Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...c6/2. Nf3

White develops a knight. This is a fairly unusual move sometimes played by Bobby Fischer. It usually is just a move-order difference.

After Black plays 2...d5 (which, as after 2. d4, is almost always the move) this usually transposes to the:

• Exchange Caro-Kann, after 3. exd5 cxd5 4. d4 Nc6 (normally seen in the move order 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Nf3 Nc6).
• Two knights attack, after 3. Nc3 (normally seen in the move order 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3).

Two unique lines are 2...d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Ne5!?, the Apocalypse attack, and 2...d5 3. d3, offering to go into a queenless middlegame.

1.e4 c6 2.Nf3

Wikipedia has related information at Caro-Kann.

• Nunn's Chess Openings. 1999. John Nunn (Editor), Graham Burgess, John Emms, Joe Gallagher. ISBN 1-8574-4221-0.

• Modern Chess Openings: MCO-14. 1999. Nick de Firmian, Walter Korn. ISBN 0-8129-3084-3.

• Kasparov, Garry, & Keene, Raymond 1989 Batsford chess openings 2. ISBN 0-8050-3409-9.