A game of plans, not variations
The Open Sicilian is a race of memory — the Sveshnikov, the Taimanov and the Najdorf are ground Black's specialists know well. GM Vladimir Malakhov spent most of his career declining that race. His answer to 2...Nc6 is 3.Bb5, the Rossolimo: White gives up the bishop to damage Black's pawn structure, and in return plays for plans rather than long forcing lines, with clear, durable trumps of his own.
The Rossolimo Revolution: A Powerful Sicilian Repertoire for White, by GM Vladimir Malakhov, GM Pier Luigi Basso and IM Dragos Ceres, is built on that idea and sharpens the old system with directions well off the beaten path.
The move that defines the course: 7.a4
In the main line — 3...g6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Bg7 6.h3 Nf6 — the authors reach for 7.a4!?. The logic is simple and permanent: either the pawn runs to a5 and fixes Black's queenside, or Black stops it with ...a5 and leaves b5 and b6 weak for the rest of the game. Everything else — Be3, Qc1, Bh6, the knight to c4 — comes only after that concession is forced, and the analysis shows how quickly an opponent who doesn't know the plan can drift into trouble.
The repertoire covers every Black third move, with the two main battlegrounds growing from the recapture on c6. After 4...dxc6 Black stays solid and takes the d-file, while White plays for the healthier pawns and the e5-square; after 4...bxc6 Black keeps a compact centre where Malakhov prefers the quiet 8.h3 to the analysed 8.d4. He has trusted the Rossolimo against 2...Nc6 for most of his career, and his first-person guidance is joined by Basso's and Ceres's analytical work.
Variation map
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5
3...g6 4.Bxc6 — the main test
- 4...dxc6 5.d3 Bg7 6.h3 Nf6 7.a4!? — the defining move → Chapter 1
- 6...e5, taking the centre first → Chapter 2
- 5...Qc7, keeping the bishop flexible, heading for ...e5 → Chapter 3
- 4...bxc6 5.O-O Bg7 6.Re1 — the compact-centre structure
- 6...Nf6 7.e5 Nd5 8.c4 → Chapter 4
- 6...Qc7!? 7.a3!? a5 8.e5, and 6...e5 7.c3 → Chapter 5
- 6...Nh6 7.c3 O-O 8.h3 (instead of 8.d4) → Chapter 6
3...e6 4.Bxc6 bxc6 5.d3 — fashionable today
- 5...d5 and the other move-5 sidelines → Chapter 7
- 5...Ne7 6.Nbd2!?, a useful move, staying flexible → Chapter 8
- 5...Qc7 6.O-O Ne7, the modern ...e5 setup, updated to 2026 → Chapter 9
3...e5 4.O-O Bd6 5.d4!? — a fresh, engine-revived system → Chapter 10
3...Nd4!? 4.Nxd4 cxd4 5.c3 → Chapter 11
3...Qc7 and 3...Qb6 — the queen sorties → Chapter 12
3...Nf6 4.Nc3
- 4...g6, and 4...Nd4 5.e5 Nxb5 6.Nxb5 → Chapter 13
- 4...Qc7 5.O-O Nd4, the main line of the 3...Nf6 complex → Chapter 14
3...a6 and the remaining move-3 sidelines → Chapter 15
(3...d6 is handled separately, in the upcoming companion course on the Moscow Variation.)
A Platinum Course: Guaranteed Evolution
As a Platinum Course, The Rossolimo Revolution is not a static theoretical product. It is a living repertoire with guaranteed long-term development.
Updates (Real Value): Free updates are provided every 6 months for 2 years. The timing depends on the release month and is always exactly 6 months apart. All updates are automatically included. Each update delivers substantial, practical improvements, not cosmetic changes.
User involvement: Users can ask questions and upload their own games. The strongest and most instructive material is selected and integrated into future updates.
What updates may include (always something important):
- New theoretical developments
- New video explanations
- New chapters
- New model games
- New exercises
- New learning tools
Course Structure and Features
- 15 theory chapters with video instruction throughout
- GM Pier Luigi Basso's 15-minute video — the whole repertoire in condensed form
- 3 model games — the repertoire's plans shown in complete play
- 4 critical moments from high-level practice
- 5 Things to Know — the essential ideas of the repertoire
- 50 test positions — critical moments with tactical and strategic solutions
- 5 training positions for interactive practice against the engine
- A large Memory File — all 15 chapters condensed into one, with the key lines
- Memory Booster — for long-term recall of the main ideas
- To-Go Version of every chapter — condensed files for fast pre-game review
- Multilingual PGN files — English, German, French and Spanish
- Full download access — all materials are yours to keep
Take the Sicilian onto your own ground
The Rossolimo Revolution answers every 2...Nc6 Sicilian with a complete, plan-based White repertoire — trading the Open Sicilian's theory race for structures and clear long-term trumps, with the rare 7.a4 idea running through it and the modern lines current to 2026. Explore the course and learn how you can pose problems to Black in the Rossolimo.