ECO B51

Sicilian Moscow Variation

Also known as: Canal Attack, Moscow Variation

The Moscow Variation, also known as the Canal Attack, arises after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+. It is the ...d6 sibling of the Rossolimo, where White gives a check that provokes a concession and frequently exchanges the light-squared bishop to enter a small-centre, low-theory positional struggle. By avoiding an early d4, White sidesteps the immense theory of the Najdorf and other Open Sicilians in favour of a strategically clear game.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+

Strategic ideas

The check on b5 immediately poses Black a question about how to block it, and each answer carries a small concession. After 3...Bd7, White can trade with Bxd7+, developing Black's queen or knight to d7 but removing a defender and easing White's own play; after 3...Nd7, Black keeps the bishop pair at the cost of a slightly passive knight and a target on the a4-e8 diagonal. In many lines White is content to swap the light-squared bishop, betting that the resulting structures favour the side with the more harmonious minor pieces and clearer plan.

Because White usually holds back d4 and instead plays a modest set-up with c3 and d4 later, or c4 for a bind, the game revolves around slow manoeuvring rather than early tactics. White aims for a small but secure spatial edge and pressure against Black's slightly loosened structure, while Black relies on the resilience of the Sicilian pawn chain and the traditional counterplay down the c-file. The absence of forcing lines makes understanding of the resulting middlegames more valuable than deep opening memorisation.

Main variations

After 3...Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7, White typically continues with c4, seizing space and heading for a Maroczy-style bind, or plays the flexible 0-0 and c3 aiming for d4 under good circumstances. This is the most positional interpretation, where White trades into a comfortable structure and probes for long-term pressure. Black recaptures with the queen and later reroutes it, completes development with ...Nc6, ...g6 and ...Bg7, and seeks the freeing breaks ...b5 or ...d5.

The alternative 3...Nd7 keeps more pieces on the board and allows Black to retain the bishop pair, though the knight on d7 is temporarily awkward and White can pressure it. White may also insert 3...Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Nxd7, recapturing with the knight to keep the queen flexible. Across all of these, White frequently follows with a restrained centre and the manoeuvre Nc3, 0-0 and Re1, while Black equalises through careful development and timely central or queenside breaks.

History and background

The check 3.Bb5+ was employed by the Peruvian-Spanish master Esteban Canal, from whom the alternative name Canal Attack derives, and was later refined and popularised by Soviet players, giving it the label Moscow Variation. It has become a mainstream anti-Sicilian weapon at every level, valued as a practical way to avoid the sharpest main lines while still fighting for an advantage. Many elite grandmasters have adopted it as a reliable surprise or as a permanent means of steering the ...d6 Sicilian into quieter, strategically rich waters.

Key ideas

• 3.Bb5+ is the anti-Najdorf answer to the ...d6 move order, avoiding an early d4.
• White often trades the light-squared bishop for a small-centre, positional game.
• 3...Bd7, 3...Nd7 and recapturing with queen or knight each carry small concessions.
• White seeks a Maroczy-style bind with c4 or a slow build-up with c3 and d4.
• Black leans on the resilient Sicilian structure and c-file counterplay.
• It sidesteps huge Open Sicilian theory in favour of understanding-based play.

Typical plans

Related openings

• Sicilian Rossolimo
• Sicilian Defense
• Sicilian Najdorf
• Sicilian Alapin
• Sicilian Dragon