A Powerful Anti-Sicilian that Avoids Tons of Theory
by Victor Bologan, 238pp. (New In Chess, 2011)

Read an excerpt here

Play real chess instead of trying to memorize endless database lines! That is what the Rossolimo Sicilian offers and why this opening has become so popular with chess players all over the world.
If you play 3.Bb5 in the Sicilian, you do not need to keep up-to-date with the dazzling theoretical developments in all kinds of Open Sicilians. You can sidestep theory, play your own creative game – and still put your opponent in trouble!

Victor Bologan focuses on opening lines he learned from his trainer Viacheslav Chebanenko in his youth in Moldavia. Chebanenko’s original analyses formed the solid basis for a lot of new and ground-breaking work that Bologan has done for this opening – in practical play, but also in training sessions with Garry Kasparov.

Bologan does not tire the reader with dry variations. His verbal explanations are smooth, clear, and often humorous. He recounts the history of the line and provides a short but colourful biography of its originator, the legendary grandmaster Nicholas Rossolimo.

Victor Bologan is one of the strongest grandmasters in the world. He has won many tournaments, including the Aeroflot Open in Moscow and the Dortmund super-tournament.

He has written critically acclaimed opening books like ‘The Chebanenko Slav’ and ‘The King’s Indian: a Complete Black Repertoire’, and his ‘Victor Bologan Selected Games 1985-2004’ was an international bestseller.

Uwe Bekemann, German Federation for Correspondence Chess:
"Helps you to learn through understanding the material (..) I feel this is a book the chess world has been waiting for."

Dennis Monokroussos, ChessToday:
"A system opening presented in just that way: as a system. There are no variations labelled B1332212 here! (..) There's comparatively little to memorize, and what should be memorized is largely conceptual."

Babs Wilders, Nederlands Dagblad:
"This author entertains with anecdotes and humour, but this is first and foremost an instruction book."

IM John Donaldson, jeremysilman.com:
"Advocates the modern system of trading on c6, often on move 4 (..) Bologan offers his material in an approach that combines using a structure based around 'model games' and a strict opening book. This synthesis works well with the Rossolimo that is usually about ideas but can become sharp and theoretical."

Europa Rochade Magazine:
"The positions that arise leave a lot of room for your own creativity and appeal to positional players just as much as to attackers. An ideal weapon against the Sicilian with little theory and good prospects (..) The additional training tests are great."