Awesome study! Thanks! 
New move in the Caro-Kann. Almost a novelty.
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Interesting!
Nice analysis but if it's been played before you can't claim "dibs" on it. Anyway, its another argument for going into the Exchange CK via the move order 2. Nf3 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Ne5 to be followed by 5. d4
To be fair, this is probably one of the more passive options for white -- if white's ideas were more critical GMs would be all over it and discover ...e5. I mean, I can probably find novelties in lines like 1 e4 Na6, but it's because strong players wouldn't often bother with it.
It's nonetheless really cool though -- it's very easy to just figure, you're black, opening the center is premature, and just quickly and quietly comply to defending b7, and move on with slow, long term plans. It looks strong from an objective view and even more so from a practical view -- it'll be an unpleasant surprise for most white players!
the dibs part was meant for humor only.
the qb3 line is the main line of exchange though...quite a number of white players will play in dull and boring style, so it is rather necessary to bust out a new move and "break their necks" for trying to play such a boring setup.
2.Nf3 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Ne5 is nothing that black is afraid of at all really. White hands black the keys to fair play right away.
InfiniteFlash wrote:
the dibs part was meant for humor only.
the qb3 line is the main line of exchange though...quite a number of white players will play in dull and boring style, so it is rather necessary to bust out a new move and "break their necks" for trying to play such a boring setup.
2.Nf3 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Ne5 is nothing that black is afraid of at all really. White hands black the keys to fair play right away.
I get my share of wins as White after 4...Bf5? 5. Bb5+ And White can get a nice setup with f4, d4 and Bd3 in lots of lines though move order is important, e.g 4...Nd7 not 5. d4?! but first 5. f4. The plan with ...g6 is what most strong players recommend but White then has an interesting plan with Be2 and h4. Whoever knows the ideas better is probably going to come out better, all other things being equal. It certainly does rule out lots of Black counterplay with ...e5 ...Bf5 and/or ...Bg4
I just play 4..Nc6 5.Bb5 Bd7 and play normally, it's equal, but not drawish, even if black gives up the bishop pair.
I don't mind playing this kind of position out as black. Like I said, the early Ne5 stuff gives nothing for white imo
Even Kasparov played this move in 1999, Portugal. Interesting!
I was actually looking forward to the Qxb7 analysis.
InfiniteFlash wrote:
I just play 4..Nc6 5.Bb5 Bd7 and play normally, it's equal, but not drawish, even if black gives up the bishop pair.
I don't mind playing this kind of position out as black. Like I said, the early Ne5 stuff gives nothing for white imo
Yeah not saying it's earth shattering but I do get my share of free points after 4...Bf5? so that makes it worth it for me. In the line you give White can actually (temporarily) give up the bishop pair after 4..Nc6 5.Bb5 Bd7 6.Bxc6 Bxc6 7. 0-0 and maintain a slight edge in development and again tempt Black with 7...Bb5?! 8. c4 dxc4? 9. Nxf7! "Blitz Happens" 
Actually if I may continue your line,
These moves may give white an edge perhaps?
Addition: And if 15. ... Qg5! 16. h3 Bh6 17. Kh1! Ng7 perhaps a little better for black. Sorry for not seeing this line for the first time.
And sorry again if Kh1 then Bd5 pins the queen! I'm totally lost at this variation!
"Almost a novelty", indeed... I have only 3098 games with it in my database.
pfren wrote:
"Almost a novelty", indeed... I have only 3098 games with it in my database.
See, that's the problem. I don't have the same resources as you do to see 7..e5!? :(
Where can I get a recent and up to date database for free?
You can get IcofyBase (http://icofy-blog.de/icofy-base/) and load it to SCid, or any SCid-compliant database manager.
pfren wrote:
You can get IcofyBase (http://icofy-blog.de/icofy-base/) and load it to SCid, or any SCid-compliant database manager.
542 MB download here we go....
BettorOffSingle wrote:
I play <SNIP> hoping for
Hope Chess: You'll get far with that.
pfren wrote:
"Almost a novelty", indeed... I have only 3098 games with it in my database.
Are you sure about that? Maybe you aren't accounting for 7...e5 by Black? I downloaded the database you suggested, and then grepping IB1310B.pgn (where the "B" preceding ".pgn" stands for the "B" division of ECO codes), I only find the 13 following results for ' 7.Qb3 e5' anywhere within that file, and only one of them looks like it pertains.
$ cat IB1310B.pgn | grep ' 7.Qb3 e5'
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nf6 4.Qc2 d5 5.exd5 Qxd5 6.Be2 Bf5 7.Qb3 e5 8.Qxd5
1.e4 g6 2.d4 c6 3.c3 Bg7 4.Nf3 Nh6 5.Bf4 f6 6.b4 Nf7 7.Qb3 e5 8.Be3 d6 9.
1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.d5 Ne5 5.Qd4 Ng6 6.Qa4+ Bd7 7.Qb3 e5 8.dxe6
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.Nf3 Qxd5 4.d4 Bg4 5.Be2 Nc6 6.c3 O-O-O 7.Qb3 e5 8.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Qa5 4.Be2 Bg7 5.O-O Nc6 6.Nc3 d6 7.Qb3 e5 8.d3 Nge7
1.e4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3 d4 4.Ne2 c5 5.c3 Nc6 6.Qa4 Bd7 7.Qb3 e5 8.Qxb7 Rb8
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.d4 c6 4.c4 Qa5+ 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.Be2 Ne4 7.Qb3 e5 8.Kf1
1.e4 c6 2.d4 Na6 3.c4 g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.Nf3 d6 6.Be3 Nc7 7.Qb3 e5 8.Rd1 Qe7
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Nf6 6.Bf4 Bg4 7.Qb3 e5 8.Bxe5
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Nxd5 4.c4 Nb6 5.c5 Nd5 6.Bc4 c6 7.Qb3 e5 8.dxe5
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Bg4 4.Nf3 Qxd5 5.Be2 Nc6 6.c3 O-O-O 7.Qb3 e5 8.
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Qc7 6.Bg5 Nf6 7.Qb3 e5 8.Ne2 e4
1.e4 g6 2.Nf3 Bg7 3.d4 d6 4.Bd3 c6 5.c3 Qc7 6.Bf4 Nd7 7.Qb3 e5 8.Be3 Ngf6
This is more in alignment with what I found in chesslive.de/"megabase", 3 games, not 3000+
For the past few months, I have been toying around with the move below. In all honesty, I think it's black's best chance for a win vs the main line of the exchange variation. Apparently, according to chesslive.de, 3 games have been played in this line, so it's almost a novelty, but I claim some right on first dibs here.
This move was first pointed out by the engine and since then, I have analyzed it to no end really and have not come up with a convincing line against it.
I won't share much of the analysis I have compiled on the new move for rather obvious reasons, so if I leave you hanging, sucks for you!
It seems rather stupid to show it to the public though doesn't it, if I wanted it kept secret, but I like sharing new ideas and moves I have found.
It would be a crime against chess if I did not share a bit of opening theory.
The new move and some variations are posted below.
It was going to found sooner or later
Anyways, I do believe that this move equalizes for black right away, and it is white that MUST know theory, otherwise you will get MANY winning positions quickly against this variation.
You're welcome caro-kann players. No more struggling in a positional battle with 7..Qd7 and 7..Qc8.
5..Qc7 is alright too :P