{ "pack_format_version": 3, "slug": "sicilian-rossolimo-moscow-white", "title": "The Sicilian Rossolimo & Moscow: Essentials (White Repertoire)", "author_name": "Theo van Stratum", "version": 1, "description": "A White repertoire built around the early bishop sortie to b5 against the Sicilian -- the Rossolimo Variation (2...Nc6 3.Bb5) and the Moscow Variation (2...d6 3.Bb5+) -- the most popular modern way to sidestep the Open Sicilian without committing to the Alapin's 2.c3. Covers the Rossolimo against both the fianchetto 3...g6 and the flexible 3...e6, plus the Moscow against both main replies to the check, 3...Bd7 (inviting an immediate trade) and 3...Nc6 (interposing the knight, which ends up completely pinned).", "content_types": [ "lines" ], "price_cents": null, "lines": [ { "name": "Sicilian Rossolimo/Moscow: Meeting 2...Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 (the Rossolimo Fianchetto)", "side": "white", "eco": "B31", "moves": [ "e2e4", "c7c5", "g1f3", "b8c6", "f1b5", "g7g6", "b5c6", "d7c6", "e1g1", "f8g7", "f1e1", "e7e5", "d2d3", "g8e7", "b1d2", "e8g8", "d2c4", "d8c7", "c1e3", "b7b6" ], "annotations": { "4": { "note": "The Rossolimo: unlike the Moscow (2...d6 3.Bb5+), this isn't check -- the knight on c6 blocks the diagonal to the king on e8. The bishop simply attacks the knight instead.", "format": "markdown" }, "6": { "note": "Trading now rather than letting Black kick the bishop with ...a6 for free -- the point is to damage Black's pawn structure while the bishop is still worth something.", "format": "markdown" }, "7": { "note": "Black's recapture leaves doubled pawns on c5 and c6: no immediate weakness, but a long-term structural concession in exchange for the bishop pair.", "format": "markdown" }, "9": { "note": "Completing the fianchetto Black chose on move 2.", "format": "markdown" }, "11": { "note": "Claiming central space; with the knight gone from c6, Black has no easy way to challenge it.", "format": "markdown" }, "14": { "note": "Heading for c4, the same outpost idea that comes up against most Black setups with this pawn structure -- from there the knight eyes b6, d6, and e5 all at once.", "format": "markdown" }, "16": { "note": "The knight lands on its outpost. Together with the knight already on f3, it now attacks the e5-pawn twice -- Black needs to address this immediately.", "format": "markdown" }, "17": { "note": "Necessary, not just useful: e5 was attacked twice (by both knights) and defended only once (by the bishop on g7), so simply developing elsewhere would have dropped the pawn to Ncxe5/Nfxe5. The queen adds a second defender along the c7-e5 diagonal.", "format": "markdown" }, "18": { "note": "Developing the last minor piece, eyeing the slightly weak c5-pawn.", "format": "markdown" }, "19": { "note": "Giving the bishop on c8 a future and further shoring up c5, which is now attacked once (by the bishop on e3) and defended once (by this pawn) -- a fully balanced tension, not a weakness.", "format": "markdown" } }, "variations": [ { "branch_ply": 7, "moves": [ "b7c6", "d2d3", "f8g7", "b1d2", "g8f6", "e1g1", "e8g8" ], "annotations": { "0": { "note": "Recapturing with the b-pawn instead of the d-pawn -- this avoids the doubled c-pawns of the main line entirely, at the cost of slightly loosening the queenside structure instead.", "format": "markdown" } } } ] }, { "name": "Sicilian Rossolimo/Moscow: Meeting 2...Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 (the Rossolimo with ...e6)", "side": "white", "eco": "B30", "moves": [ "e2e4", "c7c5", "g1f3", "b8c6", "f1b5", "e7e6", "e1g1", "g8e7", "f1e1", "a7a6", "b5c6", "e7c6", "d2d3", "d7d5", "b1d2", "f8e7", "c2c3", "e8g8", "d1e2", "d8c7" ], "annotations": { "4": { "note": "Same bishop move, but Black's reply is different: 3...e6 simply prepares normal development rather than contesting the long diagonal the way 3...g6 does.", "format": "markdown" }, "6": { "note": "Castling and waiting -- there's no need to resolve the bishop's future yet.", "format": "markdown" }, "7": { "note": "Developing the other knight to e7 rather than f6, keeping both central breaks (...d5 and ...f5) available for later.", "format": "markdown" }, "9": { "note": "Now that the bishop is actually attacked, trading is the simplest response: retreating would just concede the bishop pair for nothing, since the knight that would recapture on c6 lands on a perfectly good square anyway.", "format": "markdown" }, "10": { "note": "Taking the knight before it can be supported further.", "format": "markdown" }, "12": { "note": "A flexible, quiet move rather than committing to d4 immediately -- the knight can still reach c4 via d2 later.", "format": "markdown" }, "14": { "note": "Developing toward c4, the same outpost idea as everywhere else in this repertoire -- Black's own ...d5 means the knight won't actually land there in this particular line, but the piece is useful on d2 regardless, eyeing c4 and e4.", "format": "markdown" }, "18": { "note": "Simple development. The central tension on d5 -- White's e4-pawn against Black's d5, each defended once -- can be resolved later; there's no need to rush it.", "format": "markdown" } }, "variations": [ { "branch_ply": 9, "moves": [ "d7d5", "e4d5", "e7d5", "d2d4", "c5d4", "d1d4" ], "annotations": { "0": { "note": "Striking in the centre immediately instead of kicking the bishop with ...a6 first.", "format": "markdown" }, "5": { "note": "Recapturing with the queen rather than the knight on f3 -- the knight on c6 already attacks d4, so recapturing with the knight would have overloaded the bishop on b5 as the only defender of c6 while also leaving the knight on c6 able to simply take the piece on d4 next; the queen is adequately defended there by the knight on f3.", "format": "markdown" } } } ] }, { "name": "Sicilian Rossolimo/Moscow: Meeting 2...d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 (the Moscow Trade)", "side": "white", "eco": "B51", "moves": [ "e2e4", "c7c5", "g1f3", "d7d6", "f1b5", "c8d7", "b5d7", "d8d7", "e1g1", "g8f6", "f1e1", "b8c6", "c2c3", "e7e6", "d2d4", "c5d4", "c3d4", "f8e7", "b1d2", "e8g8" ], "annotations": { "4": { "note": "The Moscow Variation: this time it really is check, since Black's 2...d6 leaves c6 empty and the diagonal runs all the way through to the king on e8.", "format": "markdown" }, "5": { "note": "The most natural way to meet the check -- simply blocking with the bishop, since nothing else is available on that diagonal.", "format": "markdown" }, "6": { "note": "Trading immediately. This costs White nothing and forces Black's queen onto d7, a slightly awkward square that blocks the other bishop's most natural development square.", "format": "markdown" }, "8": { "note": "Simple development; there's no reason to commit to d4 before completing development.", "format": "markdown" }, "10": { "note": "Supporting a future e4-e5 push and adding pressure down the newly-open e-file.", "format": "markdown" }, "14": { "note": "Claiming the centre now that development is mostly complete.", "format": "markdown" }, "16": { "note": "Recapturing toward the centre, the same idea as every other line in this repertoire.", "format": "markdown" }, "18": { "note": "Developing the last minor piece toward c4 or e4.", "format": "markdown" } }, "variations": [ { "branch_ply": 6, "moves": [ "b5e2", "g8f6", "e1g1", "e7e6", "c2c3", "f8e7", "d2d4", "c5d4", "c3d4", "e8g8" ], "annotations": { "0": { "note": "Keeping the bishop pair instead of trading -- note that the bishop has to leave the b5-a4 diagonal entirely to do this, since Black's own bishop on d7 attacks all the way down that diagonal to a4 as well, not just to b5.", "format": "markdown" } } } ] }, { "name": "Sicilian Rossolimo/Moscow: Meeting 2...d6 3.Bb5+ Nc6 (the Moscow with ...Nc6)", "side": "white", "eco": "B51", "moves": [ "e2e4", "c7c5", "g1f3", "d7d6", "f1b5", "b8c6", "e1g1", "c8d7", "f1e1", "g8f6", "c2c3", "e7e6", "d2d4", "c5d4", "c3d4", "f8e7", "c1g5", "e8g8", "b1d2", "d8c7" ], "annotations": { "5": { "note": "Blocking the check with the knight instead of the bishop. This knight is now completely pinned -- it has no legal move at all until the diagonal is broken, since no knight move can stay on a diagonal.", "format": "markdown" }, "6": { "note": "Simply castling rather than resolving the bishop's future yet; the pin on c6 isn't going anywhere.", "format": "markdown" }, "7": { "note": "Developing naturally. This doesn't do anything to the pin on c6 one way or the other.", "format": "markdown" }, "8": { "note": "Same idea as the other lines: supporting e4 and adding pressure down the e-file.", "format": "markdown" }, "12": { "note": "Claiming the centre now that development is mostly complete.", "format": "markdown" }, "14": { "note": "Recapturing toward the centre.", "format": "markdown" }, "16": { "note": "Developing with tempo against the knight on f6. This isn't actually a pin to the queen on d8, even though the squares line up -- Black's own bishop on e7 sits on that same diagonal and blocks it; the knight is simply attacked once (by this bishop) and defended once (by that bishop on e7).", "format": "markdown" }, "18": { "note": "Developing toward c4 or e4, the usual idea.", "format": "markdown" }, "19": { "note": "Unpinning the knight on c6 for good and connecting the rooks -- there was never any hurry to do this since nothing was actually threatening the knight while it was pinned, but it's a useful move to make regardless.", "format": "markdown" } }, "variations": [ { "branch_ply": 6, "moves": [ "e1g1", "a7a6", "b5c6", "b7c6", "f1e1", "g8f6", "d2d3", "e7e6", "b1d2", "f8e7" ], "annotations": { "0": { "note": "Castling first and waiting to see whether Black kicks the bishop before deciding whether to trade it.", "format": "markdown" }, "2": { "note": "Trading immediately rather than retreating -- the bishop has no good retreat square that both leaves the a6-pawn's attack and keeps it useful, so cashing it in for the pinned knight is simplest. Note this comes with check, since the king is still on e8.", "format": "markdown" } } } ] } ], "woodpecker_sets": [], "endgame_positions": [] }