For White, the Ruy Lopez is your e4 opening. It allows for rapid development, early castling, and a nice tactical game. For your d opening, a good ole Queens Gambit is hard to beat.

There's really no such thing as a simple opening in chess. All are loaded with gotchas or nasty traps, ready to snare the complacent.

For White, the Ruy Lopez is your e4 opening. It allows for rapid development, early castling, and a nice tactical game. For your d opening, a good ole Queens Gambit is hard to beat.

You'll also need to learn 2 openings for the Black side. I like a King's Indian in response to 1. d4 and a Robatsch for 1. e4.

They're all good in the beginning, however, so read up on some and learn the points of a few openings. Try them to see if you enjoy the positions that result.

There's really no such thing as a simple opening in chess. All are loaded with gotchas or nasty traps, ready to snare the complacent.