[Event ""] [White "Rossolimo,7"] [Black "Sicilian 7...d6"] [Site ""] [Round ""] [Annotator "Nagesh Havanur"] [Result "1-0"] [Date "2023.??.??"] [PlyCount "42"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 (2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bb5 {is analysed by Ruslan Ponomariov in an opening video in this issue (CBM 211).} )e6 {A specific move order that allows some lines and not others.} ({The immediate} 2... Nc6 3. Bb5 {is the main line of Rossolimo System.} )(2... d6 3. Bb5+ {is yet another branch of the Rossolimo.} )3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. O-O a6 6. Bd3 {Where else can the bishop go? If he moves to a4, he would be trapped. If he retreats to e2, he would be exchanged for the knight. In the long run White would have to find a way of getting rid of the Black knight on d4, move his own Queen's knight and then play, c3, Bc2 and d4.} Nc6 {A paradoxical retreat. But then if the knight remains longer on d4, he would be exchanged and the resulting pawn d4 would become a target. If he exchanges himself the knight on f3, it only eases White's piece development.} 7. Nd5 $5 {This theoretical novelty is attributed to Nikita Vitiugov.} d6 (7... exd5 8. exd5 c4 $5 9. Bxc4 Na5 10. Re1+ Be7 11. Bf1 Kf8 12. d4 {White has" only" two pawns for the piece. However, the offside knight on a4 is a cause for concern for Black. Overall, White's lead in development is adequate compensation according to Gawain Jones who offers this line in" Coffee house Repertoire 1.e4".} )(7... g5 $5 {deserves a separate treatment and is analysed elsewhere in this review.} )8. Ne3 Nf6 (8... g5 $5 9. c3 h5 10. Bc2 g4 11. Ne1 d5 {looks attractive, but not very safe according to Imre Hera.} )9. c3 d5 $1 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Be4 Nxe3 (11... Bd6 12. Kh1 Nxe3 13. fxe3 O-O $13 )12. fxe3 Bd6 13. d4 O-O 14. Bc2 $1 Qe7 15. Qd3 f5 16. e4 cxd4 17. exf5 exf5 18. Re1 Qc7 19. cxd4 Bd7 20. Bb3+ Kh8 21. Bd2 Rae8 $11 {Imre Hera's analysis in this issue (CBM 211).} 1-0