Rossolimo Rampage Review: The 60-Second Version
IM Alexander Krastev’s Chessable course gives 1.e4 players a full answer to 2…Nc6 Sicilians with 3.Bb5. What sets it apart is the amount of explanation. Almost a quarter of the runtime is one long chapter on structures and plans, the quickstarters come in a beginners’ and a main version, and the theory chapters keep returning to one theme: play against Black’s doubled c-pawns. The course does not try to be a complete anti-Sicilian repertoire, and it ships as video only. Within its scope, though, it is thorough, clear and practical, which is the core finding of this Rossolimo Rampage review.
Practice value is the standout score: the rules of thumb are designed for the moment your opponent leaves theory, and the author shows himself using them. Structure and depth are solid, with every Black third move covered. The study-files score is low because the folder contains MP4 files only — no PGN, so you need to record the lines yourself while watching. If you are still choosing an answer to the Sicilian, our chess courses list groups all the opening courses.
Meet the Coach
- International Master; calls this course his first chance to reach a bigger audience (introduction)
- Plays GM round-robin events — the course grew out of a 2023 game in Oer-Erkenschwick (introduction)
- Works as a coach; he has prepared youth players twice a day at a German Youth Chess Championship (3…Nf6 chapter)
- Learned the Rossolimo from his own coach’s files and lost with it until he understood the plans (concept chapter)
The coaching background shows in a story from the 3…Nf6 chapter. After a long day preparing students at a youth championship, he was talked into a late-evening blitz event, sat down exhausted and reached one of the critical positions of that very chapter. He spent about two and a half of his three minutes remembering the right idea — and found it. It is a small anecdote, but it explains why the course leans so heavily on understanding: tired players forget moves, not plans.
How to Get the Course
Where the 17h 53m Goes
The product page lists the files; this Rossolimo Rampage Review looks at the balance. We grouped the videos by Black’s third move and separated the explanatory material. 3…e6 receives the most theory, but the single largest video is the concept chapter, and the starter material together runs well over two hours.
The teaching logic behind the chapters is a simple chain that repeats in almost every line:
Worked Example: The 3…Nf6 Move-Order Test
Chapter 9 is a neat illustration of how Krastev builds a repertoire efficiently. 3…Nf6 is only the fourth most common reply to 3.Bb5, but it has become popular since, as he notes, Fabiano Caruana chose it with Black against Praggnanandhaa at the 2024 Candidates.
- See what Black wants. 3…Nf6 invites e4–e5, after which the knight hops to d5 and c7 and the game leaves typical Rossolimo channels; Black’s c8-bishop may also get f5 or g4 before …e6 or …g6.
- Refuse the invitation. White plays 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d3 and simply waits.
- Collect the transposition. If Black continues 5…g6, the game transposes to the 3…g6 main lines after h3, …Bg7 and Nc3 — a position you already know from chapters 1–4.
- Handle the independent tries. Black’s own options are 5…Bg4, the most played, and 5…Qc7 with …e5 and …Bd6, which Krastev calls the more critical. With the bishop on d6 instead of g7, White’s usual queenside levers lose their bite, and the natural Nbd2 runs into …b5.
- Punish the early queen. His answer to 5…Qc7 is 6.e5. The knight goes to d5 and, without c7 available, gets chased by c4 and another pawn kick until it lands on a6 — four of Black’s first eight moves made with one knight. White’s pawns look overextended, but the space and time are real, and the chapter shows how to hold d3, starting with Qe2 so that …Bf5 can be met by Nh4.
The example captures the course’s priorities: steer into familiar structures when Black allows it, and when Black does something independent, choose the line that keeps the doubled-pawn theme alive rather than the one that lets Black untangle.
Second Example: Cashing In Against 3…Nd4
The “3…stuff” chapter is short, but its first line is a model of practical teaching. After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 Black moves the same knight twice to avoid the doubled pawns. Krastev’s recipe is to take at once with 4.Nxd4 cxd4 and challenge the pawn with 5.c3. If Black exchanges on c3, the recapture with the knight gives White two developed pieces and a full centre after d4, while Black has nothing to show for his time.
If Black tries to hold the d4-pawn with …Qb6 or …a6, the bishop drops back to a4 when necessary, the pawn is eventually traded, and a black queen that recaptures on d4 becomes a target for Nc3, d3 and Be3 — every tempo it loses is a developing move for White. In this Rossolimo Rampage review we found that this kind of summary (“take, play c3, kick the queen”) is exactly what makes the sideline chapters quick to absorb.
Inside the 3h 48m Concept Chapter
“Understanding the Rossolimo” opens with the question every new Rossolimo player asks: why give up the bishop pair on move four? Krastev’s answer frames the whole course. 3.Bb5 avoids the many Open Sicilians after d4, and Bxc6 trades the bishop pair for a damaged black structure, so “bishop pair versus damaged structure” is the basic fight. He then adds the lesson that took him years to learn, first heard from a friend’s father during a post-mortem: a weakness is only a weakness if you can attack it. In his early Rossolimo games he took on c6 and then just played normal moves, Black consolidated, and the bishops took over.
That is why the chapter goes structure by structure, starting with 3…e6, where White takes on c6 at once instead of waiting for …a6 or allowing …Ne7 to protect the knight. Taking early, he says, keeps the same imbalance in every line, so knowledge from one chapter transfers to the next. For this Rossolimo Rampage review, it is the most valuable stretch of the course, and the reason we recommend watching it before the theory chapters.
The Index, Turned Into a Learning Path
The full file list is on the course page. To make it usable, we arranged the 17 videos into a six-step path using the real runtimes. Because there is no PGN, each step ends with a concrete note-taking task so that you build your own file as you go.
| Step | Watch | Video time | Then do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction + Quickstarter for Beginners | 1:09 | Play your first games with 3…g6 lines only |
| 2 | Understanding the Rossolimo | 3:48 | List the key structures and the plan for each |
| 3 | Main Quickstarter 1 and 2 | 1:26 | Write a one-line answer to every Black third move |
| 4 | Chapters 1–4 — 3…g6 | 3:14 | Note when a4–a5 or a3–b4 is the right lever |
| 5 | Chapters 5–8 — 3…e6 | 4:35 | Mark every position where e5 must be stopped |
| 6 | Chapters 9–12 — 3…Nf6, 3…d6, 3…e5, rare moves | 3:41 | Record the transpositions back to steps 4 and 5 |
Anti-Sicilian · White · 3.Bb5 vs 2…Nc6
IM Alexander Krastev — Rossolimo Rampage: Crush the 2…Nc6 Sicilians
Seventeen MP4 videos: introduction, a beginners’ quickstarter, two main quickstarters, a 3h 48m concept chapter and twelve theory chapters on every Black third move. The full file index is on the product page.
Test Yourself: Five Rossolimo Questions
These questions are taken from the chapters above. They show quickly whether the course will teach you new ideas or mostly confirm what you know. Tap each question for the answer.
1. After 3…Nf6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d3 g6, where does the game go?
2. Why is the setup with …Qc7, …e5 and …Bd6 more awkward for White than the same structure with the bishop on g7?
3. What is White’s basic recipe against 3…Nd4?
4. Which square is the “dream square” for Black’s remaining knight in many Rossolimo structures?
5. Which theme does the author say runs through the entire course?
Rossolimo Rampage Review: Strengths and Gaps
One theme from start to finish
Krastev says he tried to keep one idea running through the whole course: play against the doubled pawns. That choice guides his line selection — in the 3…Nf6 chapter he rejects a playable move precisely because it lets Black undouble quickly. For the student, a single theme makes nearly eighteen hours far easier to organise.
Honest triage of the sidelines
The rare moves are handled fast and without drama. Krastev tells you which ones are objectively dubious, how to punish them with natural moves, and when to stop studying and move on to the main chapters.
What the package does not include
There is no PGN in this package, so plan to take notes. The course also covers 2…Nc6 only: against 2…d6 you will want Papaioannou’s 2…d6 3.Bb5 repertoire, and for a broader anti-Sicilian plan see Bologan’s Beating the Sicilian, Vol. 1. Players who prefer a shorter Rossolimo with files may compare Papaioannou’s Play the Rossolimo.
Which Rossolimo Course Should You Pick?
No Rossolimo Rampage review is complete without alternatives: the store has several 3.Bb5 courses with different emphasis. Use this table to match the course to your needs; every link goes to the product page with the full file list.
| If you need… | Choose |
|---|---|
| An idea-first Rossolimo with a long concept chapter | Krastev — Rossolimo Rampage |
| A strategic Rossolimo repertoire by a grandmaster | Papaioannou — Play the Rossolimo |
| A second opinion on the Rossolimo for White | Bologan — The Sicilian Rossolimo for White |
| 3.Bb5 Sicilians explained by GM Alexei Shirov | Shirov — Sicilian with 3.Bb5 |
| The Black side of these structures | Grigoryan — Nightmare of Rossolimo |
- Every Black third move after 3.Bb5 covered
- A 3h 48m chapter on structures and plans
- Beginners’ and main quickstarters for different levels
- One clear theme — the doubled c-pawns — across all lines
- Fast, practical treatment of dubious sidelines
- No PGN in the package
- 2…Nc6 only; 2…d6 and 2…e6 need other courses
- Close to 18 hours of video
- File names are short and not numbered in viewing order
FAQ
Is this Rossolimo Rampage review based on the actual course?
Yes. Runtimes come from the 17 video files, and the examples, rules and quotes come from the lesson transcripts.
Where should a newcomer to the Rossolimo start?
With the introduction and the beginners’ quickstarter, then the Understanding the Rossolimo chapter, as in step 1 and step 2 of our learning path.
Does the course include PGN files?
No. This package contains MP4 videos only, so record the lines yourself while you watch.
How is the course delivered?
Digital files. Crypto payment only. Fast delivery is handled manually after payment confirmation. Download links remain available for 7 days; save your files locally.
Our Rossolimo Rampage review lands on a clear profile: an explanation-heavy White repertoire against 2…Nc6 that teaches you what to do when the opponent leaves the book. The concept chapter, the two levels of quickstarter and the steady focus on Black’s doubled pawns make it one of the most teachable Rossolimo courses we have seen. The missing PGN keeps the score at 7.4 out of 10, so budget time for your own notes.
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External resource: chessable.com (official course page)
Opening background: Sicilian Defence on Wikipedia
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