What Do The Engines Say? 5. Jobava-Prié

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.

The fashionable Jobava-Prié usually starts 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bf4, or 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bf4.

Starting point of the Jobava-Prié

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The main continuation in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database is 4...e6, and that is Stockfish17's recommendation.

White's most popular reply to that is 4.Nb5, which worries a lot of club players.

Then 4...Na6 is usually met by 5.e3, when Stockfish17 suggests completing kingside development with 5...Be7 and 5...0-0, before repelling the advanced white knight with 6...c6.

Dragon1 takes a different approach, marginally preferring the aggressive 4...c5!?

Black should not then fear 5.Nb5? as 5...Qa5+ 6.Nc3 cxd4 7.Qxd4 Nc6 leaves White in big trouble.

Better, but still not good, is 5.dxc5?! as Black has 5...d4.

In practice whites have usually gone for either the conventional 5.e3, when Dragon1 reckons both 5...a6!? and 5...Qa5!? give complete equality, or the sharp 5.e4!?

After the latte, both engines reckon Black is fine, but they fluctuate between 5...Nxe4 and 5...cxd4, while agreeing that the third-most popular move in Mega25, 5...dxe4!?, allows White a tiny edge.