- ECO code
- B30
- Moves
- 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 1,700
- Average game length
- 45 moves
- Years covered
- 1883–2026
Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack is the opening filed under ECO code B30, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family and is known as the Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,700 games on this line — the 68th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1883 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 919 games. An average game here lasts 45 moves.
White wins 43% of those games, 31% end in a draw, and Black wins 26%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%).
From this position the most popular move is 3...g6, played in 725 games, followed by 3...e6 (548) and 3...d6 (167). 3...g6 leads into Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack, Fianchetto Variation. After 3...g6 White scores 43% and Black 24%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Caruana,F (112 games); on the Black side, Carlsen,M (124).
1 named variation branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack, Fianchetto Variation.
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Results in master games
- White 43% (722)
- Draws 31% (528)
- Black 26% (450)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3...g6 | 725 | 43/33/24 | Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack, Fianchetto Variation |
| 3...e6 | 548 | 40/31/29 | — |
| 3...d6 | 167 | 46/31/23 | — |
| 3...Nf6 | 156 | 41/28/31 | — |
| 3...e5 | 63 | 46/25/29 | — |
| 3...Qb6 | 11 | 37/36/27 | — |
| 3...Qc7 | 7 | 86/14/0 | — |
| 3...Nd4 | 6 | 66/17/17 | — |
Variations from this position
- Fianchetto Variation · 3...g6 · 725 games
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
- Sicilian Defense · 1.e4 c5 · 21,789 games
- Sicilian Defense · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 · 18,942 games
- Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 · 4,730 games
Played most often by
As White
- Caruana,F 112
- Nepomniachtchi,I 85
- Grischuk,A 77
As Black
- Carlsen,M 124
- Caruana,F 87
- Gukesh,D 84
Games per decade
- 1880s 1
- 1920s 1
- 1930s 1
- 1950s 12
- 1960s 18
- 1970s 21
- 1980s 20
- 1990s 116
- 2000s 249
- 2010s 342
- 2020s 919
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sargsyan,Shant | Praggnanandhaa,R | 0-1 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
| Drygalov,Sergey | Nakamura,Hi | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 16th Jun 2026 |
| Carlsen,M | Nakamura,Hi | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 6th Jan 2026 |
| Niemann,Hans Moke | Nepomniachtchi,I | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Niemann-Nepomniachtchi m |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Cuenca Jimenez,J | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 24th Mar 2026 |
| Indjic,A | Nepomniachtchi,I | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 12th May 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack?
It is the opening with ECO code B30, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack good for White or for Black?
In 1,700 master games on this line White wins 43%, 31% are drawn and Black wins 26%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack?
3...g6 — played in 725 of the master games on this line, which leads into Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack, Fianchetto Variation.
Which grandmasters play the Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack?
On the White side Caruana,F (112), Nepomniachtchi,I (85), Grischuk,A (77); on the Black side Carlsen,M (124), Caruana,F (87), Gukesh,D (84).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
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