Are Be2/Be7 good developing moves??

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TaielChess
I've seen many top players making these moves just developing but why not developing to Bc4 or something like?
Yigor

The answer is obvious: it's not always possible or good to develop the bishop to c4 etc. peshka.png

d0su

In many cases, I think the bishops are placed there because the more active squares (e.g. Bd3, Bc4, Bb5) are not available. However, there are a few scenarios I can think of where one might prefer something like Be7 even when given other choices:

  • Preventing doubled pawns if your knight is going to be exchanged on c6;
  • Rerouting to c6 to pressure an isolated pawn on d4;
  • Defending the g5 square from an enemy knight (e.g. stopping a Greek Gift sacrifice in the French Defense);
  • Forming a battery with the queen to play Bh4+ after white has pushed his f-pawn (e.g. some lines in the King's Gambit Accepted)
IMKeto
TaielChess wrote:
I've seen many top players making these moves just developing but why not developing to Bc4 or something like?

Depends on the position.

JustPushingPieces
TaielChess wrote:
I've seen many top players making these moves just developing but why not developing to Bc4 or something like?

There are many reasons why Be2 would be chosen over Bc4. But one of the simplest (and most obvious) is because the player might want a pawn on c4 instead.