Chess lessons › Chess openings
The Rossolimo and the Moscow
White plays Bb5 on move three to develop fast and avoid the Open Sicilian, often trading it for a knight.
The idea
White plays Bb5 on move three instead of opening the centre.
- The bishop on b5 attacks the knight on c6.
- That knight guards d4 and e5 in the centre.
- White can castle at once and leave d4 for later.
In a game: Against 2...Nc6 or 2...d6, Bb5 develops fast and avoids the sharp Open Sicilian.
How the lesson begins
After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6, the Rossolimo, which Lichess calls the Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack, is 3.Bb5. The bishop attacks the knight on c6, which guards e5 and d4. White does not have to open the centre with d4.
Among players rated 2000 and above on Lichess, 3.Bb5 is chosen in 20% of games after 2...Nc6, and White scores 55%.
Among players rated 2000 and above, Black’s most played answer is 3...g6, the Fianchetto Variation, in 34% of games. White can take on c6 at once, and then Black has to choose how to take back.
- 3... g6 4. Bxc6
A question
After 4.Bxc6, Vladimir Kramnik took back 4...dxc6 against Ruslan Ponomariov at Linares in 2003, and won. What does Black get?
Show the answer
The two bishops and a half-open d-file, in return for doubled c-pawns.
Right. Black’s pawns are not so pretty, but the bishops and the half-open d-file give Black good play.
In numbers
How often it is played
| Rating | Value |
|---|---|
| Under 800 | Too few games |
| 800 to 1199 | 0.8 |
| 1200 to 1599 | 2.8 |
| 1600 to 1999 | 4.8 |
| 2000 and up | 10 |
How the games ended
White won 50%, 5% were drawn and Black won 45%, over 7,597 games that start this way, in a sample of rated Lichess games from 2026.