Has anyone faced this? I just got wiped off the board by it in blitz, horribly, because I tried to blow it up on the spot by 2. ... e6 (aiming for one of those rook-capturing tactics after the predicted 3. e4 -- and the game went as follows:
obviously, I should have paid a little attention to developing rather than pushing pawns, but what on earth is up with that f3 business?
Well, you equalize after playing sensible and solid moves like d5. Problem is, that Black ignored White' opening and pretended it was the usual lines. Not grabbing space and blocking the bishop with e6 doesn't make much sense when White plays such a committal move and threatens e4. Still, White misplayed his opening too and you didn't get such a bad position.
1. d4 Nf6 2. f3 is an invitation to the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit ! It has its plusses and minuses. It avoids the Huebsch Gambit ( 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. e4 Nxe4) and heads for other variations. 2. ... e6 isn't bad. 3. e4 (3. Bg5 maybe) d5 4. Be3 dxe4 5. Nd2 is the very similar Alapin French. The real problems I have had with 2. f3 is 2. ... c5 with a Benoni setup. Sometimes the pawn belongs on f4, and the knight almost always goes on f3, so the f pawn gets in the way.