Why play 1. Nc3?

Okay, my friend plays 1. Nc3.  This opening, you don't read a lot about - but take a moment to look at the stats behind it - White has great percentages.

Now I know typical arguments in favor of not blocking the c-pawn, not opening lines for bishops, not facilitating kingside castling. 

But I do know that White has had some spectacular wins, plus a SLEW of ideas at his disposal.

I want to hear from people who like this opening and use it regularly - I am talking to a good friend of mine who uses 1. Nc3 regularly, and hopefully we will be able to begin a group for people who are interested.

Yeah I don't use it regularly, but I have been reading about it. In Unorthodox Chess Openings by Eric Schiller, he writes rather positively about it (ignoring the lines where it transposes into other openings). It looks like there a a lot of interesting lines, hence I will start using it soon.

Sometime there should be a Nc3 tournament...but not right away because I have not finished my current tournament!

Yes, I do want to generate some interest in this opening.  I don't know much at all about it right now, but I am willing to learn - even the transpositional ideas - keeps Black on their toes! :-)

cool thanks linksspringer. some chess shall be played! After this post I think I'll search on here to see if there's an unorthodox chess group. ok so I searched...there is one but with only one member. it'd be nice to see if there's some interest currently in that type of play.

I like unorthodox chess openings, maybe I'll look that group up as well.  As far as    1. Nc3  I don't think I have ever played that! (But I am kinda new to this stuff so it's not surprising.)  I'll have to start using it and see where it takes me :)

i think i have to try it ...thanks!

A good reason for me to play 1. Nc3 would be as a variation. I have some favorite openings, but once and a while I simply get bored by them and play something else to wake myself up.

1. Nc3 is a sound move I would say, developing the knight towards the center.

I am going to try it today on a blitz game...will let you know how i got on lol

Okay link!  Thanks for the blitz game... So what do you say about setting up the group now?  I will generate the hype if you can get the meat on the table! :-)

That trap is something else.

Nc3 offers no advantages over anything else and if it doesn't transpose into something else black can get an equal or better game easily. First of all, Nf3 is more agressive and logical since it would prevent e5. second, there is no reason to block the c pawn on move one and black might be able to use his c pawn to get more central control.

If your very good, you can play almost any opening if you have studied it in depth. Here is a game by IM Dirk (Dick) Daniel Van Geet.

What do the Nc3 books say about how to deal with the transposition to the French or Caro-Kann? Do they just say "go buy a book on one of those openings"?

Nc3 d5
e4 c6

I started using 1. Nc3 against my brother in OTB, won quite a few games from him because it was something quite different from the normal openings that I play. I then started using it on another online correspondence chess site (before I learned about chess.com) and was able to have more equal positions in the middle game than after 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. Nf3, which I thought was interesting. I still use it a lot, in fact I use it almost exclusively as White.

What are they?

sure, Nc3 is playable but after 3.. e5 it looks like white is fighting for equality. It doesn't give white an initiative (again unless it tranposes) really because he's trying to undermine black's centre which is not guarenteed.

 Well I do love to play the french, which tries to destroy the centre, and I think black has a better chance of doing that than white would with Nc3. I don't like doing that kind of thing for white because it's unnecessary to give black the centre when you can have a more comfortable game with other moves.

I don't think at all that black is better after

Nc3 d5
e4 d4
Ne2 e5

If anything I still give the edge to white, who can easily develop the "problem bishop" on f1 to a good post outside of the c2-d3-e4 pawn chain. The same stuff is played on the black side a tempo down, so it must be pretty good for white actually. If I actually ever encountered 1: Nc3 in an OTB game, I would never push my pawn to d4. I mean - at the board - this is exactly the type of game that white is hoping for. The types of positions, the piece placement, all of it is in white's favor.

Since I am a Caro-Kann player I'd of course play 2: ... c6. The above lines for white's 3rd move (f4, Qf3, d3, g3) are not particularly scary if white is looking to avoid (obviously) the main lines with 3: d4

why does black even play d5? I would rather play e5 and if white plays e4 then black will have a great game after Nf6. Or just transpose. Still, after nc3 d5 e4 d4 Ne2 e5, chessmaster says that black is better by .20.

to live up to your handle :-)

black could try 3.. e4, making it sort of a reversed french after ..d5 except white can't counter the center with c4 quickly with the pawn blocked.