This is not one of my games.  I hope the topic is ok.  If not, just say so. 

 

I hate it when I'm reading a chess book and can't find any reason at all for a move.  This often occurs for me with bishop moves.  This is from the book, Hypermodern Openings Repetoire For White, Schiller.  Anotations are my adds from the text accompanying this game.  Can anyone suggest a reason for 12... B7?

 

looks like he wants to avoid having to recapture on f6 with the g pawn since he's gonna want to castle behind it.  if he doesnt move the bishop somewhere he's going to get 13.Bxf6 gxf6(...Nxf6 e5 wins a piece).  Putting the bishop back to b8 blocks up the back rank, and maybe he wants to play b5 and Bb6 where the bishop will be powerful. 

jus a thought: 12 ... dxe4 13 Bxf6 Nxf6 14 Nxd4 and either move bishop on d6 or trade bishop or other knight for white's knight

material is equal, but Ra5 is nice place, plus fianchettoed bishop, etc might be a better position

i would assume the move 12..., Bc7 is intended to avoid the threatened pawn fork 13. e5 winning a piece.  12..., Bc5 looks better to me though, placing the bishop on a better diagonal and inviting 13. d4 which makes a piece of deadwood out of white's powerful bishop on b2.

sstteevveenn wrote: looks like he wants to avoid having to recapture on f6 with the g pawn since he's gonna want to castle behind it.  if he doesnt move the bishop somewhere he's going to get 13.Bxf6 gxf6(...Nxf6 e5 wins a piece).  Putting the bishop back to b8 blocks up the back rank, and maybe he wants to play b5 and Bb6 where the bishop will be powerful. 

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 I don't see how the black bishop on d6 encourages 13.Bxf6 gxf6 or how moving the black bishop discourages it. 

 

I do see the problem with exposing the back rank at g.  I also see the merits of blocking up the back rank at c with 12... Bc7.   Your comments helped me consider exposure to the back rank.  Thanks!

sb3700 and sarthe, thanks!  I should have seen the fork threat at e5.  Looks like by playing 12... Bc7 rather than 12... dxe4, black wants to keep a pawn on d5 while protecting against the fork.   Either 13. exd5 exd5 or 13. e6  (though in the actual game black decided to play 13... Nxd5 in response to 13. exd5.)

 

Thanks for helping me get insight into 12... Bc7 as well as the variations surrounding it!