What Do The Engines Say? 3. Sicilian Defence

MODERN computer programs are revolutionising how we approach openings.

This first became noticeable when supposedly refuted moves started making a comeback as engines showed resources that had evaded the world's top players.

But more recently, as engines grow in strength, there has been a trend in the opposite direction, at least at the highest level.

Grandmaster Nigel Davies summed this up in a post at chesspublishing.com, where he recounted a conversation with Canadian GM Kevin Spraggett, who "opined to me that ancient openings are making a comeback because engines are finding flaws in the more risky ones."

Davies added: "I think there is a lot of truth in this, which is confirmed by the migration of top players to strictly classical openings."

Engines are still far from the stage of knowing all there is too known about openings.

Their play in that stage of the game is not on a par with their abilities in tactical middlegames.

We cannot expect engines to tell us move-by-move how to play our favourite opening variations,

But their opinions on what we should be looking at - the moves that show the most promise - are certainly well worth considering.

So in this series I will be looking at what the engines say about mainline opening positions.

WOULDN'T it be great if engines were to tell us that the best way to play against the ever-popular Sicilian is, after all, one of those anti-Sicilians that authors of books tend to scorn (unless, of course, the whole idea of a book is to promote one such anti-Sicilian)?

Well, the engines do - up to a point.

Stockfish17 and Dragon1 at first favour meeting 1.e4 c5 with the conventional 2.Nf3, but 2.Nc3 is not far behind, and, given time, it takes over the No1 spot.

However, given more time, 2.Nf3 makes a comeback, while Dragon1 briefly flirts with 2.d4!?, albeit recommending meeting 2...cxd4 with 3.Nf3!?, which is how Paul Morphy liked to meet the Sicilian.

Nevertheless, for the human looking for an alternative to entering mainlines, the continuation 2.Nc3 comes with at least partial engine-approval.