Different approach to hobby chess - Play simple but how?

Hi fellow chessplayers!

After 2 months of inactivity I played a few games yesterday. It went quite good until a more experienced player beat me then an idea struck my head:

Why should I play sharp, complicated lines ? I don't want to be a master or get an official rating I just want to play some games online, have fun and win them. My idea is to learn the most simple opening thoroughly because you probably can beat any hobby player with it if you know it well. You don't need to know any fancy stuff to beat an 1600 club player.

The most simple game which comes to my mind is the italian game. However I have a little problem with it. After you move e4 you pass the ball to black and black has numerous options againts e4 you can't force e5 in any way.

Basically this is where my plan "fails". I'm really curious about your opinion.

Here are some suggestions for a simple repertoire :

• as white, London system : 1.d4 / 2.Nf3 / 3.Bf4
• as black, against 1.e4 : 1...d5, Qxd5 and Qd6 (Tiviakov Scandinavian)
• against 1.d4 and flank systems, play a Slav set-up : d5+c6 and Bf5

This is enough to play at 1600 level, and you don't have much theory (if any) to learn at all.

I agree with the above, learn the IDEAS (ex. "white wants to eventully press d5 and attack the queen side") in a couple openings and play them a lot. Play simple devopment moves, keep the king safe, ect.

good sugestions for hobby players)

Or you can do a King's Indian/Modern/Pirc type of setup for either black or white. It's quite safe and you only need to know a few positional setups and manuvers without having to go into heavy theory. 

Thanks for the advices. Do you all agree if I want to look for simple positions I should avoid 1.E4?

You can have simple positions with 1.e4, but not some kind of universal system you can play against almost everything like the London I mentioned above.

Hobby games are a good time to try some gambits (they create really interesting games).  Two that come to mind is the Smith Morra Gambit (1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 ...) and the Danish Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Bc4 cxb2 5. Bxb2).  There are many others to play also.