easiest defense to learn against queens gambit?

I've been playing a lot of random stuff against 1 d4. I've tried QGD, Kings indian, Benoni, and gruenfeld. All with fairly poor results. I need to study just one. Which is the easiest defense to get a good solid playable game?

have you tried nizmo-indian defence or slav defence ??

No. Are they fairly easy to play? I don't want to learn 12 moves of variations, just have a good playable game.

My main problem in these queens gambit lines is when white plays d4 I don't know how to undermine the center without allowing a passed pawn or something that ends up getting blockaded poorly and usually with a bishop. I know I'm not playing these openings right at all.

well  , can you post a game in which you are against queens gambit ?? i think everyone will be able to answer your question in a better way if you do that.

If you have played enough games in your life, against d4,c4, of Nf3 by now you have established a "chess style". Are you an agressive or patient player? Are you more comfortable with tactics or do you prefer patient manuvering of you pieces? If you know the answers to these questions, play through some of your previous games and determine how deep into the game you get before you lost your way. Of course if you keep repeating the same mistakes in all the openings you described, you might have to study some expert openings to get to the middlegame.

This is a game I was actually proud of, until I looked at the computer analysis afterwards. For some reason I like the Benoni naturally, perhaps just because I idolize Mikhail Tal and he played it, but the d6 pawn is very vulnerable when an opponent knows how to attack it. I also don't know how to get counterplay going without wrecking my own center and helping an opponent.

Now here's a more typical example. My center just falls apart as me defenses are far too weak. And when the opponent plays 4 e4 in this position my center crumbles even sooner and I become vulnerable to allowing a dangerous advanced or even a passed pawn.

I have my games poorly organized, so these are two recent examples

maybe you meant "queen's pawn opening with 1.d4", not queen's gambit. whenever someone says "queen's gambit", this comes into my mind

anyways,, choosing a defence against 1.d4 is really a matter of taste. I had tried Queen's Gambit declined/ accepted, Indian defences and slav but I seem to hold on to my dear life (a little longer) when I use the dutch defence. (I prefer the Classical Dutch). What's important is that you should know the general principles on openings (e.g. piece placement, development etc..), then I think you'll find a defence that suits you.

To answer your question, have you tried the Dutch defence?

Yeah, that's what I'll have to do.

Chigorin.

well, in your first game,  you should have played 2....d5 instead of playing c5.  in a queen pawn opening you should first try to play d5 then play c5.  also in  a queen pawn opening knight is usually better placed at d7 rather than c6.To know how to play against queen pawn opening requires a little bit of theory on black's part. u don't need to remember some 20 moves of variation but you have to know some ideas which you should use against playing queen pawn opening. 

try to read a book "the logical chess- move by move by chernov ". it contains games which gives some ideas which you should use to play against queens gambit.

Before getting to a lasker, you will find that all repertoires advise exchange variation in the beginning..

I had the same problem, no solid reply for 1.d4. Then I came up with a gambit called Alphin Counter Gambit that goes ... d5 2. c4  e5 3.de5 d4

This opening puzzles the opponent this is for sure. But must be learned in detail.

I never considered that. I have tried out the Cambridge springs though, which I also failed to generate real counterplay in unless they fall into the pawn grab trap and give me a piece.

Should not play QGA if you are getting lost after the 9th move. Need to understand the general objectives of openings. In this case what was wrong with 9. Be7?  You seem to like tactics.

I do like tactics. I love tactical play. I would be happy as a clam to play ruy lopez with black every game. And you are right, I do not know the plans in the middle game against queen pawn openings and fall into crushingly bad positions regularly. I'd prefer to just trade off pawns and shoot it out, but this does not work well with queen pawn openings, at least not how I fall into playing them.

 i think the lasker variation is definitely a good idea if you want something pretty straight forward which will just get you into a nice, playable middle game.

I don't think anything is easier or difficult. Depends upon ur intelligence and knowledge. Anyway one of the most effective response to QGD is King's Indian Defense.

I like Lasker's defence, you exchange bishops and knights and it loosens the tension very well.  Easy to learn as well.

Maybe a copy of this book can help you out, I think. 

some openings are easier than others, that is common knowledge.  I like the classical defense with ...e6 against the queen's gambit