Semigroup identities and proofs

Tamura proved that for any semigroup word U(x, y), if every group satisfying an identity of the form yx ~ xU(x, y)y is abelian, then so is every semigroup that satisfies that identity. Because a group has an identity element and the cancellation property, it is easier to show that a group is abelian than that a semigroup is. If we know that it is, then there must be a sequence of substitutions using xU(x, y)y ~ yx that transforms xy to yx. We examine such sequences and propose finding them as a challenge to proof by computer.