Hi, 

I suggest 
 
1) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Be2 

This has been investigated by Basman a long time 
ago and he concludes it could be a good opening 
for an amateur. 

A refinement could be 
1. e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4. Be2 
 
This has been investigated in a SOS-book. 

2) 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.a3 or 
   1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4. a3 
   (Idea: after the patzer move 4. a3 4...d5 should 
   be strong, but this runs into 5. Qh5 with a reversed 
   Scotch where Black is missing the crucial b4-square. 

3) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 with d3 to follow. 
   I know two players around 2200 playing this line 
   as their main white weapon OTB and with reasonable 
   success. 
   One of them even plays the black version 
   1.e4 c6 2.d4 d6 pretending a fingerfehler at the 
   second move.   

4) 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 
   Harding's book written in the seventies is full of unusual tries. 
   If you do your own research on some of these lines this 
   could be rewarding. If you suspect your opponent does not 
   know much theory you could transpose to more theoretical stuff 
   from time to time. 

5) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 followed by d3 
    combined with              Nf6 4.d3 
    In the second version it is important to prevent good 
   versions of the the d5 counter. 
    (Btw: There are some bold people who play 4...d5?!  
    at once. It is risky, but you should be prepared.)  
    Have a look at some games of Bologan etc. and you will 
    see it is not so easy for Black. 
    A refined move-order is 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 preventing the 
    Petroff 2...Nf6 3.d3 Nc6 4.Nf3. The prize of this order 
    is allowing the line 3...c6 followed by 4...d5, which you 
    certainly should prepare well. 
    (Btw. I have played the Bishop's opening around 50 times 
    and I had never to play against this line.)  

Regards

JonathanB wrote on 07/22/09 at 18:04:00:

Still there's a difference : after 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e4, Black would like to play ...Bc5 and ...d6 but 4...Bc5 at once allows 5.Nxe5, so Black often plays Bb4,d6,Bc5. But in the 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c4 move order, this Nxe5 trick doesn't work because of Bc5-b4+, so he can play 3...Bc5 at once (and then ...d6), saving a tempo compared to the English proper. However it is certainly irritating for Black to face 3.c4 here, like in the equally infamous 1.e4 c5 2.c4

Methinks the main reason for playing Bc4 and d3 in tournaments is the Marshall Attack of the Ruy Lopez. Then if White plays Ruy Lopez style after Bc4, Black has less problems to solve since he hasn't commited his queenside pawns, yet a game remains to be played.
A word of caution against Bb5+d3/c3 : if you are spotted playing this regularly, people may drag you into a tricky Berlin Defense with ...d5, e.g. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 0-0 6.Bxc6 bxc6 7.Nxe5 d5 when Black is (as always) OK. All in all it looks more practical to play Bc4 instead of Bb5, perhaps even at move 2 as was already suggested.

That knight quite (maybe even more) often goes to e3 iso g3 and that square also can be reached via c4. Another question is if White can manoeuvre the knight via f1 before castling. Critical is ...d5.

3 c3 ! seems not too theoretical ! Seems quite good as most black's don't know this line at all.

thanks for the advice so far guys.  I hadn't considered the Scotch 4 knights.  I will have a look at it.  I suppose the exchange spanish is another option.

A 3rd option would be the Scotch Four Knights 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4. The position is quite open, white's position is perfectly healthy, he has a few active positional plans and a few tactical tricks like a piece sac on h6 with a draw in hand against best defense. If black knows his stuff he gets full equality, but you can easily exchange everything off and offer a draw. It's a low risk opening a lot of people consider boring. Very easy to play.

The other two options are strategically more complex and also theoretically 100% equal. I don't feel qualified to say more about them.