Don't leave the Caro-Kann out of the championship conversation.  Capablanca, Botvinnik, and Karpov have all been major proponents of it!

Willempie wrote on 05/23/09 at 09:32:50:

That is what I said, it is just that the sicilian outscores the other by a very small margin. [/quote]

The higher the quality of players gets, the further the usage of the French drops.

[quote author=BPaulsen link=1242526692/15#27 date=1243009302
1...e5 is on par with the Sicilian, it is probably the most correct choice after 1. e4 (this is reflected in GM statistics as well). [/quote]
That is what I said, it is just that the sicilian outscores the other by a very small margin.

Gilmour wrote on 05/22/09 at 13:49:17:


It's artificial in the Tarrasch, but so is white playing 3. Nd2 and blocking his bishop.

No such thing happens in the Scandinavian, white doesn't need any artificial moves.

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God, you must know better than all of those GMs that play 3. Nc3.  

Then again, earlier you claimed that 3...Qd6 will force 3. Nc3 out of business...  

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If black hypothetically does a lot of things then every opening is as good as every other opening.

Theory and practice are two different things. 

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1...e5 is on par with the Sicilian, it is probably the most correct choice after 1. e4 (this is reflected in GM statistics as well).

I don´t see a reason, why the Qxd5 - Nc3 Qd6 manoever in the scandinavian should be artificial and the manoever Qxd5 Bc4 Qd6 in the french Tarrasch is not.  
Most people state that the Qd5 french Tarrasch is a solid way to play, but all at once the same people have their doubts of the same manoever in the scandinavian.
Where is the difference besides the fact that the Qd6 scandinavian is more flexible as one can also choose to position the white squared bishop on f5/g4  ??

A tempo down on its own need not be a disadvantage as long as the pieces stand in the right place in the end. I read a statement of - I guess it was Martin or Watson - who said scandinavian is all about  quality (of the pieces). 
White needs a pawn on c4 to break open blacks position, stupidly enough Nc3 stands in it´s way.

And with regard to tempi play.  I´m no specialist in the sicilian but isn´t the sicilian the classic example for  better pawn structure against lacking development.  If black catches up in developing the pieces then he/she can easily get the better game.
May be the scandinavian is not as good as the sicilian (but who knows ?!) but black has usually a very solid pawn structure; if black succeeds in catching up develpment, where should the white advantage come from ?
The same of course in the Tarrasch Qd5-variation. 

The only drawback I see for both the french and the scandinavian (or Caro-Kann and 1....e5)  is, that a weaker player has more chances to hold the better opponent to a draw than in a sicilian. 
But may be that´s all the difference in "quality".

Greetings

Gilmour

Willempie wrote on 05/22/09 at 10:25:44:

K. did not see 5.Nf3?

TN wrote on 05/22/09 at 09:01:53:

Statistically these 3 plus the Caro are relatively equal (with the sicilian a marginal top scorer).

In any case here's a game which ended Kasparov white streak at Linares and was his last official game in the French (iirc he scored worst against the French relatively speaking of course). Incidentally Radjabov was 15 when this was played

[Event "XX SuperGM"]
[Site "XX Ciudad de Linares"]
[EventDate "2003.02.22"]
[Round "2"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Garry Kasparov"]
[Black "Teimour Radjabov"]
[ECO "C11"]
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 a6 8. Qd2 b5 9. a3 Qb6 10. Ne2 c4 11. g4 h5 12. gxh5 Rxh5 13. Ng3 Rh8 14. f5 exf5 15. Nxf5 Nf6 16. Ng3 Ng4 17. Bf4 Be6 18. c3 Be7 19. Ng5 O-O-O 20. Nxe6 fxe6 21. Be2 Ngxe5 22. Qe3 Nd7 23. Qxe6 Bh4 24. Qg4 g5 25. Bd2 Rde8 26. O-O-O Na5 27. Rdf1 Nb3+ 28. Kd1 Bxg3 29. Rf7 Rd8 30. Bxg5 Qg6 31. Qf5 Qxf5 32. Rxf5 Rdf8 33. Rxf8+ Nxf8 34. Bf3 Bh4 35. Be3 Nd7 36. Bxd5 Re8 37. Bh6 Ndc5 38. Bf7 Re7 39. Bh5 Nd3 0-1

Statistics don't always lie. Both players having ELO 2600+: the French is played over 1200 times, the Scandinavian Qa5 slightly over 30, the Scandinavian Qd6 slightly more than 15.