Easy thing to play against the French

This is called a 2 knights french

1.e4 1...e6 2.Nf3 2...d5 3. Nc3 

Easy, maybe, but not great. I play the two knights Caro-Kahn (1.e4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3), because besides the fact Black often transposes in a KID with color reversed and two more tempi for me (by 3...d4 (?) 4.Nd2 c5), White takes no risk, but I never got a lot out of the opening either.

So with the French, where ...e6 is more of a developing move than ...c6 (because the Bf8 becomes free), I don't think this could lead to great prospects. It's a good try if you don't want to learn any lines, but do not hope to refute the French.

e4e6d4d5Nc3Bb4Bd2c5e5cxdNb5Bxd2Qxd2Ne7f4

I really like the positions that come from playing this against the french.

The line with 1. e4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. d4 c5 6. dxc5 can be fun to play, with fast development and Q-side castling in some lines, and little theory. The problem is that there are some annoying deviations earlier, like 3...d4 if I remember right.

So one idea I had for an easy repertoire with attacking chances/open game with hardly any theory was, 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3, now if ...Nf6 then 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Nf3 transposes into the above line, and if 3... Bb4 (Winawer), then just 4. exd5, playing an exchange variation where there is already some imbalance and you might be able to make something of the position, yet bypassing the annoying lines of the Two Knights. Actually, it's wrong to say there is no theory in these lines, but I think they are perfect for playing without knowing much of it.

try 2. b3 !?

If I wasn't a French player myself as Black, I'd play the exchange variation as White ... it creates a standard open game and often annoys the Black player :)

yeah, boring, annoying and drawish for both sides, if its a standard tournament game. if you're a non-professional and it's blitz or bullet on the internet it really doesn't matter what you play for the most part as that is completely insignificant.

I think playing Nc3 on the second move gives black too many options. they could transpose to many different things very early including taimonov/kan like sicilians. why give the person the choice to do this? if they want to play the french, make them play the french and play d4 on move 2, not Nc3. as if the french is something dangerous in the hands of someone 2000 elo and below. don't think the french is all that good of an opening choice if you're not at least master level. kind of think chess enthusiasts who play the french, play it because it looks all mysterious to them and/or seems exotic, cute, choose your adj. not because they really know anything about it.

What about 1.e4 e6 2.Ke2 d5, the French Bongcloud? 

There are many variations at this point(such as the Reiser Gambit:3.f4, or the Royal Wedding variation:3.Qe2, so called because the King often ends up on f3 or g3 with a queen on f4 or g4 to protect him), but I prefer the solid Exchange variation:3.exd5 exd5 when the King is free to roam. 

--

Also, shequan, you're wrong. The French is relatively easy to learn and is very flexible. The Advance variation, for example, can lead to a mad struggle for power while the Exchange variation has traditionally been thought of as boring and leading to draws. 

What the heck are you doing?? Why bring your king out in the open??

I play the same thing, very easy with good development