What are the easiest guitar chords for beginners?

The first chords

1. E minor (Em): two fingers, easiest shape.
2. A minor (Am): three fingers in a neat cluster.
3. D major: a small triangle on the top three strings.
4. G major: stretches across all six strings.
5. C major: three fingers stepping down the neck.
6. E major: Em with one more finger.

A good first progression

G, C, D and Em in any order cover a huge number of pop and folk songs. Practise changing between two chords for a minute at a time.

When a live helper is useful

Hand position is hard to judge alone. A teacher on video can spot a buzz or a tense wrist in seconds.