Answers.Body: <p>One of the reasons could be that the knight on f5 is already developed. Probably it doesn't appeal to many players to spend 2 tempi to reposition the knight, while black is already slightly behind in development.</p>
  
  <p>Futhermore, many alternative setups are possible and perfectly playable: Ke8, Bd7 and Kc8, etc...</p>
  
  <p>However, it seems that an early Ne7 recently regained some of its popularity: </p>
  
  <ul>
  <li><a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1795269" rel="nofollow">So - Kramnik</a></li>
  <li><a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1794293" rel="nofollow">Maze - Smith</a></li>
  <li><a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1791972" rel="nofollow">Caruana - Dominguez</a></li>
  <li><a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1784261" rel="nofollow">Caruana - Carlsen</a></li>
  <li><a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1772851" rel="nofollow">Nakamura - Topalov</a></li>
  </ul>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-09-01T19:23:54.347Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-09-01T19:23:54.347Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Maxwell86
Body: <p>It seems that after 9. h3 or 9. Nc3, black usually plays Ke8, Bd7, h6, and sometimes Ne7. My question is: why isn't 9... Ne7 played more often, with the plan of putting the Knight on g6?</p>
  
  <p>Situation:</p>
  
  <pre><code>[FEN ""]
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8
  </code></pre>
  
Tags: <opening><ruy-lopez><1.e4><berlin>
Title: In the Berlin Defense(ruy lopez), why has the Ne7 Ng6 plan gone out of fashion?
ThreadText: # In the Berlin Defense(ruy lopez), why has the Ne7 Ng6 plan gone out of fashion?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2015-09-01)
  
  It seems that after 9. h3 or 9. Nc3, black usually plays Ke8, Bd7, h6, and sometimes Ne7. My question is: why isn't 9... Ne7 played more often, with the plan of putting the Knight on g6?
  Situation:
  [FEN ""]
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8
  
  **Tags:** opening, ruy-lopez, 1.e4, berlin
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2015-09-01. Score: 2
  
  One of the reasons could be that the knight on f5 is already developed. Probably it doesn't appeal to many players to spend 2 tempi to reposition the knight, while black is already slightly behind in development.
  
  Futhermore, many alternative setups are possible and perfectly playable: Ke8, Bd7 and Kc8, etc...
  
  However, it seems that an early Ne7 recently regained some of its popularity:
  
  * [So - Kramnik](http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1795269)
  * [Maze - Smith](http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1794293)
  * [Caruana - Dominguez](http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1791972)
  * [Caruana - Carlsen](http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1784261)
  * [Nakamura - Topalov](http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1772851)
  
  
  ---
  
  