Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...c5/2. Nf3/2...Nc6/3. Bb5

Rossolimo attack
	a b c d e f g h 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a b c d e f g h
	Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN) r1bqkbnr/pp1ppppp/2n5/1Bp5/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQK2R
	Moves: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5
	ECO code: B30
	Parent: Sicilian defence → 2...Nc6

3. Bb5 · Rossolimo attack

This is the chief alternative 3. d4. White's bishop on b5 pressures Black's knight and therefore its control of the centre.

By prioritised the development of their kingside, White is ready to castle with plans of d3 (now that the light square bishop has been developed outside of the pawn chain) or d4 (supported by Re1 and c3). In general White is happy to trade the bishop for the knight if they can leave Black with doubled pawns: they may do so immediately or wait until provoked.

Black's main two options are 3...g6 and 3...e5.

3...g6, the fianchetto variation, intends ...Bg7. On g7, the bishop will help control the centre and make it more difficult for White to achieve d4. Typical ideas are 4. O-O Bg7 5. Re1 (supporting the e-pawn) Nf6, where both 6. c3 (intending 7. d4) and 6. e5 are threatened; and 4. Bxc6 dxc6, damaging Black's queenside structure but allowing the queen and bishop to access the centre, leading to 5. O-O Bg7 6. d3 Nf6; or the immediate 4. c3.

3...e6 is second most common reply. This opens the a3-f8 diagonal for the king's bishop, but the more immediate purpose is to prepare 4...Nge7 to defend the knight. After 4. O-O Nge7 5. Re1 a6 6. Bf1!, the knight supports a break in the centre, 6...d5 7. exd5 Nxd5. A sideline is to play 4. Bxc6 before Black has chance to get in ...Nge7.

3...d6 is the third most common try. It transposes into a sideline of the Moscow attack otherwise reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Nc6!?. The idea is to unpin the knight with ...Bd7: 4. O-O Bd7 5. Re1 a6 6. Bf1.

Other tries

3...Qb6!? intends to avoid doubled pawns by allowing the queen to recapture on c6.

3...Nf6 (attacking e4) 4. Nc3 avoids lines where White plays c3. 4. d3?! Qa5+ 5. Nc3 Nd4 6. Ba4 b5 7. Bb3 Nxb3 8. cxb3 is hardly what any Rossolimo player would hope for.

Black sometimes tries the manoeuvre 3...Nd4!? 4. Nxd4 cxd4. So long as White avoids 5. d3? Qa5+!, this is not so challenging.

3...g5? is a sharp gambit pioneered by Evgeny Egorov.^[1]

3...Na5?! sidesteps the bishop on b5's vision and can lead to the San Francisco Gambit after 4. b4!?.

3...Nb8? is a humorous meme retreat named the Brooklyn Retreat Defence.

History

3. Bb5's earliest recorded appearance was in 1851 between Bird and Horwitz.^[2]

The name Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo attack is for chess masters Nicolas Rossolimo and Rashid Nezhmetdinov. Rossolimo's first played it in 1948^[3] (see sample game) and Nezhmetdinov in 1956.^[4]

2...Nc6 3. Bb5 is analogous to the Moscow attack, 2...d6 Bb5, which is also sometimes named after Rossolimo.

The Rossolimo is very popular at the highest levels of chess, where it is a way to avoid facing the sharp and theoretical Sveshnikov Sicilian, 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5.

Sample game

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Position after 10. Nd6+!.

Nicolas Rossolimo versus Ivan Romanenko. Salzburg, 1948.^[3]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5

The Rossolimo variation. This is the main alternative to 3. d4 and avoids facing the Sveshnikov and other ...Nc6 open Sicilians.

3...g6 4. O-O

3...g6 is still a main line today.

4. Bxc6 is a worthy alternative.

4...Bg7 5. Re1 Nf6 6. Nc3 Nd4?! 7. e5!

Black was perhaps hoping for 7. Nxd4? cxd4 8. Nd5 (8. Ne2? Nxe4 9. Nxd4? Nd6!, attacks the bishop and discovers an attack on the knight, 10. Qg4 Qb6!-+) Nxd5 9. exd5 O-O 10. d3⩱.

7...Ng8 8. d3 Nxb5 9. Nxb5 a6 10. Nd6+!

It's difficult for Black to find a move that doesn't allow Nd6+. 9...h6 was an option, denying White the g5 square for their bishop.

10...exd6?

10...Kf8 11. Ne4 allows the game to continue, though the damage to Black's position is done. The text move allows the e-file to open.

11. Bg5 Qa5 12. exd6+ Kf8

The inclusion of 11. Bg5 to drive the queen from defence of the king is important. 11. exd6+?? Kf8 and White can't continue the attack: 12. Bg5? now is met by ...Bf6, previously prevented by the pawn on d5.

13. Re8+! Kxe8

The rook sacrifice keeps the initiative, though the engine prefers 13. Qe2, allowing Black to move their bishop and create a flight square for their king.

14. Qe2+ Kf8

14...Nd7 15. Qxd7# of course.

15. Be7+ Ke8 16. Bd8+ Kxd8 17. Ng5 1-0

Black can delay but not prevent Nxf7#. 17...Be5 18. Qxe5 Qe1+ 19. Rxe1 any move 20. Nxf7#. Black resigns.

Theory table