Best chess variant for beginners


Probably FischerRandom/Live960 because it is the same as regular chess except that the pieces in the backrank are randomized, so the beginner is at no disadvantage for opening theory they don't have memorized. After the first 15 moves or so, the positions in this variant look a lot like something you might get in a regular chess game - it is pretty similar really.

A good chess variant for absolute beginners is to have the advanced player have his king and his pawns. The beginner gets either his whole army or the back row people depending on the difficulty you want. This helps the beginner get familiar with his pieces and checking the king while the advanced player also has a challenge of keeping his king alive. This helps the advanced player practice strategies with his pawns.