Easiest Chess Opening?

I am teaching new Chess players openings for White and Black, what openings should I teach for white and black? For White I was thinking of Queen's Gambit and Ruy Lopez, and for black French Defense and Slav. What are your thoughts on the easiest Chess opening?

In my opinion, the easiest opening for white is the London System. You can play always the same moves no matter what black plays (almost ;) ) and nevertheless you have a totally satisfying position. Furthermore you play only logical moves, place your pieces on active squares and have a quite solid pawn structure so it is instructive, too.

As black mybe the Caro-Kann. It conveys a fundamental positional understanding and you get a feeling where your pieces are placed right. Moreover it is in some points quite similiar to the London System (active bishop outside of the pawns, similar pawn structure) so it makes sense to combine this two openings.

king pawn games are easy

I started teaching kids at my chess club some days ago. I thought about this and I decided it would be nice if they learnt the Italian opening first: open positions and lots of tactical chances for both sides. I guess the Petroff comes next.

The important think about the Italian Game is that you learn all the basic opening principles: development, control of the centre, early castling, etc.

Hey. I advocate playing 1. e4 first (for beginners)

Spanish

c3 Sicilian

French Tarrasch

Advance Caro-Kann

Pirc / Modern 4. Be3 system (er...not an recognized variation, just my own home cooking!)

For black:

Sicilian Taimanov

QGD: Tartakower

Flohr-Mikenas System vs the EO

8)

@najdorf96: why should a beginner learn so many openings? I hardly do.

With white: 1. e4 with the plan Nf3, Nc3 and Bc4. Or maybe learn theory to the open lines of an opening, for example untill Nxe4 in the caro-kann and Nxd4 in the sicilian. Not more is needed.

With black: I like 1.. e5, with classical development such as Nc6, Bc5 and Nf6. Not much theory is needed, except 1. e4 e5 2. f4, where I would recommend d5, opening up the centre. If they prefer something else, let them do it on their own. I only began playing e5 after realising that the sicilian, french, carokann and alekhine's defence was not just good for black.

Against d4 I really don't know. Just learn them tactics instead. And learning theory = See some good games, not learn variations

This doesn't make any sense. How is the Spanish a White opening? I could also say the same about the QG, but my point wouldn't be as strong. Also, and this is a huge point, how can you teach these kids to play the Spanish was White when you're teaching them to play the French as Black? It doesn't make any sense at all, they'll never get to play the Spanish if their opponents are playing the French!

You need to teach them both sides of the same opening, obviously. Don't teach them much, don't go into any move order details. Just let them know where their pieces should go and what plans both sides should have. I would say teach them a little of the QGD/QGA and the Spanish/Italian/KG. All from both sides. Make sure that they know not to try to hold onto the pawn at any cost in the QGA and that they know not to try to get the pawn back at any cost in the KGA - they are both valuable lessons.

@freecat~don't know about you, but playing only one system (as white, I'm assuming) is boring & doesn't allow for nurturing imagination, for beginners. Playing e4 is exciting, free-flowing. Especially young people. That's all.

If they are beginners, it should be the open game. Basically 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4, they should be playing for both sides.

Possibly going over Morphy's games.

Too much information at the beginner stage could do more damage than too little information.

You should stick with the Ruy Lopez and Queen's Gambit.  As for other responses, have them rely on opening concepts.  If they are beginners, it's not like the players that they are playing are going to be able to reel out 25 moves of King's Indian or Dragon theory.

The Ruy Lopez and Queen's Gambit literally are the two openings that most resemble "general principles".  They are the first two openings that anybody should learn.  Explain to them the Qd4 tactic in the Ruy Lopez and why 3...a6 doesn't just lose a pawn to 4.Bxc6 and 5.Nxe5.  They are beginners.  They don't know this, even though someone like you or myself take this for granted.

It also shouldn't be a question of White or Black.  Forget about the French and Slav.  They aren't ready for that.  Teach them the Ruy Lopez and Queen's Gambit in general, not just one side of it.  Have them play the Ruy Lopez as both Black and White.  Have them play the Queen's Gambit Declined as both Black and White.  When you do practice games with them, even if you normally play the Najdorf, answer their opening moves with what you are teaching them.  That would mean playing 1...e5 as Black against them when they play 1.e4.

If they don't know anything about opening concepts, like controlling the center, not developing the Queen too early, central tension, etc, then they aren't even ready for the Ruy Lopez or Queen's Gambit.  They need the foundation of opening concepts before learning any specific openings, but for at least the first year or two, they shouldn't be taught any specific openings outside of the two repeatedly mentioned in this message.

Thrillerfan nailed it on the mark for me so I'll be teaching them the QGA and QGD along with The Ruy Lopez and not just one side but both.

What level of player are you teaching?

Quoted for truth.

There's no such thing as an easy opening! Don't think in terms of teaching them openings at all, but of teaching opening principles. Illustrate these principles within the context of various openings and teach from both sides rather than implying that this is a "White" or "Black" opening. You would need to start with classical principles first so classical openings are best used as illustrations. Hypermodern, and beyond, comes with correspondingly new opening ideas. 

I am teaching newbies who just learned how the pieces move...

Go for the opening principles instead. Memorizing moves as a beginner is a waste of time and counter-creative.

What you need to teach them is the opening principles:

1. Control the center - e4-d4-e5-d5

2. Develop your minor pieces toward the center

3. Castle

4. Connect the rooks - move the queen

Then after they learn the iseas behind these principles, you can teach them openings that drill these principles.  As someone posted earlier, the Ruy Lopez, and Queens Gambit, are both excellent examples of openings that illustrate these principles. 

Keep in mind...teach the opening principles, and the ideas behind the opening, DO NOT teach memorizing lines.

Good Luck

When I commented on Queen's Gambit and Ruy Lopez, I had assumed these students had learned at least something about tactics and endgames.  If they are complete beginners, stick to opening concepts only.  You might use the Ruy Lopez to explain it, but don't even tell them that it has a name.

On a completely separate note, this is not something I recommend you do with the students, but stictly on your own.  This will often show if you know openings from memory or by concept.  If it's the latter, you should have no problem making these moves quickly, but if every move you go "White normally plays blah blah blah, so to convert it, I must play blah blah blah", then you don't understand the opening, you memorized it.

Take a chess board, set up the starting position EXCEPT put the Kings on their own color (WK on d1, BK on d8).  Castling is still legal.  If you understand the opening rather than merely memorized it, you should be able to play the first 9 moves of each player of the Chigorin Ruy Lopez extremely quickly (i.e. 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bg5 h6 4.Bh4 Nc6 5.O-O Bd7 6.Rd1 g5 7.Bg3 e6 8.f3 O-O 9.a3 Nh5).  You should be able to do the same thing in the original starting position with Black moving first (where Black plays the Ruy Lopez), and with Kings and Queens switched at the start and Black moving first.