But yes, I have been boning up on my openings. My friend Bill Brock told me of an opening preparation system he learned from Gopal S Menon, who says that a lot of GMs use it. You start by getting a database program like ChessBase. (Based on a Google search I did, it appears that there are free chess database programs available online, too.) You create two or more folders in which to put games; mine are "White Repertoire" and "Black Repertoire." (Wildly imaginative names, no?) There are perhaps 40 variations you need to know as White and 40 as Black. For each variation, you select one or more model games. (Of course, it's more inspirational if your side won or at least drew the game in question.) So, for example, if you play the Grünfeld Defense as Black, you'll have maybe one game against 4.Bg5, one game against 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bg5, one or more games against the Modern Exchange Variation with 8.Rb1, and so on. For each line, you don't clutter it up with a lot of alternative moves for "your" side; just focus on the sequence of moves that you've decided is best, although you may want to note blunders for your side to make sure you don't fall into them. You do want to address all of your opponent's reasonable alternatives in the notes, and certainly you want to make note of traps your opponent can fall into. So I use Mega Database 2013 and Houdini 3, figure out the best lines in every opening, and copy one or more illustrative games for each line into my "White Repertoire" or "Black Repertoire" database. I add notes, largely based on Houdini's analysis of the opponent's alternative moves. It also helps to have one or more repertoire books that you like, and follow their recommendations to the extent that you like them. I largely use Larry Kaufman repertoire book "The Kaufman Repertoire for Black and White" (2012), because it advocates 1.d4 as White and the Grünfeld as Black, both of which I play. He advocates 1.e4 e5, which I don't play, so I look at books on the Sicilian as needed for that part of my repertoire. I have a huge library, so I can look up virtually anything. But that's not really essential, as long as you have access to a big database - some are even online - and a strong engine. If you use this system, you should eventually know (and, one hopes, understand) every line you play to, say, 20-25 moves deep.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. f4 e5 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. fxe5 Ng4 9. exd6 Bxd6 10. h3 0-1

1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 Nc6 3. Nf3 e6 4. a3 Nf6 5. d3 d5 6. exd5 exd5 7. Ba2 h6 8. O-O Bd6 9. Re1+ Be6 10. Nc3 O-O 11. Nb5 Bb8 12. d4 a6 13. Nc3 cxd4 14. Nxd4 Nxd4 15. Qxd4 Ba7 16. Qf4 Ng4 17. Nd1 Bb8 18. Qd4 Bxh2+ 19. Kf1 Qh4 20. c3 Be5 21. Rxe5 Qh1+ 22. Ke2 Nxe5 23. Qxe5 Bg4+ 24. Kd3 Qxd1+ 25. Bd2 Qxa1 26. Bxd5 Qxb2 27. f3 Bf5+ 28. Kc4 Rac8+ 0-1

Was always a good reason for me to play it, lol.

Same as yourself, I've always had a liking for 1.d4 f5 2.Bg5, though my only effort in this DB was hardly inspiring (A Shaw vs J Curdo, 2001).

Same with me, although I was fortunate enough to win it after an uncharacteristic brain fart by my opponent: F Rhine vs G S DeFotis, 1988.

Bill was part of a double once: in a blitz event at the former Specialiste 'd Echecs in Montreal, in the second round, I played his wife (Vesna Dimitrijevic), winning both fairly easily, then made 1.5 against him in the third round. Don't believe I ever played both spouses in an event, before or after!

You can play it over at http://www.365chess.com/game.php?gi.... Quite the sacrificial orgy.

The first game was an easy win; in the second I had the worse middlegame till Sharon allowed a forcing sequence which destroyed her position.

Close enough; my recollection is 1744. Your memory never ceases to amaze.

The time's a-comin'!! We'll show them young whippersnappers a thing or three, I'm here ta tell ya!!