Okay, this was brought up in the worst common move thread. (not as a worst common move). Tjose of you familair with this line in the Caro Kann (1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxd4 Nd7 5.Qe2), could anyone tell me if there is another reason to play Qe2 besides hoping Black doesn't see the threat of Nd6 mate? It just seems to be a waste of a tempo, since the queen will obviously have to move again eventually so the f1 bishop can be developed. I only ask because I've seen this line fairly often, and White seems to score okay with it, suprisingly.
I guess either Black will not exchange on e4, in which case White is planning to fiancetto the f1 Bishop to exert pressure on c6, so it is not really wasting a tempo to have the Quen on e2. Or Black will exchange on e4, when Whites Q is no longer blocking the B and there are more active possibilities on the Kside and b1-h7 diagonal than if White had recaptured with B-d3xe4.
Seems fairly innocuous though - the lines following 5.Ng5 are theoretically more problematic for Black, I think.
Originally posted by OsseIt just doesn't seem like it would make sense to fianchetto the f1 bishop. 90% of the time in the Caro Kann, White's play will come on the kingside, so a bishop on g2 has very little to do with that plan.
I guess either Black will not exchange on e4, in which case White is planning to fiancetto the f1 Bishop to exert pressure on c6, so it is not really wasting a tempo to have the Quen on e2. Or Black will exchange on e4, when Whites Q is no longer blocking the B and there are more active possibilities on the Kside and b1-h7 diagonal than if White had recaptured ...[text shortened]... ocuous though - the lines following 5.Ng5 are theoretically more problematic for Black, I think.
Plus, if the trade happens on e4, the queen comes out to recapture, then the other knight moves to f6 forcing the queen to move for a third time. I think we can just about call Black equal at that point.