Repertoire (resource) recommendations?

I am looking for some advice for putting together or extending my repertoire. My chess.com rapid rating is 1266, but I do think that I am quite a bit stronger in classical games (see below).

As an adult improver who just picked up chess a few years ago in their late 20s, I can say that calculation and especially calculation speed is not exactly my strength. Still, my current repertoire is based on the usual recommendation for beginners to play aggressive, open positions (1.e4 and Scotch, Open Sicilian, Panov Attack etc. with White, 1...e5 2...Nc6 with Black). As a result, I usually get objectively good but complicated positions out of the opening, and I often blunder in blitz and rapid games, or I waste lots of time in classical games to avoid blundering only to reach an endgame with little time on the clock. The only exception in my current repertoire is the Semi-Tarrasch against 1.d4, which recently allowed me to draw as Black against a 1900-rated player in a classical OTB game without crazy complications and without ever feeling uncomfortable with my position. I also feel comfortable when playing 1.e4 e5 as Black as long as White continues with 2.Nf3 and enters a mainline with normal development and perhaps a few exchanges. But if they play the King's Gambit it is pretty much a default loss for me in shorter time controls, because I will miss a tactic sooner or later even when they completely misplay this opening.

Hence, I am looking to build/learn a repertoire for White and Black (mainly against 1.e4 since the QGD seems to work for me against 1.d4) that caters more to what I enjoy: static instead of dynamic advantages (material, bishop pair, pawn structure), simplicity, space, prospects of a better endgame.

So if you have suggestions for such a repertoire and, perhaps more importantly, for learning resources (books, online courses etc. in English or German) that are suitable for my level, please let me know. My current repertoire has about 250 lines with an average depth of around 10 moves, and I think that anything significantly more comprehensive would be too high-maintainance and unnecessary.

Side note: I am open to playing 1.d4 instead of 1.e4, but I find it much easier to memorize long, forcing lines than move orders and transpositions.

Disclaimer: I understand that the fastest way to improve might be to keep playing the openings mentioned above and to head straight into complications and confront them. However, not only can it be frustrating to play openings that emphasize my weaknesses, but I frequently play classical games in team competitions, where my personal improvement is not the only consideration.

Basically every opening has more tactical and more strategical lines. While some opening are move heavy on either tactics or strategy but you have to be able to play both positions. The good thing is .. calculation and tactics are easier to learn than strategy . So do focus on tactics and you will improve quite fast.

In general the most important of an opening at our level is having trust in the opening. If you do not "trust" your position even though it is objectively equal you will lose. If you trust your position you will play better. See your own example from the Semi Tarrasch but also if you think you will lose against the KG you will lose (BTW lookup the Schallop Defense on Lichess for example .. it is like 10 minutes learning and leads a very good safe position against the KG)

So my general advice is find a player who's style you like and copy his rep. Then go to a either a chess book store or chess video store (whatever helps you learn, i personally like videos) and buy an something that has introduction/beginners/simple in it and have fun.

Indeed don't forget to play tons of games with your openings and do a quick check where you went wrong after you lost. Make it quick because chess is about having fun

I do think e4/e5 is a good way to learn, but the reason I don't play e4/e5 is - 
- it's usually white who chooses the variation 
- it's probably the most tactical opening in chess. the lines are forcing, deep, and often complex, with obscure best-moves and things of this nature

When you're playing these deep obscure tactical lines, and it's the opponent who chooses to enter the lines... the result is often either you have the line memorized, or you lose. And really all the pressure is on you, as black, to remember the line. White just got to choose exactly what he wanted to play.

I've heard e4/e5 described as being for "players who know everything" as black. I think that's correct, you have to...

I don't want to play that style of chess, like you I'm not a pro chess player, I don't really have time.

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There are 2 options I'd recommend - either the sicilian or the french. There's a positional element to both these.

Based on specific things you've said my guess is you'd probably prefer the french, but I don't really know. You should just watch a few videos on the 2 openings and decide which you prefer.

The sicilian always belongs in the conversation, I've said many times that the sicilian is the only defense against e4 with no downside. Also... you shouldn't be intimidated by it. I wrote a short article on this topic - A Tour of the Sicilian - Choosing a Variation as Black - Chess.com

The gist is you can play the sicilian in many different ways, you don't have to know tons of theory if you don't want to. And different sicilians have different styles, some are more positional others more tactical. Most importantly, it's black who chooses the major variation, and so black usually has the familiarity advantage. For your case I think the four knights would be a good line to go with... it's a french sicilian. In most cases, especially at your elo, the four knights just leads to a simple easy game for black, because he can just pin the knight on c3 and push d5.

The french is a great defense too. Generally it's very difficult for white to find anything novel in the french. If white plays the exchange or advance it's usually a pretty boring game. And if you play the rubinstein... again it's usually a drawish and boring game. You can also play the winawer and that's quite complex / chaotic but based on what you've said my guess is you'd avoid that. Boredom is the main reason I don't prefer the french. Though your king does come under attack at times, so bear that in mind. But if you like these positions that feel like or lead to endgames, which are kind of grindy, it might stylistically be exactly what you want.

The sicilian is positional but it will still break down into tactics as time goes on or depending on the position. However, it's not quite like e4/e5 because the tactics arise from positional play with relatively consistent pawn structures, and you become acquainted with the common tactical patterns. Whereas e4/e5 can lead to the most variety of pawn structures and tactics of any opening.

It's funny that you recommend the French and the Four Knights Sicilian, since those are literally the only alternatives to 1...e5 I have ever played.

I tried the French recently, and while I do like its stronger focus on thematic structures and ideas compared to 1...e5, the positions feel a bit too cramped for my taste. I am wondering if the Caro-Kann might be a better compromise, but I have zero experience with that opening.

As for the Four Knights Sicilian, it has been a while since I played it, but maybe I should go back and reevaluate it. My concern here is that while it scores well at my level, this is partly because people almost never play the critical lines against it in online games, while my opponents in OTB games likely will play them or they won't allow the Open Sicilian to begin with. For example, 6...Ndb5 is played less than 10% of the time online (Lichess, 1600-2000, rapid and classical), while it is the most common move in OTB games (Megabase, 1400-1800).

If you like e5 just play e5. For many of the weird white options there often is a complex way to get a slight advantage or a very easy way to get a simple equal game.

If you like e5 i can strongly recommend: Playing 1.e4 e5 by Ntirlis ( https://www.chess.com/blog/smurfo/book-review-playing-1e4-e5 ) as it focuses on the simple solutions for rare openings and has lots of dept of of the more common openings such as the Ruy Lopez. I also like the way he explains moves. The books is the basis of my e5 rep (although i play c6 as well) and I am 2100 OTB

Have you considered the Keep It Simple series. The Keep It Simple 1 e4 repertoire book or the Keep It Simple 1 e4 2.0 repertoire book. You can read about the differences (and similarities) between the two books to see if one of those might suit you. As Black there is the Keep It Simple for Black repertoire book. In it the author uses the Caro Kann and the QGD. He also covers White's other early moves for black such as the 1 c4, 1 b3 1 f4, etc. It's chess, so it's not actually simple per se, but he tries to keep the complications down somewhat.

There is also the Keep It Simple 1 d4 repertoire book. It uses the move order (usually, with exceptions) 1 d4 2 Nf3 3 g3 4 Bg2 5 0-0 and then 6 c4 if called for. Nice systematic move order for easy recall to get a good game, but it's a thicker book with transpositions, not so easy for recall.

They are very good books but I don't currently play either (never bought the 1 e4 2.0, I preferred the original at that time).

I decided I'd rather play the Grandmaster Gambits 1 e4 White repertoire book though. Just like when I play black I prefer to avoid playing teir 1 too mainstream defenses that everyone and their uncles are playing and studying, I prefer to do so when White also. Not all the lines in this book are as good but once again I take into account my opponents are on the club level, many who can't handle pressure on the board all that well.

As black I play the 3...Qa5 Scandinavian and the Tarrasch Defense. Both bid for space, but a bit too early, therefore they are not tier one defenses.

Judging by what you wrote though, it seems the Keep It Simple series is more in line with what you may be looking for than what I play as Black and White. I just mention my thoughts on alternatives to give you something else to think about (as Black mainly) since you did say you like space and it is club level. The more static mainlines in the Keep It Simple white repertoires offer plenty of space too though, of course.

It's true that the KIS 1.e4 2.0 and KIS for Black courses seem like a good fit in terms of the openings selected, and I do like the author and his style of explanations. Unfortunately, I think the amount of lines in either of these repertoires is far more than I can handle and than I need at my current level.

I'm not aware of it being in paper form, but there is a recent course at Chessable titled The Caro-Kann: Simplified getting very good reviews.

Funny. I played the Four Knights for a while too. I switched away... but then I went back and picked it up again.

The Cobra variation actually has a very good winrate on lichess even at 2200+ level. But that's in an online setting where it's just 1 game and no prep. But even at 2200 lichess level people only play the main lines like half the time. If you're up against prep... you could switch to another french sicilian or you could learn the sveshnikov and transpose into it. I think the exchange line will be fine in the four knights, it's a very complicated position. But in OTB setting it's really best to have a few different lines you can play, that will probably always be true. Like nowdays I have a few different sicilians I play, and I also play the french rubinstein as an off weapon... Over time I realized how many transpositions there are in various positions... like you can transpose the blackmar diemer, the alapin, and the richter-veresov all into a french. And there are many odd moves black can make that lead to french-like positions and pawn structures. So I don't mind playing a few different lines. But if your opponent is forced to play an anti-sicilian it's hard to complain about that since most of these just give near equality for black. 

Maybe another french sicilian such as the Taimanov/Kan (Nc6 > a6) or the Bastrikov could work. If you want something more theoretical I also like the classical sicilian.

In general I see the Bastrikov as very good for intuitive players. Because usually the variations explode in size complexity quickly to where you don't really play by a strict algorithm. Even in some seemingly sharp lines where the queen is pressured... they will become unpredictable quickly, one slight difference in where you move the queen and the game changes. And the Taimanov-Kan... is becoming one of my favorite sicilians, in the main line you just get a solid central pawn structure and it's a complicated whole-board position. And outside the main line it can be very punishing, many interesting and sharp / rare variations. But by mixing these different sicilians I think you'll be able to play effectively OTB. The Bastrikov especially puts alot of burden on the opponent to learn many lines. And the prep you have for the anti-sicilians will be reusable so there's not much cost to picking up these other lines.

You can get kind of strategic as well - so if it's a game you think you'll definitely lose or definitely win... play a line that you don't prepare for super-seriously. Like heck, play the Kan with minimal prep. Then other players will see you playing the Kan and they'll have to prep for it. Or maybe consider the Bastrikov your main line, but play the four knights in less serious games or in games where you happen to know the opponent didn't have time to prep. Do things like this and I think you'll do well.

As for the Caro-Kann... probably it's good to learn from a general chess improvement standpoint. But of the 4 major responses to e4 it's the move I am least afraid of as white. Because white chooses the variation and often can play very attacking lines that put alot of pressure on the king. But admittedly I have not played it much myself