Sicilian Rossolimo: 3...e6 4.Bxc6

Sicilian: Rossolimo, 3...e6 4.Bxc6

Definition

The line arises from the Sicilian Defence after the moves 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. Bxc6. It sits within the Rossolimo Variation (3.Bb5), in which White immediately pins or exchanges the knight on c6 to avoid the maze of main-line Open Sicilian theory. At move four White voluntarily gives up the light-squared bishop to inflict structural damage—doubled c-pawns—while Black accepts the concession to retain the bishop pair and robust central control.

Typical Move-Order

The most common sequence is:

1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 e6  (Black quietly reinforces d5 and prepares ...Nge7, ...g6, or ...d5)
4. Bxc6 bxc6  (4...dxc6 is possible but rare)

After 4…bxc6 the main tabiya appears with: 5. O-O Ne7 6. Re1 Ng6 7. e5 Be7, etc.

Strategic Ideas

• White
  • Targets the weakened c5–c6 pawn structure; squares c4 and d5 can become tasty outposts.
  • Plays d2-d3 followed by c2-c4 or b2-b3 to undermine the c-pawns.
  • Often castles kingside quickly and uses Re1, Nbd2, b3, Ba3, or Qe2 to pile up on the center.
• Black
  • Counts on the bishop pair and central pawn mass to generate dynamic play.
  • Typical breaks include …d5 or …f6; sometimes …e5 first to clamp down on d4.
  • The half-open b-file gives counterplay via …Rb8, …Qa5, …Ba6.

Historical & Theoretical Significance

The variation carries the name of the Russian-French Grandmaster Nicolas Rossolimo, who championed 3.Bb5 in the 1940s–50s. It experienced a renaissance in the 2010s when top grandmasters—Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Sergey Karjakin, Levon Aronian—used it as a practical anti-Sicilian weapon to sidestep razor-sharp Najdorf and Sveshnikov lines. The specific 3…e6 4.Bxc6 move-order has become one of the most respected systems for both colors because theory remains relatively fresh, with many branches leading to slow positional battles rather than forcing computer-drawn lines.

Example Games

• Carlsen – Caruana, Bilbao Masters 2012 [[Pgn| 1.e4|c5|2.Nf3|Nc6|3.Bb5|e6|4.Bxc6|bxc6|5.O-O|Ne7|6.Re1|Ng6|7.d3|Be7|8.e5|O-O|9.Nbd2|f6|10.exf6|gxf6|11.Ne4|d5|12.Ng3| fen|r2q1rk1/pp2bpp1/2p3np/2pP4/8/3P2N1/PP1N1PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 0 13]]
• Anand – Giri, Tata Steel 2015 (Anand demonstrated a textbook exploitation of the c6-pawn weakness.)
• Nepomniachtchi – Carlsen, Norway Chess 2020 (Illustrates Black’s dynamic resource …d5 break equalising rapidly.)

Typical Plans for Each Side

• White Plans
  1. Piece pressure on c5/c6: Qa4, Be3, Nbd2-b3-Ba3.
  2. Light-square grip: Re1, c2-c4, d3-d4, play on d5 and e5.
  3. Kingside advance h2-h4-h5 to lure the g-pawn and weaken Black’s dark squares (seen in Svidler games).
• Black Plans
  1. Central break …d5 (often prepared by …Ne7-g6 or …Qc7).
  2. Fianchetto the dark-squared bishop with …g6, …Bg7, then strike with …f5.
  3. Queenside counterplay on the b-file: …Rb8, …Qa5, sometimes sacrificing c-pawns for activity.

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

• The line played a starring role in the 2016 World Championship match: Carlsen employed it three times against Karjakin, scoring +1 =2 without a loss.
• Rossolimo reportedly developed 3.Bb5 after noting that taxi drivers in New York City preferred “quick positional squeezes” in blitz rather than wild tactical melees—perfect marketing for this line!
• Engines initially evaluated 4.Bxc6 as “harmless,” but contemporary neural-network engines now give White a small, stable edge of ≈+0.30, vindicating modern grandmaster practice.