Czech Jan Kotrč (1862–1943), editor and publisher of the magazine České Listy, said the opening was analyzed by English players.

National Master Hugh Myers called it "Millard's Opening" after Henry Millard (1824–1891), a blind correspondence chess player who drew with the opening in a simultaneous exhibition against Joseph Henry Blackburne.

Blackburne later played the opening himself against Josef Noa in the London 1883 international chess tournament (Myers 2002:24–25).

Of the 644 games with 1.Nc3 in ChessGames.com's database, White won 34.8%, drew 23.9%, and lost 41.3%, for a total winning percentage of only 46.75%.

Interestingly as a testament to Nc3 as an interesting move choice to simplify opening theory yet being effective: After 1.e4 d5 the usual 2.exd5 is 48% win rate for White whilst 2.Nc3 has a 49% win rate as of 30 July 2022 - albeit with less sample size but still over 300,000 games.

This could arise from the mainline of this article from 1.Nc3 d5 2.e4 which shows in fact the Dunst system is actually being regularly used online with great effect.

This is one of Black's best replies, occupying the center and undermining the unsettled position of White's knight.

White can prevent 2...d4 by playing 2.d4 themselves, transposing to a well-known position in the Queen's Pawn Game, where after 2...Nf6 white can choose to play a Jobava London system with 3.Bf4, a Veresov attack with 3.Bg5 or he may transpose to the Blackmar-Deimer Gambit with 3.e4?!.

A third line is 2.e3, which Keilhack calls "the Müller game," when White hopes for 2...e5 (other moves are also playable, of course) 3.Qh5!

Black has five plausible responses to 2.e4: 2...e6 and 2...c6 transpose to the French and Caro–Kann Defenses, and 2...Nf6 to a variation of Alekhine's Defence.

The move 2...d4 gives Black a spatial advantage, which White may work to undermine along the lines of hypermodernism.

International Master Richard Palliser, in his 2006 book Beating Unusual Chess Openings, recommends 1...d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nxe4 Nd7 for Black.

He explains, "Black doesn't attempt to refute White's opening or to gain lots of space (as with 2...d4), but simply settles for sensible development.

Black will hope to demonstrate that he has gained from the omission of an early ...c6 or ...e6, while White will generally omit d4, preferring a setup with Bc4 and d3" (Palliser 2006:143).

Alternatively, White can remain in independent 1.Nc3 lines, at least for the time being, with 2.Nf3 followed by 3.d4, which gives Black a large choice of possible responses.

The Closed Sicilian, commonly reached by 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3, without an early d4 by White, gives Black few theoretical difficulties (de Firmian 2008:346).

After 2.d4, 2...d5 leads to the Richter-Veresov Attack (3.Bg5) or another type of Queen's Pawn Game such as a Jobava London System, where White, having blocked his c-pawn, has little chance for an advantage (Kaufman 2004:469, 473).

The most solid response to 2.e4 is 2...e5, leading to a Vienna Game or, after 3.Nf3 Nc6, to a Four Knights Game—neither of which offers White an appreciable advantage (Kaufman 2004:364–65) (de Firmian 2008:121).

This natural move is probably playable, but already a slight inaccuracy as White maintains an opening advantage in all lines.

[4] 1.Na3: Durkin 1.a3: Anderssen 1.b3: Nimzowitsch-Larsen 1.Nc3: Dunst 1.c3: Saragossa 1.d3: Mieses 1.e3: Van 't Kruijs 1.Nf3: Zukertort 1.f3: Barnes 1.g3: Benko 1.Nh3: Amar 1.h3: Clemenz