What is a good process for studying and learning chess openings?

First of all, get out a piece of paper and pen. Write down openings you know. You "know" an opening if you can play its sequence, refer to it by its name and write out its notations. For those openings that you know, do you know its variations? Make a note of that as well Once you have logged what you know, eliminate them from your studies. You need to concentrate on those that you are unfamiliar with. Next, get yourself some literature, whether online or in book form. If you don't have a copy of Capablanca's "Chess Fundamentals", get one. You obviously might want some specific books on openings. I recommend "Mastering the Chess Openings" by John Watson. List those openings you feel will most commonly suit your style, then list others you wish to add to your studies. learning them "all" (that's relative) is a tall task, but list any openings you're going to apply to your training. Then get out a board, a notation sheet and go down your list one by one. Make notes on them as you learn them. How well they fit your style, if you need more work on a particular sequence, etc. Before you move from one opening to the next, you should know its name, the sequence, the notations, defenses and variations. Its time consuming and sometimes mind-wracking but it will pay off. I have used this method of study (lots of online resources too) to teach myself openings and endgames. Midgame strategies and other intricate facets of the game such as sacrifices, traps and uncommon mates are best learned with another player. Good luck, and whatever you do... DON'T take that "free" pawn. -Clay A