What's the best opening for beginners?

Everyone knows the classic e4 King's Pawn Opening, and there're many ways to continue that, but most beginners already know how to counter that. And if they do not, it's really easy to think of counters just by looking at the board. Any less known openings, or openings that are harder for beginners to counter?

You should focus on learning opening principles rather than studying a particular opening. At your level games are typically won/lost due to blunders in the middlegame. Your opening choice will not prevent you from, say, hanging pieces. Take the time you were planning on using to study an opening and use it to study tactics and  learn opening principles. It will be a much better use of your time and you will find yourself improving quickly.

@1

"What's the best opening for beginners?" ++ Probably Ruy Lopez, for black as well as for white

"most beginners already know how to counter that" ++ No, they do not.

"it's really easy to think of counters just by looking at the board" ++ No it is not easy at all.

"Any less known openings" ++ There are many less-known openings. With white you can play anything. With black you can play weird stuff too, like 1 e4 a6.

"openings that are harder for beginners to counter?" ++ You should not gear what you play against beginners. You should gear what you play against stronger players. You can beat the beginners anyway. Against stronger players you need most help.

I'd say the Italian game, allows you to easily gain the center, and develop your pieces, and castle. and also you can play it aggressively with moves like ng5 after nf6 and maybe even go for the fried liver attack.

To put this into perspective, here is the latest game of the OP.

To sum it up: on move 3 white threatens mate-in-1. Black allows it, making a random move. White retreats instead of delivering the mate.

Stop trying to win the game by studying openings thinking its a way to winning advantage, you have the middlegame to face yet, just try to be happy with an equal game out of the opening like Carlsen showed us and where then your own skill will decide the game.

Italian game is good.

Evan's gambit in the Italian game:

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3... leads to fun games and follows principles.

If they play the two knights defense, go for the fried liver:

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5... and if 5. ...Nxd5 then 6. Nxf7 Kxf7 7. Qf3+ should lead to some very fun games...

I like the bishop's opening. I found that I often had trouble getting both bishops developed with other openings, so this gave me a good jump on getting my bishops into the game. Some of the YouTube guys seem to think it's sound, at least below GM level. 

I've got 650 games under my belt (1150), so I'm probably somewhere between "advanced beginner" and "barely intermediate on a good day".

The bishops opening is really ancient and breaks one of the principles of the opening namely 'knights out before bishops'

I mean it was fine in the 19th century but probably easily refuted these days...I suggest trying a deeper and more complex opening like the ruy lopez...bags of theory and its all really easy to remember as the plans are clear and highly logical...

Thanks. I'll keep that in mind, but plan to stay with the Grand Master who convinced me that the bishop's opening was sound. 

"probably easily refuted". 

Translation:  "I have no idea how to refute it."

@13

Evidently I misunderstood your post. Sincere apology sent via private message.