Chess openings: Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation (B31)

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Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation (B31)
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 g6

Number of games in database: 9301
Years covered: 1857 to 2025
Overall record:
   White wins 41.8%
   Black wins 24.6%
   Draws 33.5%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening | Search for sacrifices in this opening.

PRACTITIONERS

With the White Pieces

With the Black Pieces

Peter Svidler		37 games
Ilia Smirin		34 games
Fabiano Caruana		33 games

Rauf Mamedov		75 games
Pavel Potapov		52 games
Magnus Carlsen		48 games

NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]

White Wins

Black Wins

Fischer vs Spassky, 1992

J Polgar vs P Chilingirova, 1988

Rossolimo vs I Romanenko, 1948

Ponomariov vs Kramnik, 2003

Caruana vs Carlsen, 2015

O Sick vs S Gorelov, 1989

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page 1 of 373; games 1-25 of 9,301

Game		Result	Moves	Year	Event/Locale	Opening
1. Cochrane vs Saumchurn		0-1	40	1857	Calcutta	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
2. Alapin vs von Gottschall		1-0	56	1887	5th DSB Congress, Frankfurt	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
3. Tartakower vs A Gromer		½-½	38	1930	Paris	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
4. A Nimzowitsch vs G Stoltz		1-0	13	1934	Match Nimzowitsch - Stoltz	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
5. W Henneberger vs Alekhine		0-1	52	1934	Zuerich	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
6. M Schubert vs D May		0-1	31	1936	UJCS-14.Kongress	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
7. G Thomas vs A da Silva Rocha		1-0	29	1939	Buenos Aires Olympiad qual-1	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
8. F H Stoppel vs H Gordon		½-½	24	1946	47th US Open	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
9. Tartakower vs Boleslavsky		0-1	69	1946	Groningen	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
10. Rossolimo vs I Romanenko		1-0	17	1948	Salzburg	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
11. Tartakower vs G Stoltz		½-½	19	1948	Saltsjobaden Interzonal	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
12. Rossolimo vs A Gibaud		1-0	46	1948	French Championship	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
13. Rossolimo vs B H Wood		½-½	38	1949	Hastings 1948/49	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
14. Rossolimo vs O'Kelly		1-0	24	1949	Oldenburg	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
15. Rossolimo vs M Castillo		1-0	66	1950	Mar del Plata	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
16. K Darga vs L Musmann		1-0	20	1951	GER-ch U20	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
17. W Bialas vs W Rosen		½-½	35	1951	GER-ch U20	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
18. B Hoenlinger vs E Lundin		0-1	63	1951	Schlechter Memorial	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
19. J Yuchtman vs J Rotstein		1-0	20	1952	Ukrainian Championship	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
20. R Teschner vs Stahlberg		0-1	72	1952	Helsinki Olympiad Final-A	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
21. E Haag vs A Koranyi		½-½	25	1953	Budapest	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
22. Szabo vs Boleslavsky		1-0	74	1953	Bucharest	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
23. B Larsen vs Johannes Christensen		1-0	21	1953	Danish Championship	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
24. B Larsen vs H Heikkila		1-0	40	1953	World Junior Championship qual-2	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation
25. Szabo vs Averbakh		½-½	27	1953	Zuerich Candidates	B31 Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation


page 1 of 373; games 1-25 of 9,301

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< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 2 OF 3 · Later Kibitzing>
Jul-27-05		farrooj: I think I might adopt this opening against the sicilian. Can anyone tell me the main ideas of this opening?

Jul-28-05		SEMENELIN: this opening is strong for white to refute the sicilian's black defense. It captures the center and has a strong support in the diagonal file.

Oct-07-05		refutor: <thanks, yes it look like the closest line to Bb5 in 2..Nc6, and I have a way that black may fall into it, that is playing 2. Nc3 instead of 2. Nf3 maybe expecting my oponent to fall into it> that is interesting to try it that way. the only problem is that you can't push the c-pawn, but that is the same v. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.Nc3. to all the rossolimo-ers out there what do you play v. 3. ...a6 in the line i just gave? 4.g3 and go for a closed? bite the bullet and play 4.d4?

Dec-21-05		notyetagm: <akashic: The Rossolimo is just like playing a Ruy Lopez, I wonder why it's not played more often at higher levels.> Noticing the similarity between the Rossolimo and the Ruy Lopez, some witty English chess player started calling the Rossolimo the "Awry Lopez". :-)

Dec-21-05		csmath: Rossolimo is my pet opening in blitz. In standard Sicilian I play closed Sicilian. Never allow your opponent to play Naydorf, it is virtually unbeatable. I swear on that one. :-)

Dec-21-05		Akavall: Yeah, allowing Najdorf is too risky it actually increases you chances of loosing! While Rossolimo, is nice and safe and if you are not over ambitious you should be able to get a draw fairly easily :).

Dec-21-05		vampiero: the difference between the rossolimo and the ruy lopez is a principal one, having a pawn on c5 instead of e5 changes quite alot of things in development, and long term strategical ideas too

Dec-21-05		Sneaky: I like 3...Qb6 myself, but don't walk into this line: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Qb6 4.Nc3 Nd4?! 5.Nxd4 cxd4 6.Nd5! and White has a much more comfortable game.

Dec-22-05		blitzjamendoza: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Qb6 4.Nc3 e6(y 4...Nd4???) 5.Bxc6! Qxc6 6.d4 cxd4 7.Nxd4 Qc7 8.0-0 a6 9.Re1 and white has a slight advantage in this line

Jun-14-06		BaranDuin: Recently I played a nice game with the gambit 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 bxc6 5. 0-0 d6 6. b4 cxb4 7. a3 bxa3 I looked this line up in the online chessbase (www.chesslive.de) and I didn't find any games with it. Can someone confirm this? Does this mean that I can give the line a name?

Jun-14-06		borisbadenoff: <BaranDuin: Recently I played a nice game with the gambit 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 bxc6 5. 0-0 d6 6. b4 cxb4 7. a3 bxa3 I looked this line up in the online chessbase (www.chesslive.de) and I didn't find any games with it. Can someone confirm this? Does this mean that I can give the line a name?> The only fact that there maybe no game in the chessbase-database doesn't say there are no games with this line. One game just maybe is not enoguh to justify a new variation name and up to including 5. .. d6 there are games At first look the refutation to this line (6. b4) should be 6. cxb4 7. a3 c5 and black has at least equal game in my opinion. Btw black can/will give back the pawn at some time when he likes to do so. Normally a variation gets it's name after/by some strong player who promotes it.

Jun-14-06		Ron: <BaranDuin> Although you line wasn't played in this game, there is a b4 sacrifice idea: Fischer vs Spassky, 1992

Jun-16-06		BaranDuin: <Ron: <BaranDuin> Although you line wasn't played in this game, there is a b4 sacrifice idea: Fischer vs Spassky, 1992> That was where I got the idea from. < borisbadenoff: At first look the refutation to this line (6. b4) should be 6. cxb4 7. a3 c5 and black has at least equal game in my opinion.> After 7. a3 c5 8. axb4 cxb4 9. c3 White has better development and central domination as compensation for the pawn.

Jul-11-06		AdrianP: An interesting random statistic - from this position click for larger view (after 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 g6 4 Bxc6) Sutovsky, according to the cg database, has played 12, with results of +12 -0 =0. Quite an advert for the Rossolimo...

Jul-11-06		Joshka: <AdrianP> yes it is indeed! maybe if this line can be refuted by black he has to take with the d pawn? 4...dc6?

Jul-11-06		Joshka: After looking at the 4...dc6 yes this has to be it. This is what World Champ Kramnik plays, to refute 4.Bc6

Jul-11-06		Swapmeet: In the main position which occurs after 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d3, Kramnik's score with black is +1-2=3. Not exactly refuted. In fact, statistically white wins more with 3.Bb5 than 3.d4, and has a very nice win % in the Bxc6 lines regardless of which pawn black recaptures with.

Jul-11-06		Joshka: <swapmeat> okay thanks didn't realize Kramnik has also lost with this line!

Jul-12-06		AdrianP: Another Rossolimo specialist Timman, almost invariably plays 4 O-O click for larger view In this line he has a score of +10 =11 -1, according to the database, which is also pretty impressive. Almost enough to tempt you to give up on open sicilians.

Jul-12-06		AdrianP: Svidler plays both 4. Bxc6 and 4. O-O and has lost 0 games in 19 outings. Repertoire Explorer: Peter Svidler (white)

Nov-10-06		Daoud911: Is there any reason for white to avoid e4-e5 in the g6 rossolimo variante? click for larger view e5 is a key move in black structure. Why white don't block it with e4-e5??? Plus, you get the Ne4 move with c5 attack and check threat (presuming black play Bg7). Any comment?

Mar-17-07		legija: i started playing chess on tournaments in 2004...had problem with the sicilian,dragon,najdorf...and then i learned the B b5 sicilian...against both 2....Nc6 and 2....d6.....well im proud to say, i won 37 games with it...no draws....lost 2 times, both times left a piece in a dominant position...believe me people,play it, play it...Bb5 is extremly logical, you develop a piece,prepare castling,attack his piece, threaten to damage his pawn structure,and gain a positional plus by exchanging the light square bishop ant place your pawn chain on light squares....what more can you ask from a single move?look at some Mickey Adams games,he plays it...also Rublevsky,Vasiukov....you get a stable game,winning chances, positional advantages...and in the large tree of the sicilian, when you play Bb5,black has the least counterplay...

Mar-17-07		SirBruce: I must study this opening more closely. I love the Ruy, and I hate facing the Sicilian, so this might be what I'm looking for...

Mar-17-07		square dance: if you hate facing the sicilian you shouldnt play 1.e4. what more can a kings pawn player hope for but an open sicilian?

Mar-17-07		SirBruce: Ummm... Ruy Lopez? Caro-Kann? Scandinavian?

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