Rossolimo Variation

The Rossolimo Variation arises after 1. d4 d6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. e4 Bg4. White has built a broad center with pawns on c4, d4 and e4, and Black has not committed a knight or a central break. The early bishop sortie targets the f3-knight, the main defender of d4. Black's aim is to make the center a liability by combining the pin with the long-diagonal pressure of the g7-bishop, and if necessary to give up the bishop pair with ...Bxf3. The resulting games tend to be strategic, with White's space set against Black's pressure on the dark squares.

The most frequent reply is 5. Be2, which breaks the pin and prepares to castle. 5. Nc3 and 5. Be3 are each played about half as often. The engine also suggests 5. d5, gaining space and blocking the g7-bishop's diagonal. It rates the position as a slight edge for White, but results on Lichess are close to even, with Black winning marginally more often than White.