Sicilian Defence: Rossolimo, 3...Nf6
Firouzja–Rapport, Norway Chess 2021 · Harikrishna–Praggnanandhaa, Tata Steel Masters 2025 · 7:08 · ECO B30
Position as text
FEN:
In this video
Game 1: Alireza Firouzja (2754) vs Richard Rapport (2760)
Norway Chess 2021, 17 September 2021 · White won (1-0) · 32 moves
Click a move to jump the video to it. Dotted moves are the opening line the video is about.
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
- 5.
- 6.
- 7.
- 8.
- 9.
- 10.
- 11.
- 12.
- 13.
- 14.
- 15.
- 16.
- 17.
- 18.
- 19.
- 20.
- 21.
- 22.
- 23.
- 24.
- 25.
- 26.
- 27.
- 28.
- 29.
- 30.
- 31.
- 32.
Key moments
- 4...Nd4The first move after the opening line0:24
- 21...Kf7The evaluation moves from +0.36 to +1.961:36
- 22...e5White stays more than two pawns ahead from here1:42
- 25...Bxd6The evaluation moves from +3.15 to +4.151:56
- 29...Re8The evaluation moves from +4.73 to +5.812:16
- 32.Qd3+White wins after 32 moves2:29
Evaluation
Above the line, White is better; below it, Black. Scores are in pawns, capped at five either way.
Game 2: Pentala Harikrishna (2695) vs Praggnanandhaa R (2741)
Tata Steel Masters 2025, 19 January 2025 · Black won (0-1) · 55 moves
Click a move to jump the video to it. Dotted moves are the opening line the video is about.
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
- 5.
- 6.
- 7.
- 8.
- 9.
- 10.
- 11.
- 12.
- 13.
- 14.
- 15.
- 16.
- 17.
- 18.
- 19.
- 20.
- 21.
- 22.
- 23.
- 24.
- 25.
- 26.
- 27.
- 28.
- 29.
- 30.
- 31.
- 32.
- 33.
- 34.
- 35.
- 36.
- 37.
- 38.
- 39.
- 40.
- 41.
- 42.
- 43.
- 44.
- 45.
- 46.
- 47.
- 48.
- 49.
- 50.
- 51.
- 52.
- 53.
- 54.
- 55.
Key moments
- 4...Qc7The first move after the opening line2:53
- 32.Kxf2The queens come off4:58
- 44.Rb7The evaluation moves from −0.99 to −2.375:58
- 47.Rb8The evaluation moves from −0.90 to −2.76, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here6:12
- 49.Bg6The evaluation moves from −2.31 to −3.826:22
- 55...a5Black wins after 55 moves6:55
Evaluation
Above the line, White is better; below it, Black. Scores are in pawns, capped at five either way.
About these games
After 3.Bb5 White pins the c6 knight and may later take on c6 to double Black's pawns. 3...Nf6 attacks e4 at once, and 4.Nc3 defends it. Black can then put a knight on d4 to challenge the bishop, or play ...Qc7 and keep the pieces flexible before choosing a central set-up.
Firouzja–Rapport went 4...Nd4 5.e5 Nxb5 6.Nxb5 Nd5. White gave up material for development: with 11...Nc2 and 12...Nxa1 Black won the exchange, yet the score was +0.17 after 14.Rxa1. White gained central space with c4, Nd5 and cxd5, and 19.d6 put a pawn deep in Black's camp at −0.25. Black's king found no safe square: after 21...Kf7 the score jumped from +0.36 to +1.96, and from 22...e5 White stayed more than two pawns ahead. 24.Bxe5 made it +2.88, Black returned the exchange with 24...Rxd6, and by 29.Rd1 it was +4.73. White chased the king with checks, and after 32.Qd3+ White won.
Harikrishna–Praggnanandhaa followed the main line 4...Qc7 5.O-O Nd4 6.Re1 a6 7.Bf1 Ng4 8.g3 Nxf3+. Instead of Game 1's fight over material and a king hunt, White pushed the kingside pawns with f4, g4 and h4, and Black answered with ...b5, ...d5 and 21...d4. The queens came off with 32.Kxf2, at −0.28 by 34.Rc7. In the endgame the score went from −0.99 to −2.37 at 44.Rb7 and to −2.76 at 47.Rb8. Black's king took f5 with 47...Kxf5, reaching −3.82 at 49.Bg6, then captured b4 with 54...Kxb4, and after 55...a5 Black won.