Sounds like Wikipedia needs some editing. Pure B-S!
Sicilian
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Feb 13, 2011
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#3
From Joseph Henry Blackburne:
"In the early [eighteen] fifties, and even up to the beginning of my own career in chess, the Sicillian was a favorite answer of Black's. Subsequently, when there came into favour the theory of "accumulating minute advantages" the "bogey" or isolated Pawn was considered a defect, and the opening fell out of favour. Within the past few years, however, a great tendency to revive it has been manifested and it is freely played by many of the young masters of the day--Janowski, for instance, Marocsy, and even Pillsbury. As far as one can see, its popularity is likely to extend into the future, as it presents so excellent a substitute to the duller French Defense, and offers a convenient means of escape from the Ruy Lopez, or indeed any other opening affected by the first player. It will be seen that I have frequently to play against it in blindfold or simultaneous displays, and it has yielded some very pretty games."
Originally printed in 1899
I went to read about the Sicilian in Wikipedia and it was written that until 1940 +-
top players were claiming that the Sicilian is a defensive and refuted openings.
Is it true?if it is,then why?Because today the sicilian one of the most popular and succesful openings in the world.