Moscow Variation

With 3. Bb5+ White declines the immediate 3. d4. Instead the king's bishop develops with check, castling is prepared, and the heavily analyzed Open Sicilian is avoided. The line is also called the Canal–Sokolsky Attack, after Esteban Canal and Alexey Sokolsky, who adopted it in the 1940s. Black has three ways to block. The main line and most frequent choice is 3...Bd7, which offers a trade of light-squared bishops. After 4. Bxd7+ Qxd7, White picks between two plans. One is 5. O-O followed by c3 and d4, in the manner of a Ruy Lopez. The other is 5. c4, the Sokolsky Variation, which sets up a Maróczy Bind. Taking back with the queen leaves Black free to play ...Nc6 and control d5. Against 3...Nd7, White usually plays 4. d4, because Bxd7 would hand Black the bishop pair, and a queen recapture on d4 cannot be driven off by ...Nc6. The reply 3...Nc6 reaches a position that also arises from the Rossolimo. After 4. O-O Bd7, White tends to retreat the bishop rather than exchange it.

Kasparov played the line in Kasparov versus the World. Rublevsky, Oral and Carlsen have all used it extensively. Results are close to even, and the engine rates the position as roughly balanced.