Rossolimo Variation (Sicilian Attack)

Rossolimo

Definition

The Rossolimo Variation (often called the Rossolimo Attack) is a strategic sideline of the Sicilian Defence that arises after the moves 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5. Instead of entering the heavily-analysed Open Sicilian with 3. d4, White immediately pins or exchanges the knight on c6 with the dark-squared bishop, aiming for rapid development and long-term positional pressure. The system is named after Grandmaster Nicolas Rossolimo (1910-1975), who employed it with great success in the mid-20^th century.

Main Ideas & Typical Plans

Piece Play Over Pawns: By avoiding an early d2–d4, White keeps the position less committal, emphasising rapid development, flexible pawn structure, and the bishop pair.
Structural Pressure: After 3…a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6, Black’s doubled c-pawns give White clear structural targets, especially in endgames.
Control of d5: The early Bxc6 exchange often leaves White with iron grip over the d5-square, slowing down Black’s central counterplay.
King-side Initiative: In many lines (particularly after 3…g6), White castles quickly, pushes h2–h4, and launches play against the fianchettoed king.

Typical Black Replies

3…g6 – the modern main line, steering into a Dragon-flavoured structure.
3…e6 – transposes to a Scheveningen-type set-up, aiming for …Nge7 and …d5.
3…d6 – sometimes leads to the Moscow Variation after 4. Bxc6+ bxc6.
3…a6 – immediately questions the bishop; after 4. Bxc6 dxc6 Black accepts doubled pawns for the bishop pair.

Strategic & Historical Significance

For decades the Rossolimo was viewed as a sideline, but the computer-age explosion of theory in the Open Sicilian has turned it into a mainstream weapon at elite level. From the 2010s onward, it featured in nearly every World Championship match where 1. e4 met the Sicilian, proving that “quiet” lines can still ask serious questions.

Kasparov’s Legacy: Garry Kasparov helped rehabilitate 3. Bb5 in the early 2000s, using it in rapid play to out-prep computers.
World Championship Battlefield: Carlsen–Anand (Sochi 2014, Game 2) and Caruana–Carlsen (London 2018, Games 1, 8, 10) highlighted the line’s theoretical bite.
Modern Specialists: Fabiano Caruana, Magnus Carlsen, Sergey Karjakin, and Alireza Firouzja regularly include the Rossolimo in their repertoires.

Illustrative Game

Carlsen – Anand, World Championship 2014, Game 2

[[Pgn|e4|c5|Nf3|Nc6|Bb5|g6|O-O|Bg7|Re1|e5|b4|Nxb4|c3|Nc6|d4|exd4|e5|Nge7|cxd4|cxd4|Ba3|O-O|Nbd2|Re8|Ne4|Nf5|Nd6|Nxd6|exd6|Rxe1+|Qxe1|b6|Bxc6|dxc6|Qe8+|Qxe8|Rxe8+|Bf8|d7|Bxd7|Rxf8+|Rxf8|Bxf8|Kxf8|Nxd4|c5|Nf3|Ke7|Kf1|Be6|a3|Kd6|Ke2|Bc4+|Kd2|Bf1|g3|h6|h4|f6|h5|g5|Nh2|Bc4|Ng4|f5|Nxh6|Be6|f4|gxf4|gxf4|Ke7|a4|Kf8|a5|b5|Rc1|c4|a6|b4|Rg1|c3|Kc2|Bc4|Rg6|b3+|Kxc3|Bf7|Rg5|Be6|Nxf5|Bxf5|Rxf5+|Ke7|Rc5|Kd6|Rb5|Kc6|Rxb3|Kc5|Rb1|Rh7|a7|Rxa7|h6|Rh3+|Kd2|Rxh6|f5|Rh2+|Ke3|Kd5|f6|Ke6|Rc1|Kxf6|Rxc3|Rh3+|Kd2|Rxc3|Kxc3| |fen|| |arrows|e2e4,c7c5,b5c6| |squares|c6,d5,e5]]

A long endgame grind where Carlsen’s early structural pressure (Bxc6) translated into a superior pawn structure and eventually a full point. The game exemplifies the Rossolimo’s thematic plan of doubled-c-pawn exploitation.

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

Nicolas Rossolimo, the man: Besides being a chess grandmaster, Rossolimo was a black-belt judoka, a New York taxi driver, and a café owner — the famed “Chess Studio” on Thompson Street in Greenwich Village.
Anti-Computer Roots: Early chess engines disliked giving up the bishop pair. Human grandmasters leveraged this by steering games into Rossolimo structures, gaining practical edges against machines.
Flexible Move-Order Tricks: Many top players reach the Rossolimo through 2. Nc3, delaying Nf3 to keep Black guessing between the Closed Sicilian, the Grand Prix Attack, and the Rossolimo.

Practical Tips for Players

Study both structures: doubled c-pawns (after …a6 Bxc6) and the fianchetto setup (after …g6).
Be ready for the tactical shot Nd5! when Black’s queen and knight line up on c6 and d4.
Against …e6 lines, remember the maneuver Bb5–xc6, d2–d4, c2–c4 to clamp down on d5.
Black players should know the freeing break …d5; timing it correctly solves most structural problems.