What Do The Engines Say? 6. Spanish

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 Ruy Lopez, aka the Spanish Torture, is a perennial White favourite.

Traditionally the main reply to 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 has been 3...a6, which used to be called Morphy's Variation in deference to Paul Morphy.

But Stockfish17 and Dragon1 prefer the Berlin Defence, ie 3...Nf6, which may explain why it is so popular at elite level.

Anyone looking for something more offbeat might want to consider Cozio's 3...Nge7, which for a long time is Dragon1's second choice.