I've been playing the French a lot as black, and like it, due to its flexibility and solid nature.

I've been wondering? Can I play it as white? Anybody tried this (opening with 1. e3)? I think it may have some value as a surprise strategy if nothing else.

What do you think?

Give it a try if you wish, but the extra tempo for White may not be good. It may be a bit drawish for a White opening, but if you prefer playing that type of an opening, then go right ahead.

What if black doesn't answer with e5?

I've done some looking, and apparently, when white opens A3, its called Van't Kruijs opening. If black responds e5, its called the Amsterdam Attack.

I figure if Black responds with D4, or C4, which are the next two most likely scenarios, I could just tranpose into the Stonewall Dutch with 2. f5, which is what I play against D4 and C4 as black normally anyway.

I'm gonna give it a try, and see what happens.

Nf3 or d4, whichever is preferable.

Years ago in the 70's, in the CCLA Magazine I wrote an article on reversed openings. The conclusion based on games played that is was dangerous for Black to play a reversed opening especially in the Franco Indian, and Indian Systems.
I would have to believe that a reversed French would cause problems for White. First the player on the Black side is not obligated to follow a reversed French, but go for a d5, c5 Opening.
But in 1855, Cochrane went with 1. e3, e5 2. e4 a reversed KP Opening.
Bird, and Mason gave 1.e3 a try. One game by each. Fine gave it a try in one game with success. So anything is playable if you know what you are doing.
The Nimzovitch games:
[Event "Marienbad"]
[Site "Marienbad"]
[Date "1925.??.??"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Nimzowitsch,Aaron"]
[Black "Gruenfeld,Ernst"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Eco "A03"]
1.e3 Nf6 2.f4 d5 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.b3 Nbd7 5.Bb2 e6 6.c4 Be7 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Qxf3 0-0
9.g4 Ne4 10.g5 c6 11.d3 Qa5+ 12.Ke2 Nd6 13.Bc3 Qb6 14.h4 Nf5 15.Bh3 d4 16.Bxf5 dxc3
17.Bxh7+ Kxh7 18.Nxc3 Qa5 19.Ne4 Rh8 20.g6+ fxg6 21.h5 g5 22.fxg5 Raf8 23.Qg2 Kg8 24.h6 Qf5
25.hxg7 Kxg7 26.Rh6 Ne5 27.d4 Qf3+ 28.Qxf3 Nxf3 29.Rxh8 Kxh8 30.Rf1 Nxd4+ 31.exd4 Rxf1 32.Kxf1 Kg7
33.Ke2 Kg6 34.Kf3 Kf5 35.c5 b6 36.Nd6+ Kxg5 37.Nc8 Kf6 38.Nxa7 bxc5 39.Nxc6 cxd4 40.Ke4 Bc5
41.b4 d3 42.Kxd3 Bf2 43.a4 Kf7 44.a5 Ke8 45.a6 1-0

[Event "Marienbad"]
[Site "Marienbad"]
[Date "1925.??.??"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Nimzowitsch,Aaron"]
[Black "Yates,Frederick"]
[Result "1/2"]
[Eco "A02"]
1.e3 Nf6 2.b3 g6 3.Bb2 Bg7 4.f4 d6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Qc1 0-0 7.Bb5 a6 8.Bxc6 bxc6
9.Na3 a5 10.0-0 a4 11.d3 Re8 12.h3 Rb8 13.e4 c5 14.Nc4 Ba6 15.e5 Nd5 16.Ng5 Qc8
17.Qd2 Nb6 18.Ne3 c4 19.dxc4 Nxc4 20.Nxc4 Bxc4 21.exd6 cxd6 22.Rfb1 Qc5+ 23.Kh2 Bxb2 24.Rxb2 Bd5
25.Rf1 h6 26.Nf3 e5 27.f5 Kh7 28.c4 Bxf3 29.Rxf3 g5 30.Qe3 Qxe3 31.Rxe3 Rec8 32.Rd2 Rb6
33.Kg3 Kg7 34.Red3 axb3 35.axb3 h5 36.Kf3 Rcb8 37.g4 Rxb3 38.gxh5 Rxd3+ 39.Rxd3 Rc8 40.h6+ Kxh6
41.Rxd6+ Kg7 42.Kg4 f6 43.Rd7+ Kf8 44.Kh5 Ke8 45.Ra7 Rxc4 46.Kg6 Rc6 47.h4 gxh4 48.Rh7 Rd6
49.Rxh4 Kd7 50.Rh1 Kc6 51.Rc1+ Kb5 52.Kf7 Rc6 53.Rxc6 Kxc6 54.Kxf6 e4 55.Kg7 e3 56.f6 e2
1/2

[Event "DSB-24.Kongress"]
[Site "Breslau"]
[Date "1925.07.19"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Nimzowitsch,Aaron"]
[Black "Reti,Richard"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Eco "A28"]
1.e3 e5 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Nf3 Bb4 5.Be2 0-0 6.0-0 Re8 7.a3 Bxc3 8.bxc3 d6
9.Ne1 Ne7 10.d3 c6 11.a4 Be6 12.a5 d5 13.c5 Qc7 14.Qa4 Ng6 15.Bd2 a6 16.g3 e4
17.d4 h5 18.Ng2 Bg4 19.f3 exf3 20.Bxf3 Bxf3 21.Rxf3 Ne4 22.Be1 Qd7 23.c4 Qg4 24.Rf1 Rad8
25.Qd1 dxc4 26.Qxg4 hxg4 27.Rc1 Ng5 28.Rxc4 Nf3+ 29.Kh1 Rd5 30.h4 Rd7 31.Rc2 Ne7 32.Rcf2 Nd5
33.Rxf3 gxf3 34.Rxf3 Rde7 35.Bd2 Re4 36.Kg1 R8e6 37.Rf1 Kf8 38.Rb1 Re7 39.Kf2 Ke8 40.Rb3 Kd8
41.Ne1 R4e6 42.Nf3 Nf6 43.Ng5 Ne4+ 44.Nxe4 Rxe4 45.Kf3 f5 46.Be1 Ke8 47.Bf2 Kf7 48.Rb1 g5
49.hxg5 Kg6 50.Rf1 Rh7 51.Rb1 Kxg5 52.Rb6 Ree7 53.Rb1 Kf6 54.g4 fxg4+ 55.Kxg4 Ke6 56.Kf3 Ref7+
57.Kg2 Rhg7+ 58.Bg3 Kd5 59.Kh2 Ke4 60.Be5 Rg8 61.Kh1 Rh7+ 62.Bh2 Rgh8 0-1

[Event "New York"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "1927.02.19"]
[Round "10"]
[White "Nimzowitsch,Aaron"]
[Black "Vidmar,Milan Sr"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Eco "A06"]
1.e3 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.b3 Bg4 4.Bb2 Nbd7 5.h3 Bh5 6.Be2 e6 7.Ne5 Bxe2 8.Qxe2 Bd6
9.Nxd7 Qxd7 10.c4 c6 11.0-0 0-0-0 12.Nc3 Bc7 13.d4 h5 14.c5 g5 15.b4 h4 16.b5 Rdg8
17.bxc6 bxc6 18.f3 Nh5 19.e4 f5 20.exd5 exd5 21.Rae1 g4 22.hxg4 fxg4 23.fxg4 Rxg4 24.Nxd5 h3
25.Ne7+ Kb7 26.Rf3 Rxg2+ 27.Qxg2 hxg2 28.d5 Qg4 29.Rb3+ Ka8 30.Bxh8 Qh4 31.d6 Qxe1+ 32.Kxg2 Bd8
33.Bd4 Bxe7 34.dxe7 Qxe7 35.Bf2 Qe4+ 0-1

[Event "Bad Kissingen"]
[Site "Bad Kissingen"]
[Date "1928.08.12"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Nimzowitsch,Aaron"]
[Black "Reti,Richard"]
[Result "1/2"]
[Eco "C01"]
1.e3 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.exd4 d5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.Bb5 Be7 7.Nge2 0-0 8.0-0 Ne8
9.Nf4 Bf6 10.Re1 Nxd4 11.Nfxd5 c6 12.Nxf6+ Nxf6 13.Bd3 Bg4 14.f3 Bf5 15.Be3 b6 16.Be4 Bxe4
17.Nxe4 Nxe4 18.Qxd4 Qxd4 19.Bxd4 Ng5 20.a4 Ne6 21.Be3 c5 22.Red1 Rfd8 23.a5 Rxd1+ 24.Rxd1 Rd8
25.Ra1 f5 26.axb6 axb6 27.c3 f4 28.Bf2 Rd2 29.b4 Rc2 30.Be1 cxb4 31.cxb4 Nd4 32.Bf2 Rd2
33.b5 1/2

[Event "Bad Kissingen"]
[Site "Bad Kissingen"]
[Date "1928.08.12"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Nimzowitsch,Aaron"]
[Black "Tarrasch,Siegbert"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Eco "A00"]
1.e3 e5 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 Nf6 5.e4 Nc6 6.Bb5 Bd7 7.Bxc6 Bxc6 8.e5 Ne4
9.Nxe4 dxe4 10.Ne2 Be7 11.Be3 Qxd4 12.Nxd4 Bd7 13.0-0 0-0 14.Rfe1 c5 15.Ne2 f5 16.exf6 gxf6
17.Nf4 Rf7 18.Rad1 Bf8 19.Rd2 Re8 20.h3 Bc6 21.Red1 Rc7 22.Nd5 Rf7 23.Bf4 Rc8 24.Ne3 f5
25.Nc4 Rf6 26.Na5 Be8 27.Rd8 Rxd8 28.Rxd8 Kf7 29.Rb8 b6 30.Nc4 Re6 31.Rb7+ Re7 32.Nd6+ Ke6
33.Rb8 Bh6 34.Bxh6 Kxd6 35.Bf8 Kc7 36.Ra8 Kb7 37.Rxa7+ Kxa7 38.Bxe7 Kb7 39.Kh2 c4 40.Kg3 Kc8
41.Kf4 Kd7 42.Bb4 Ke6 43.Bc3 Bd7 44.g3 b5 45.Kg5 Kf7 46.h4 Bc8 47.Kh6 Kg8 48.b3 cxb3
49.cxb3 f4 50.gxf4 Bd7 51.Kg5 Kf7 52.f5 Bc6 53.Kf4 Ke7 54.Ke5 Be8 55.Kxe4 Bc6+ 56.Ke5 Be8
57.Kd5 Bf7+ 58.Kc5 Be8 59.Be5 Bd7 60.Kb6 Kf7 61.f6 Be8 62.f4 Ke6 63.Ka6 Kf7 64.b4 Ke6
65.a4 bxa4 66.b5 1-0

[Event "Karlsbad"]
[Site "Karlsbad"]
[Date "1929.07.31"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Nimzowitsch,Aaron"]
[Black "Euwe,Max"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Eco "A02"]
1.e3 Nf6 2.b3 g6 3.Bb2 Bg7 4.f4 d6 5.Qc1 0-0 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.Be2 Nc6 8.0-0 e5
9.fxe5 Nxe5 10.d3 Nxf3+ 11.Bxf3 Bxf3 12.Rxf3 d5 13.Qf1 Ng4 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.h3 Ne5 16.Rg3 f5
17.Qf4 Qf6 18.d4 Nf7 19.Qxc7 Rac8 20.Qxb7 Qh4 21.Kh2 f4 22.Rf3 fxe3 23.Nc3 Rxc3 24.Raf1 e2
25.Rxf7+ Rxf7 26.Qxf7+ Kh6 27.Qf8+ 1-0

[Event "Karlsbad"]
[Site "Karlsbad"]
[Date "1929.07.31"]
[Round "19"]
[White "Nimzowitsch,Aaron"]
[Black "Spielmann,Rudolf"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Eco "A20"]
1.e3 e5 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nf3 e4 4.Nd4 Nc6 5.Nb5 d5 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.N1c3 Nf6 8.Qa4 Bf5
9.Nd4 Bd7 10.Nxc6 Bxc6 11.Bb5 Qd7 12.Bxc6 Qxc6 13.Qxc6+ bxc6 14.b3 0-0-0 15.Bb2 Bb4 16.a3 Bxc3
17.Bxc3 Rd3 18.0-0 Rhd8 19.f3 Nd5 20.Bxg7 Rxd2 21.Bd4 f5 22.fxe4 fxe4 23.Bxa7 Rd3 24.b4 Nxe3
25.Bxe3 Rxe3 26.Rfe1 Rb3 27.Rxe4 Rd2 28.Re7 h5 29.Rf7 Rbb2 30.Rg7 Kb7 31.h3 Rdc2 32.Rg5 Kb6
33.Rf1 c5 34.Rf4 c4 35.h4 Ra2 36.Rf6+ Kb7 37.Rb5+ Kc8 38.Rg6 Rd2 39.Rc5 Rac2 40.Rg7 Kb8
41.Rcxc7 Rxg2+ 42.Rxg2 Rc1+ 43.Kf2 Kxc7 44.Rg5 c3 45.Rxh5 Rh1 46.Rc5+ Kb6 47.Kg3 Rc1 48.Kf2 Rh1
49.Ke3 Rh3+ 50.Kd4 c2 51.Rxc2 Rxh4+ 52.Kc3 Kb5 53.Kb3 Rh3+ 54.Rc3 Rh5 55.a4+ Kb6 56.Rg3 Kb7
57.Rg7+ Kb6 58.Rg6+ Kb7 59.a5 Ka7 60.Ka4 Kb7 61.Rg7+ Kb8 62.a6 Ka8 63.b5 Kb8 64.Re7 Rg5
65.b6 Rg8 66.Kb5 Rg5+ 67.Kc6 Rg6+ 68.Kc5 Rg8 69.Kd6 Rd8+ 70.Ke6 1-0

[Event "Liege"]
[Site "Liege"]
[Date "1930.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Nimzowitsch,Aaron"]
[Black "Pleci,Isaias"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Eco "A20"]
1.e3 e5 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Bxd2+ 7.Qxd2 0-0 8.Nc3 d6
9.Be2 Re8 10.0-0 Bd7 11.Rad1 Qc8 12.f3 Ne5 13.e4 Qd8 14.Nc2 Be6 15.Ne3 Ned7 16.g4 h6
17.Kh1 a5 18.Rf2 Nc5 19.Rg1 Nh7 20.Nf5 Ng5 21.Rg3 Bxf5 22.gxf5 Kf8 23.Rfg2 Rxe4 24.fxe4 Ncxe4
25.Qd4 c5 26.Qe3 Nxg3+ 27.Qxg3 Qf6 28.h4 Nh7 29.Ne4 Qe5 30.Qxe5 dxe5 31.Nxc5 Nf6 32.b3 b6
33.Na4 Rb8 34.Rg3 e4 35.Re3 Rb7 36.Kg2 g5 37.fxg6 fxg6 38.Nc3 Re7 39.Nd5 Nxd5 40.cxd5 Re5
41.Bc4 Ke7 42.a4 Kd6 43.Rg3 g5 44.hxg5 hxg5 45.Rg4 b5 46.axb5 Kc5 47.Kf2 Kd4 48.d6 Re8
49.Rxg5 Rd8 50.Rd5+ Kc3 51.Ke3 a4 52.bxa4 Kxc4 53.Kxe4 1-0

[Event "Liege"]
[Site "Liege"]
[Date "1930.??.??"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Nimzowitsch,Aaron"]
[Black "Soultanbeieff,Victor Ivanovich"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Eco "A01"]
1.e3 c5 2.b3 e5 3.Bb2 Nc6 4.Nf3 e4 5.Ne5 d6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.d3 Nf6 8.dxe4 Nxe4
9.Bd3 Qa5+ 10.c3 Nf6 11.0-0 Be6 12.c4 Be7 13.f4 Rd8 14.Nc3 d5 15.cxd5 cxd5 16.f5 Bc8
17.Qf3 0-0 18.g4 c4 19.Bc2 Bb4 20.Ne2 c3 21.Bc1 Ba6 22.Re1 Bxe2 23.Rxe2 Rfe8 24.g5 Ne4
25.h4 Qc7 26.a3 Bd6 27.b4 Qd7 28.Bb3 Bc7 29.g6 Re5 30.gxf7+ Qxf7 31.Raa2 Qxf5 32.Qxf5 Rxf5
33.Kg2 Rd6 34.Kg1 Rh6 35.a4 Rxh4 36.a5 Rfh5 37.Rac2 Rh1+ 38.Kg2 R5h2+ 39.Kf3 Rf1+ 0-1


But Nimzovitch played it several times, as did El

Note that 1. e3 is has been called the Van Kruys Opening. 1.e3 e5 (Fine: We now have a reversed French Defense).
Note that a reversed French is similar to NImzovitch's Opening:
1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 d5 3. ed5 Qd5 4. Nf3 e5 5. Nc3 (Fine: The exchange of center pawns is a mistake, See Loevenborg-Nimzovitch, Copenhagen, 1924).

I don’t see how you can play a true Reversed French. Because after 1.e3 e5 2.d4 and it’s highly unlikely Black will play 2…d5. The opening will probably transpose into something else.

As to reversed openings in general, GM Alex Yermolinsky points out that there is a difference in opening strategies for White and Black. White is supposed to try for more than just obtaining a comfortable game. He claims statistics show White does not score as well as Black in reversed even with the extra move. Yermolinsky also adds that GM Malaniuk who plays the Leningrad Dutch as Black was once asked why he didn’t play the Bird as White. Malaniuk said the extra move would kill him. But those are GM’s. Should the rest of us try to emulate them?.

Anyway, 1.e3 looks like it could lead to passive positions, or not, depending on how the players respond. Try it and see.

Actually, 1. e3 is called van 't Kruijs opening after the dutch Maarten van 't Kruijs. Kruys with a Y is incorrect, as is a capitol V in van, as is leaving out the 't.

@Jackson:

You're half correct. After 1. e3 e5 2. d4 black does not play 2. ... d5 because of white's extra half-move over the French. Lines with 2. ... e4 are incredibly dangerous for black generally speaking. Theory continues 2. ... exd4 3. exd4 d5 and it's a reversed Exchange French, actually it's the Exchange French proper as well by transposition. But black gets to choose, for instance 3. ... d6 4. ... Nf6 is fine, but maybe less appetizing.

The downside of 1. e3 isn't that it leads to passivity, in that regard, it's no worse than 1. c4 or 1. d4, but that black can pretty much get away with whatever system he chooses. I usually meet 1. e3 with f5 and set up a nice Dutch formation, white can't stop me or make me sorry for doing so. With e3 being played so early, the frisky e4 lines and awkward Bg5 lines are off the menu which variations aren't that great for white, but for black they can be uncomfortable.

Reference: Page 108 Col. 9 PCO by Reuben Fine:
van't Kruys Opening.
Chess Circle.net:
1. e3 - Analysis for Van`t Kruy`s Opening

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_'t_Kruijs_Opening
he Van 't Kruijs Opening (also Van 't Kruys) is a chess opening defined by the move
1. e3
It is named after the Amsterdam player Maarten van 't Kruijs (1813–1885) who won the sixth Dutch championship in 1878. As this opening move is rarely played, it is considered an irregular opening, and thus it is classified under the A00 code in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings (ECO).

American Chess Books listed the Opening as Van't Kruys.
According to the Data Base in
Van't Kruijs Opening (A00) - Openings - Chess.com
there are 2293 Games in the Data Base. The ECO listing of which there is no argument is A00.
Result from the 2293 games:
33.01% White 20.98% Drawn 45.01% Black
Game Explorer - Chess.com
Lists possible answers to e3. 1-; e5 the most popular.
1-;d5 second most popular.