I run a junior school chess club - ages 7 to 11. I'd be grateful for any suggested openings, opening traps etc which are simple and easy to remember for youngsters. Thanks.

I would look for openings that don't lead into trouble right away, lead to positions that are simple enough to be understandable, and if possible give opportunities for tactics, since that's what they should be concentrating on.

Recently someone said his teacher suggested the Four Knights, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6, and that seems a fine choice to me. Both with 4.Bb5 and with 4.d4.

Traps? Why?

Giucosso Piano. 1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4

giuoco piano..has the most amount of traps, look it up at book openings very useful.

Italian game, yeah, decent beginner opening... mabye even go with the ruy lopez too!

Young players who learn and play the GP all the time gain little impression of the dynamism of chess, show them the two knights and Scotch as well...

Thank you all for your suggestions. GP, Ruy Lopez and 4 knights are all solid openings which I've already shown them. The basic idea of centre pawn to have a stake in the centre board and develop your pieces they all know and I'd like to keep them with that basic premise.

I was looking more for something a bit different with which they might trap other people their age in matches or competitions, but not destroy their own position if it does not work.

If they play Queen's Gambit, then at their level I should imagine their opponents would be quite materialistic and having accepted the gambit, attempt to hang onto the pawn.  If you teach them how to take advantage of this materialism from black they should have good games.  Here are some well known traps in that opening if black gets too greedy.

Thank you for that, I agree that most youngsters would take the pawn. I like the second one particularly.

Wed13, check out the Lasker trap in The Albin Counter attack ( Queens Pawned Gambit refused ), Or the Blackburne Shilling, which apears often in the Two Knights, Italien...etc, look these up in Wikipidia, for I'm still surprised how many skilled players still fall for this basic but impressive traps, the good thing about thes traps is 1, that it's traps for the Black side which should impress your pupils & 2, if are not taking, black has still a very good game we no loss of tempo or position!

Thank you for the Blackburne Shilling suggestion - just the sort of thing that catches their imagination. I try to steer away from gambits and sacrifices as at their level they can easily backfire. If the Shilling does not work they are still in the game. Best suggestion so far.

dude you shouldn't teach them any openings at all. No traps either. That's pretty lame. Just teach them opening principles and stuff like skewers forks etc. If they  not just wanna be good players but great players, you should teach them patterns that they can recognise during a game. (like forks etc etc) Bruce Pandolfini never taught openings. He taught endgame techniques. I can imagine that is much more helpfull. You can open a chess game if you know opening principles, no fancy italian or french game. That's just lame. 

and also teach them boring stuff like what color is c6. what color is f8. This stuff is really really helpfull to learn the board. It's boring but if your a good teacher you could do it that way. If you  have a big class their will for sure be someone who would get very good if you teach them this way. Also you might wanna do something like chessmaster. 

What is the best response to e4?

answer: 

Nf6. 

e5. and explain why the answer would be e5 in this case.

Good luck!

Go Bird f4 Opening! Its a simple move that forces black to react correctly! If not teehee ... Plus Its not a common move better to learn it young

Or The Birds Defense, an uncommon but nice way to answer the Ruy Lopez!

I have a couple of pamphlets that I give to members of my school club. One is on opening traps and the other on basic opening technique.  I can send one of each to you if you wish.

what is the Bird Defence? Never heard of that beforE

Id love one yes thank you!

I'm not looking for openings and traps instead of basic principles but as well as. Pins, forks, etc, develop your main pieces and try to command the centre of the board etc I've already done. Something different, something to maybe catch Mum or Dad out with is very appealing to a 9 year old. If nothing else, they now know how not to fall for the Blackburne Shilling which is good in itself. ThomasK I'd love one of those leaflets, thank you.

teach them the kings gambit and the evans gambit...

i think these two will solidify your emphasis of central square control and the concept of tempo against material...

as black, the indian openings are easy for white to get wrong..

all in all they will eventually understand imbalances and dynamism in chess.

FUNDAMENTALLY always always insist they understand end games.

KvP, K+R v k+P , AND MINOR PIECE ENDINGS. these they will thank you for in a few years..

good luck