I'm not so sure with 3 g3 he would easily be equal. Anyways, I think that 2 Nf3 usually transposes to the advance or exchange variation of the french and if white doesn't, then black doesn't have too many problems. Maybe it could become a KIA after 2...d5 3 d3 (though then ...dxe4 dxe4 Qxd1+ Kxd1 may be pleasant for black, since not castling is slightly awkward since the king will get checked along the d file and it will be harder to connect the rooks) but the french KIA is not dangerous at all if you know what you're doing and gives black plenty of chances. There's also an interesting, more french like counter to the KIA: 1 e4 e6 2 d3 d5 3 Nd2 Nf6 4 Ngf3 Bc5!? to entice the pawn forward or else have an aggressive bishop and more active development.
French 1. e4 e6 2. Nf3?
Neil McDonald in his book How to play against 1.e4 recommends :
1. e4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e5 Bd7!?
Nf3 offers two possibilities for black, d5 of c5, c5 transposes into a sicilian, d5 gives white an okay position against the french, and it usually leads to the exchange variation. But 2.Nf3 should really tell you that white has pretty much no idea what they are doing, they were hoping for 1...e5
I think people just play Bc4 or Nf3 against everything on chess.com, they haven't a clue. Although some people who play Nf3 at a higher level are just hopping to steer the game away from boring draws as does often occur in the French. d5 is perfectly valid.
.. When I first take up an opening I usually try and learn the more unusual lines against it ( especially sharp gambit lines ) so that I wont be totally at a loss should I be faced with them in a serious game. Only then do I study the more normal/popular/theoretical lines. ...
That's interesting. I do precisely the opposite. My reason is that if I like the main lines, I'll know that studying the sidelines will be worth my time. If I don't like the main lines, I'll play something else.
Yeah, I've tried both philosophies before, usually whenever I get bored of the other 
. I think they both have some merit, but then that is good logic smyslov. If you only look at the sidelines you might think the line is great, then hate the main lines and realize all of your studying was a waste of time.
There are two big groups on chess com 1) Casual players and 2) people using software. Both these groups are likely to play "uncultured openings" like 2Nf3. The first group because they haven't got a clue, the second group also when using their own brains, but software is particularly powerful when has open lines to allow calculation of massive variations.
It's the same reason why see alot exchange variation versus KingsIndian. Casual players think winning a pawn, whilst software prefers the open lines compared to typical closed KingsIndian positions.
That's transposing into Steintz line which should be alright for both sides, might have prefered nxf6 to Qxf6.
Was suprised that Vitugov in "French Reloaded" prefered 3...d4.
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6
or
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nf3 Nf6
Has anyone considered THIS line:
1. e4 ...e6
2. Nf3 ...d5
3. d4!? .. ???
Obviously, black should take the pawn. But what happens if he does, and then white moves his knight to g5? Am I totally insane for thinking that's a possibility?
2 Nf3 in the French comes from one of 3 schools of thought:
1) I have no respect for the French and I am going to throw the Wing Gambit at Black. 1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e5 c 4.b4 cxb4 5.a3 and hope Black is dumb enough to take the second one.
2) I plan to play 2...d5 3.Nc3 and just go into an equal 2 knights variation and avoid the lines heavier in theory.
3) Someone taught me 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4, so I am supposed to play this against everything and I have zero understanding that after e4 e5 Black has weakened his a2 - g8 diagonal while in other openings he has not. See e4 c Nf3 d6 Bc4 and e4 e6 Bc4 d5 Bb3 followed by Nf3 or e4 e6 Nf3 d5 exd5 exd5 long hesitation because he can not play Bc4.
The last is the most common at lower level play, and usually transposes to some inferior line of the exchange.
I have been enjoying e4 e6 nf3
I usually see d5 whereas I follow with the exchange exd5
Black has a pawn in the center after taking back. I develop the king side Bishop, preparing to Castle.
I like that this brings players out of the normal e4 d6 d4 d6
Here is my collection of video lectures on The French Volume 1
Volume 1:
Part 1 @https://youtu.be/5VtaUXaaeII
Part 2 @https://youtu.be/2nmFDVYYYf8
Part 3 @https://youtu.be/FfVCX080XZE
Part 4 @https://youtu.be/Bj1kxJqpLY0
Part 5 @https://youtu.be/Fm4snWr3VZ4
For educational purposes only.
2. nf3 has little independence significance (for this purpose 2. nc3 is superior). After d5 3.nc3 nf6, you are almost certainly going to tranpose back to classical french (only significant sideline is playing d3 g3 here). Only advantage to this move order is avoiding a french winawer.
1. e4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e5 normally transposes into a mainline Advance French, particularly after 3...c5 4. c3. All French players should be happy with an Advance French.
But in my experience, 2. Nf3 almost gurantees an Exchange variation.