Originally posted by Tyrannosauruschex I dont know how useful a move Qe2 would be in the long run - I prefer it on d1 so that when I play c3 I am connecting the queen with my bishop.
Since the more closed systems tend for white to build up pressure against blacks kingside, it is best not to waste time in the early stages.
I've heard the Worral is actually pretty solid and contains some interesting ideas, it's the recommended variation in Play the Ruy Lopez.
Reccomended by who? I prefer some of the lines played by the 2700 grand masters in the lopez.
What are the ideas behind this move? I assume somewhere later in the game it comes in handy but it doesnt seem to have any immediate merit over the other ways white can develop, for example what happens when you want to play d4 - usually the queen is supporting the pawn push on d1 but it is on the wrong file on e2. White would have to be planning for something quite different in the long term with a move like that so early.
I think the main luxury is that it avoid loads of theory including the Marshall, Open and the various closed systems. I have Greets book on the Lopez but after reading the stuff on the Worrall I decided I would porefer to play the main line with 5.0-0 instead.
Originally posted by cmsMaster I've heard the Worral is actually pretty solid and contains some interesting ideas, it's the recommended variation in Play the Ruy Lopez.
The Worrall is a perfectly decent alternative for white, but I would say it causes black fewer problems than the normal Re1. As a Marshall player I tend to play d7-d5 against it anyway. Unlike the Marshall proper, white pretty well has to decline the pawn.