... I'd probably like to focus on the Ruy Lopez then, and the d3 system (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.d3) looks quite appealing in terms of cutting down the amount of lines I need to study. However, as it seems quite subtle I'd like some advice about what the major plans for both sides are here. ...
Might want to look at The Ruy Lopez: Move by Move.
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627022042/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen153.pdf
... what should I be doing about the Sicilian? I'm considering the Alapin as it leads to isolated queen's positions which are supposed to be instructive. But is the Alapin powerful enough to be used against the Sicilian? I don't want to start playing it and then discover that there's an antidote which makes the position dead so white doesn't have any straightforward plans. GMs may be able to create pressure out of nothing but I'm currently a long way off of that level. ...
I do not remember any criticism of IM Collins for suggesting 2 c3 in A Simple Chess Opening Repertoire for White.
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
my137thaccount wrote:
... A lot of people recommend the Open Sicilian but what lines should I then select? ...
One set of suggestions is in Playing 1.e4.
https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/Playing1e4FrenchDefenceSicilianSidelines-excerpt.pdf
https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/Playing1e4SicilianMainLines-excerpt.pdf
There is also 1.e4 vs the Sicilian.
https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/Negi_1e4_vs_the_Sicilian_One-excerpt.pdf
https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/GrandmasterRepertoire1e4vsSicilianII-excerpt.pdf
https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/1e4vsSicilianIII-excerpt.pdf
More possibilities:
Taming the Sicilian by Nigel Davies (2002)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627033203/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen46.pdf
Slay the Sicilian by Timothy Taylor (2012)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627043409/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen160.pdf
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7080.pdf
Steamrolling the Sicilian by Sergey Kasparov (2013)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627101148/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen174.pdf
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/987.pdf
MODERNIZED: The Open Sicilian written by IM Zhanibek Amanov and FM Kostya Kavutskiy (2015)
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7500.pdf
I'm no expert, but I don't think the bishop usually goes to a2 in the Ruy. The usual deployment is to c2 after playing c3. The natural move of the a-pawn seems to be to a4 to gain space, or resist Black gaining space, on the queenside.
I'm no expert, but I don't think the bishop usually goes to a2 in the Ruy. The usual deployment is to c2 after playing c3. The natural move of the a-pawn seems to be to a4 to gain space, or resist Black gaining space, on the queenside.
A quick database search revealed 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a3 Na5 9.Ba2 as an example. I think the d3 Ruy seems to be quite different to the standard Ruy, hence my question
I play the d3 Ruy. You can play by feel and knowledge instead of dozens of memorized lines... but later the positions can be stupidly complex. One thing I like about it is play can develop on the queenside, center, or kingside, and for either player... so there's no easy way to summarize it.
Either player can get the center rolling with c3(c6) d4(d5). Either player can develop a big kingside attack often aided by Nf5(Nf4). Either player can play on the queenside (white with a4, black with b5, c5 expansion stuff).
One game I remember from years ago impressed me because during the game the commentators said they didn't know what was going on. The engines didn't know what was going on (moves 1 though 5 were often evaluated within a few centipawns of each other) and after the game in the interview the players said they didn't know what was going on either haha 
It was an important game too. This was when Carlsen was trying to earn the right to challenge Anand for the world title.
I enjoy an early Bc4 against 1...e5, 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4, which requires less memorization of things but often results in games similar to a Lopez or even Giuco Piano. Pretty sure Carlsen has played it as well so it is pretty sound. Hardest thing to face is 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 c6. Against Sicilians I always opt for The Closed Variation as trying to learn all Open Sicilian theory and plans is a life long endeavor... Closed Variation has some pretty basic plans that can be used in a wide variety of situations. Against French I tend to go for mainline because it is fairly easy to plan and play against in my opinion. Caro Kan I tend to go with offbeat stuff cause I rarely see it OTB.. Scandinavian I just do the mainline as it for me is a lot easier on white side.. Pirc.... just play the 150 attack
Well I'm not really new to 1.e4, as like everyone else I played 1.e4 when I was learning the basic principles of the opening. However, for a while now I've been playing all the other moves (1.d4, 1.Nf3 and 1.c4) but while I sort out aspects of my 1.d4 repertoire I'd like to reintroduce 1.e4 to my white repertoire, since eventually I'd like to be able to play all 4 major first moves. I have a few questions relating to which lines I should play.
First of all, after 1.e4 e5, for some reason I dislike the Italian so that leaves the Ruy Lopez and the Scotch. A lot of the pawn structures in the Scotch look fairly complex, especially in the Mieses Variation, so I'd probably like to focus on the Ruy Lopez then, and the d3 system (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.d3) looks quite appealing in terms of cutting down the amount of lines I need to study. However, as it seems quite subtle I'd like some advice about what the major plans for both sides are here. Also about understanding the a-pawn moves - of course moving the a-pawn allows the bishop to escape to a2, but what's the difference between playing a3 and a4? Looking in a database I see a lot of GMs playing a4 but not following up with axb5. What is the idea there?
Secondly, what should I be doing about the Sicilian? I'm considering the Alapin as it leads to isolated queen's positions which are supposed to be instructive. But is the Alapin powerful enough to be used against the Sicilian? I don't want to start playing it and then discover that there's an antidote which makes the position dead so white doesn't have any straightforward plans. GMs may be able to create pressure out of nothing but I'm currently a long way off of that level.
A lot of people recommend the Open Sicilian but what lines should I then select? Against the Sveshnikov I could borrow Caruana's ideas from the WCC but I'm not sure what are suitably quiet yet instructive lines against the Najdorf and the Dragon. I don't want to play something that's harmless and relying on the fact that my opponent doesn't know the theory, but I also don't want wild opposite castling attacks which require computer-like precision.
I'm not too keen on buying opening books since I'd rather spend money on things that will bring greater improvement to my chess, like tactics and endgame books.