Building a repertoire is fun. That's why I'm building it. My aim is 1600 until June 2018.
( that's unlikely since my city can't organise tournaments WHAT THE HELL ITS THE CAPITAL CITY OF THE COUNTRY ! )
My hint would be: try to be broad, not deep. Look at Ivanchuk, he plays something different in every game. Today it is better to vary.
Because that means you can not go too deep, dont play overly sharp lines (except of course you are a tactical player).
Get a database, prepare by looking what the GMs play, dont use engine support. Make notes.
Find a training partner and then you two blitz the critical lines with switching colors until you both feel well with both colors. Then next line, but dont forget to have enough breaks. I would guess not more than three different lines per session.
write down todo issues on a piece of paper and work through them.
also, if you play OTB you will anyway prepare for the openings your opp plays. So it is better to have a broad knowledge so that you can play what he likes least.
I use lichess DB and SF8 on my PC.
Training partner seems not much useful because the only line I play with both sides is Frankenstein-Dracula. ( Overly sharp. )
You can spend a lifetime trying to learn the Grünfeld and there will still be massive knowledge holes everywhere. I have been learning it for years and still don't have the balls to play it in a serious game.
@savagechess2k the first statement is a bit weird. I can understand not seeking to spend time deepening understanding of openings such as 1. Nc3 or 1. f4...but there's nothing trashy about them. 1. Nc3 was used by a WC Correspondence player, and 1. f4 is a normal move in itself - not best, but not trashy in the least.
@savagechess2k #14
It is useful to play any opening with both colors, at least in training games.
1) it will give you inspiration. You may start to play this opening with the other side because you notice that it works well for you.
2) you start to look at it from both sides, which results in you being more objective.
3) you learn new motifs which may be useful in other openings.
Learning an opening does not mean to memorize its lines deeper, but to get a feeling of its middlegame structures and motifs (yes, some sharp lines need memorization, thats life).
Why is it bad to use the engine in your opening preparation?
Isn't it what top GMs do, with the help of their chess second ?
It is is a good calculation training, gives self confidence, resembles the game situation and results in creative opening ideas.
You can't have a solid repertoire. You just study what gives you good bang for your buck, but not so much than you don't have time or energy for other parts of chess.
Imagine opening knowledge is like a handful of special power-up tickets. They might give you a boost in a game, they might give your opponent a boost, or they might do neither. But the more you have, the better the chance.