Solid + Sharp Opening System

After playing chess competitively for a few months now, I realize that the opening is a big problem for me. I think that if I just start using tactics trainers for an hour a day or so I should be able to climb up a few hundred points quite easily, provided I can solidify my opening. But I don't have time to learn 50 opening main lines and the theory behind them. I know some of the basics of a few openings but I find that most of the time I end up getting very boring games with little to no tactics, and positional games are definitely my weakspot. I'm looking for an opening system, preferrably one as black and one as white (similar systems would be nice) that can be played against almost anything and is easy to learn and improvise with, and one that can give me a sharp tactical game. I don't want an unsound opening, something that can work for me up to 1800 OTB would be good (I think that's around the point when the game becomes less tactical and more positional).

Here is something I have been experimenting with for black that seems to be okay, but I am not sure if it is sound and it is completely made up (it might exist but I made it off the top of my head) so I don't really know ideas behind it or weaknesses that I have to watch out for. Another move which I didn't show below was depending on the position I may push c5.

The french might be one for you to look at! It is a pretty similar pawn structure!!!

Pe6

Pd5

Pc5

Nc6

Qb6

that is a general quick outline of it!

You can play the modern defence as black against every opening there is. As white it is not as easy. There is no do-it-all opening. On the other hand, do you really not have time to learn something like 5 moves per opening in the 1. e4 opening as white? One 5 move line for petroff, one 5 move line for philidor, one for french, one for sicilian, one for center counter and one for 1. ... e5 = scotch for example.

Thats like 30 moves to learn. You can do that and it is quite worth it.

Or check out flank openings like 1. b3/g3

I will check out the modern defense then. The problem with many e4 lines is that depending on what black plays I find that the majority of the games are quite positional with little tactics, which is definetly not what I want. And there are quite a few defenses against e4 and many variations for each, every time I go to a tournament I encounter new lines.

@Skeptikill: I tried out the french but I don't really like it, and either way it can only be played against e4, I'm looking for a system that can be played against anything :(

If you have only been playing for a few months then opening isn't really what you need to focus on.  (I didn't even really start focusing on openings until recently-when I felt my otb play reached a level of about 1700-1800 and I had a fair understanding of tactics, strategy and endgame themes).  If you understand strategy and endgame themes and tactics then you can get out of the opening for the most part.  BUT, if you don't understand strategy tactics and endgames then you won't know what a good position is to get to.  If you don't know what a good position to get too is then studying an opening is kind of pointless imop. 

So my suggestion stick to an opening move you like and play it.  When you get demolished out of the opening you can look it up and see where you deviated from "book".  You can also see that when you get demolished out of the opening that is wasn't really an opening problem.  BUt, more likely just a tactic that you missed.

Study tactics, study endgames and if and when you do look at openings look at the ideas behind them(strategies) and the tactics that come about out of them. 

I definitely agree with you, right now I'm set on tactics for the next month or two, but the openings I have been playing so far all lead to games with little tactics, that's my problem. That's why I'm looking for a temporary sharp opening system until I can actually get to the point when I'll be able to learn more openings. Where can I learn endgames anyway?

Well obviously there is no universal opening against 'anything'.

If you want to stick to a minimal repertoire let me suggest the Sicilian for black against e4, and what you posted looks a lot like what could result from Nimzo-Indian, a decent thing to use against d4 openings.

As for white, 1. d4 can be used every time, followed by 2. c4 resulting in Queen Gambit Declined/Accepted variations. There is usually less complexity than in e4 openings, so less chances to slip up badly, in my opinion at least.

Those don't end up in a tactical shootout very quickly but they're solid and easier to learn than all the open games variations.

Play more tactics trainer!

Openings are irrelevant if you understand chess concepts. Look at the squares that your opponents are trying to control. Develop a strategy around your opponents weaknesses. Search for pins, even minor ones. Use your minor pieces to support the advance of your pawns. Play in the center. And defend your minor pieces.

There is no opening that will work against everything, fortunately.

Read the board and adjust your play when needed.

 The thing is that pretty all openings can go in many different directions.  Typically, e4 openings will be more tactical in nature.  As I started studying openings I found that there is almost always a response by either side which will turn the game into slow/positional play in nature(Not everyone likes to play fun chess ;D).

As to endgames I would say something like silmans book would be great at your level.  I wouldn't say you have to stick to his specific recomendations as to what you have to know.  Scan through the book look at what is interesting and not overwhelming and go through it that way imop.  

I love the 4-move checkmate........

I used to be a big fan of the Modern/Pirc, and it's solid, but it requires really good timing of a central pawn thrust to break up the big center that your opponent will invariably construct (something like e5 or c5 at the right time).

Here's a few major opening groups for Black:

Modern/Pirc - very similar; you have to plan a central break to stay afloat, probably not sharp; flexible against many opening ideas, but careful not to get strangled (this opening DEMANDS a good plan!)

Sicilian - depending on what you go for, you can get an average-difficulty game or a completely insane Dragon variation with opposite-castling and pawn storms gone wild - you can choose what you aim towards

Benoni - I've started playing this just recently, and I find it to be wildly risky and tactical with some exciting stuff in the Benko Gambit lines, Black often gives White a passed A-pawn to get a development lead and positional pressure

French - presents the user with similar themes in many situations; queenside play for Black but it can be rather cramped, I really haven't played the French much since I started playing though.

Caro-Kann - I know very little about this one, it strikes me as uninteresting and requiring a huge opening knowledge so I avoid it. It's solid, defensive, and positional

QGD/Queen Pawn games - positional and maneuvering; king pawn games - open and tactical

Indian defence - lots and lots of theory, quite sharp, you need to have a keen attacking eye to stay afloat because you pretty much have to mate the white king in most lines and ideas

As White, you have far more choice of what to play for. Solid and sharp, you may want to try queen's gambit lines - you'll have to work a bit to steer them into sharp lines because I'm not sure how sharp they really are most of the time.

looks an awful lot like the Larson

I would agree with you on the Sicilian statement, but - truthfully - I've been playing the Sicilian since I was a flat-out newbie and if you stick with it for long enough, you should get an intrinsic feel for what works and doesn't work in Sicilian positions. You just need to know about the first 5 moves to get you to the Najdorf main line (or any of the four "main" sicilians - najdorf, dragon, scheveningen, and classical), and even these moves all follow each other fairly  logically.

I've found that in learning a new opening, one should know the book line about 5 or 6 moves in, understand the reasons behind each move, and the basic strategies, goals, benefits and drawbacks of the position for each side. Having these "intrinsics" known for a line will likely be enough to guide you from there.

Your board depicting a black defence IS the French. I Play it often (95%) and it plays well against most openings.

Queen Gambit Declined/Accepted variations for white. Developes quickly with good tactics. Easy to learn.

Good luck.

solid and sharp + easy to learn = king's indian attack for white!

you can use it against almost anything, except maybe things like scadinavian (1...d5). 

as black, you want solid+sharp+easy to learn...? There are a few openings which meet one or two of your criterias (Sicilian is sharp but not easy to learn, hypermodern stuff is sharp + solid if handled properly but not easy to learn...)

against 1.e4, how about 1...d5 without Nf6? There is hardly any side variation except for 2.Nc3 followed by 3.d4, it is solid (contary to popular beliefs!), and it is sharp to some degree, if you choose to play Bg4 instead of Bf5.

against 1.d4 - Orthodox Defence of the QGD is solid, and is quite easy to learn. I don't know about sharp (unless you want try Benko's Gambit...)...

1.c4 - 1...e5, 2...Nf6, 3...Bb4.

 Yes, but that is where the theory _starts_. There are entire opening books on subvariations of each of these... Plus the Sveshnikov and Taimanov, which are at least as much "main sicilians" as the four you mentioned.

Gary Kasparov has a couple of DVDs where he explains some lines of the Najdorf, and one point that he keeps hammering in is that there ARE NO general ideas in the Najdorf, that's it all about concrete variations that you have to work out and memorize, what works in one line never automatically works in another.

 You should show us an example game or two. The problem might be with the way you (or your opponents) treat the positions right after the opening, rather than with the opening variation itself. If that's the case, switching to a sharper opening wouldn't help.