2.Nc3 vs. 2.g3 in the English?

edit, nvm

Which variation of the English?

1.c4 e5

1.c4 c5

1.c4 Nf6

1.c4 e6

1.c4 other responses

Playing Nc3 or g3 versus each of these would produce different possibilities and shut down other possibilities.

The question is too broad.

1.c4 e5 specifically

g3 is good but makes your intent clear but the pay off is your bishop will love g2

knight c3  means its tougher to gang up on b7 ie  qb3

id go direct grab the diagonal

I play 1...e5

As far as I know, for the lines I get into 2.Nc3 vs 2.g3 makes no difference.

I guess white would have to be comfortable with the 2...Bb4 or 2...Bc5 lines if he's playing Nc3 so early.

Right, I play 1...e5 and go for a reversed Closed Sicilian setup that the chess.com computer calls The King's English. Whether they start with Nc3 or g3 doesn't matter to me, because the position always ends up the same.

After 1.c4 and moves that aren't 1...e5 I know some people use specific move orders to get e.g. Catalan positions they know and avoid the catalans the don't like (they may not play d4, or will play it late, or not play the finachetto). But without something like that in mind (a system of openings you're trying to get and avoid) if you're going to play c4, g3, Bg2, Nc3 no matter what as your first few moves I don't think it matters.

I'm certainly no expert though!

This issue is discussed in The English: Move by Move by Steve Giddins (2012).

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627105428/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen161.pdf