverges and pow! I'm lost.

The only big problem I have with Daily is that in open tournaments, the first round is often people who know nothing about the opening, and it's not as educational.  Rating-limited tournaments, as high as you can qualify for, are probably better.

(4)  Keep looking for master games in your openings.  Magnus Carlsen has played the Stonewall Dutch 3-4 times now, and I have looked at those games--and scratched my head and wondered why Anand and Caruana didn't try to trade the dark-squared bishops.  But that at least gives me a concrete problem to research.  Why didn't they? 

For me the key to enjoying opening work is keeping it grounded in the middlegame, which I really love.  I am not trying to win in the opening; I'm trying to get a fun middlegame where I have concrete plans and exciting prospects.  So, okay, if my opponent plays the Exchange French--where are some games where that led to fun?  How did it happen?  Can I copy that?

I have often seen that book praised, but it should perhaps be mentioned that it was written about four decades ago, using descriptive notation (1 P-K4 P-K4 2 N-KB3 N-QB3 etc.). Also, the reader should perhaps be warned that, apart from Evans himself, none of the GM authors "was given a specific topic or assignment."

About half a century ago, I think the Fine book was considered to be nearly essential reading, but now, there are those who think that this book is seriously out-of-date.

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708112658/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review315.pdf

There was an algebraic version, but, if one is not careful, one could easily end up getting the descriptive notation version by mistake.

https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/chess-structures-a-grandmaster-guide/

http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/Flores_Rios_Chess_Structures-excerpt.pdf

Possibly helpful:

My First Chess Opening Repertoire for White by Vincent Moret

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9033.pdf

A Simple Chess Opening Repertoire for White by Sam Collins
http://www.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/A-Simple-Chess-Opening-Repertoire-for-White-76p3916.htm
http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/A_Simple_Chess_Opening_Repertoire_for_White.pdf
1.e4 vs. The French, Caro-Kann & Philidor By Parimarjan Negi
http://www.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/1-e4-vs-The-French-Caro-Kann-Philidor-76p3875.htm
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/GMRep-1e4-vol1-excerpt.pdf
Grandmaster Repertoire - 1.e4 vs The Sicilian I by Parimarjan Negi
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/Negi_1e4_vs_the_Sicilian_One-excerpt.pdf
Grandmaster Repertoire - 1.e4 vs The Sicilian II by Parimarjan Negi
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/GrandmasterRepertoire1e4vsSicilianII-excerpt.pdf
Grandmaster Repertoire - 1.e4 vs The Sicilian III by Parimarjan Negi
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/1e4vsSicilianIII-excerpt.pdf

A Chess Opening Repertoire for Blitz and Rapid by Evgeny and Vladimir Sveshnikov

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9020.pdf
Playing 1.e4 - Caro-Kann, 1...e5 and Minor Lines by John Shaw
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/Playing1e4CaroKannandothers-excerpt.pdf

Coming soon:
Playing 1.e4 - Sicilian & French by John Shaw

Possibly helpful:

Playing 1.e4 e5 - A Classical Repertoire by Nikolaos Ntirlis (2016)
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7572.pdf
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/Playing1e4e5-excerpt.pdf

Possibly helpful:

Declining the Queen's Gambit by John Cox (2011).

https://web.archive.org/web/20140626233841/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen149.pdf

Are the Minions any help?

Up to 4 plies, I'm now building my repertoire with the generator of random integers!

Sincere apologies for the delayed response!   Couple hour drive to a one week family camp, and I'm writing this up on my Samsung 7 on a weak wifi connection.

Thanks everyone for all your great suggestions!!  But deep and special thanks particularly to FaceCrusher for referencing the tools he uses.  Wow.  And just taking the time to compose his comment and inserting the illustrations, I am indebted to his kindness.  Can everyone who benefitted from his comment, please send him a trophy?   

Kudos and sincere thanks to ChudDog and Logozar who fit my image of players who go through opening theory happily as they weave their web of opening Preparation H for unsuspecting sphincters.  

(I'm more of a Maggie man who literally  gives the f4 Bird to Kramnik, saying "How you like dem apples?  I know you don't have anything  cooked up for that!"

Gru really appeciates all the chess.com minions and urges everyone to skip Spiderman Homecoming and see my 3rd movie instead!  

For an emphasis on knowing the ideas and themes of openings, one might try books like:

Starting Out: Open Games by GM Glenn Flear (2010)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140626232452/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen134.pdf

Starting Out: Ruy Lopez by John Shaw (2003)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627024240/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen53.pdf

First Steps: The Queen's Gambit by Andrew Martin (2016)
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7652.pdf
Starting Out: Queen's Gambit Declined by Neil McDonald (2006)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627005627/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen93.pdf
Queen's Gambit Declined by Matthew Sadler (2000)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708234438/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen15.txt

NMinSixMonths wrote:
I believe the best way to really learn an opening is to compile a mass of annotated master games in said opening, play through them once heavily analyzing and annotating every move and then comparing notes and variations with the masters annotations.

Absolutely, insanely true. I would certainly go back and append that on my larger post to learning openings. Point of fact, back in the 90s, before we did a lot of this on the computer, I was nearly as sharp in openings at the time as I am now, and most of it was from two things: Modern Chess Openings by Defirmain...which is still, right this moment, sitting about two feet from my keyboard, and studying annoted master games. With all the databases and hyper new shit that is out, MCO has stopped being published, and that's a damn shame. I still put that up against any database any day, not on "newness" or "as many games" but on just "learning an opening." Not the digital copy either. You need a real, physical copy to flip through...move around quickly in, write in. Last one was published in 2008, and was probably the last one. We are all poorer for it. I am absolutely not an "older is better" person, I prefer new, shiny, high tech things. This is one time where I think, yeah, kinda, older is better. MCO, physical book. 

SeniorPatzer wrote:
Thanks everyone for all your great suggestions!! But deep and special thanks particularly to FaceCrusher for referencing the tools he uses. Wow. And just taking the time to compose his comment and inserting the illustrations, I am indebted to his kindness. Can everyone who benefitted from his comment, please send him a trophy?

I am glad that was helpful. It did take a bit of time before my swim Saturday, but it was something I had wanted to get posted at some point anyway. When it comes to this, I actually know a lot of openings and I know a lot about openings. That's why I sucked at chess and got stuck for ten years!    From about age 15-25...I spent 75% of all my chess time on openings,  always got a great positioin in the opening, and got smashed when I got out of the opening  Now, I'm making up for it. Years of Tactics, Middlegame, and Endgame are helping. That's the most important, but if you are confident in those areas, having a good opening repertoire built out is a great advantage, and insanely important. 

My chess friend. I'd like to suggest looking through several New In Chess Yearbook issues. I went a little overboard and paid for a 3 year subscription; however, it is the world's best known series of current opening books with detailed explanations of the latest games from around the world. Simply skimming through several of the published games may ring a bell for you as it did me--we have the same problem. I'd like to also suggest GM John Nunn's book: Understanding Chess Middle Games. This book earned an award and he is always looking at chess with the whole game in mind, not just a part of it. I've been reading his material for many decades. Though he published this in 2011, I still find it insightful and thorough. My OTB rating is only in excess of 2000; however, employing my method of "look-and-like" when searching for comfortable and likable openings and games, my rating and enjoyment have been steadily increasing. Good luck!

If I remember correctly, decades ago, there was a movie where one of the characters abruptly asks his family, "Are we having fun, yet?"

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627012322/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen154.pdf

http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/Understanding_Chess_Middlegames.pdf