Sicilian: Rossolimo, 3...Nf6

Sicilian: Rossolimo

Definition

The Rossolimo is an Anti-Sicilian system that arises after the moves
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5. Instead of plunging into the main-line Open Sicilian with 3.d4, White pins or exchanges the knight on c6, steering the game into quieter but highly strategic channels.

Key Ideas & Typical Plans

• Structural Pressure: By threatening Bxc6, White can double Black’s c-pawns, making …d7–d5 harder.
• Rapid Development: White often castles quickly (4.O-O) and places rooks on e1 and c1 to control central files.
• Flexible Center: White may leave the d-pawn at d2 for a long time, deciding later between d3 (solid) or d4 (central break).
• Piece Play: Knights frequently maneuver to g3/e2/f1, aiming at f5 or d5. Black seeks counterplay with …g6/…Bg7, …e6/…Nge7 or …e5 setups.

Historical Significance

Named after Nicolas Rossolimo (1910-1975), a Russian-born French-American grandmaster who adopted it as a lifelong weapon. The line gained elite status when players such as Garry Kasparov, Vishy Anand, Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana began using it to sidestep the Najdorf and Sveshnikov.

Illustrative Example

A common main line:

After 11.e5 the position features:

• Doubled c-pawns on Black’s side.
• White’s space advantage on the kingside.
• Open c- and e-files for both armies.

Famous Games

1. Kramnik – Kasparov, Linares 1999: Kasparov used the Rossolimo to hold a quick draw with Black, keeping his tournament lead.
2. Carlsen – Caruana, London 2012: Carlsen uncorked a deep exchange sacrifice on c6, showcasing the line’s latent tactical venom.
3. Nakamura – Giri, Candidates 2020: Black innovated with …e6 & …Nge7, revitalizing the variation.

Interesting Facts

• Rossolimo once offered a free chess lesson to anyone who could beat him in blitz at his New York café—few succeeded, even when he opened every game with his trademark 3.Bb5.
• Anand prepared the Rossolimo in his 2014 World Championship match against Carlsen, expecting the champion to meet 1.e4 with the Sicilian. Carlsen switched to 1…e5 instead, hinting at the respect the line commands.

3…Nf6 (in the Rossolimo)

Definition

3…Nf6 is Black’s most direct and combative response to the Rossolimo: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6. By attacking the e4-pawn, Black challenges White’s setup immediately and keeps options open for either king-side fianchetto (…g6) or classical development (…d6, …e6).

Typical Continuations

• 4.Nc3 – Bxc6!? White defends e4 and is ready to recapture on c6, often transposing to Hedgehog-style structures.
• 4.e5 Nd5 5.Bxc6 creates doubled c-pawns and gains space but concedes the bishop pair.
• 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 sacrifices a pawn temporarily for rapid central play.
  

Strategic Significance

By developing the f-knight:

• Black forces White to reveal his intentions in the center sooner than in other Rossolimo branches.
• The move order may transpose to Open Sicilian positions if White later plays d4 and Black recaptures on d4 with a knight.
• Black avoids doubled c-pawns as long as he can recapture on c6 with a piece instead of a pawn.

Historical & Practical Context

The line became fashionable after Garry Kasparov employed it successfully in the late 1990s. In recent years, it has been a mainstay in the repertoires of Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren, especially in rapid and blitz.

Model Game

Ding Liren – Nepomniachtchi, Moscow Blitz 2017:

The game showcased the dynamic pawn structure and mutual chances that characterize 3…Nf6 positions.

Interesting Nuggets

• Some engines rate 3…Nf6 as Black’s best reply to 3.Bb5, yet many club players shy away from it, fearing the doubled-pawn structures after Bxc6.
• Grandmaster Sergey Shipov famously quipped, “3…Nf6 turns the Rossolimo into a Sicilian within a Sicilian, forcing both sides to remember a jungle of transpositions.”