1. e3 is totally playable.

My visulization skills are not sufficient to properly decode that code into moves.

Do you suggest that 1.e3 is playable because a 1400 rated player can't utilize the disadvantage white puts himself in compared to 1.e4?

The player touches the pawn when it's moved to e3.

It touches the e3-square (is on it) before it's released.

Thus, it was touched on the e3-square.

But you wrote that it's not possible to touch it on e3.

Nimzowitch thought it was playable, and who are we lesser mortals to disagree? But for those of us who might not have Nimzowitch's skill in handling the resulting positions (and he used it only on special occasions), there's a ton of data to suggest that 1. e4 is statistically superior.

a3,e3,h3 etc on the first move and white should be around equal..even the more respectable move like 1.b3 does not promise more than equality. equal positions are playable, but why throw away first move advantage?

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1029515

Reading LudRa95 reminded me of: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI4Ojgz5Qo4

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/e3-is-a-valid-move-why-does-no-one-play-it thats the same thing i was thinking!

Everything is playable just how good is the question

It looks like black can get equality in the main-lines of the Najdorf, and indeed in the CK, so technically 1. e3 is just as good as 1. e4.

I find this more fascinating than anything else here in this thread. So, you can't read algebraic notation? Or were you being facetious?

There are 20 first moves that are "playable." 

I can read algebraic notation and I do understand the single moves. My visualization skill is however not enough to decode a wall of 33 moves.

I used to play this against players I deemed superior to me on understanding of classical openings. Play usually went 1.e3 e5 2.d4 exd 3.exd d5 with an exchange french, i.e. a minute advantage to white in a simetrical position. If your opponent is not a french defence player he may well be unconfortable already. Of course he can avoid this, but for some reason they usually didn't. If black starts thinking he "deserves" to win, just because white voluntarily played a slightly less sharp opening, he can also land into trouble rather quickly. It is this shocking value and a possible psychological advantage after a few moves that makes this an atractive surprise weapon, especially if you play ... e6 schemes (french defence, queens gambit) with black.