Caissa Codex
B62

Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation 6. Bg5 e6

Chess diagram: Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation after 6…e6

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Statistics from Lichess

527,381 games: White 47.5% / Draw 5.9% / Black 46.6%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
Traditional Variation 278,417278K
75,72076K
Vitolins Variation 58,53059K
23,05923K
Exchange Variation 19,72320K
17,60918K
17,41117K
16,29716K

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.43 White is slightly better

Best play: 7. Qd2 a6 8. O-O-O Be7 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. f4 Nxd4 11. Qxd4 Bd7

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

By rating

Rating changes little here: Black scores 50% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up and 45% in master games (wins plus half the draws).

PlayersGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
Under 1400 8,233
1400–1799 89K
1800–2199 238K
2200 and up 227K
Masters, over the board 20K

Master games

Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026

Overview

Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation (ECO B62, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 (6 moves).

In 527,381 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.5%, Black 46.6% and 5.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. Qd2, in 53% of those games.

It branches into 4 named variations; the most played are Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Traditional Variation and Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Vitolins Variation. In all, 11 named lines continue from it.

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How to answer 6…e6

The most played answer, 7. Qd2 (Traditional Variation), also scores best for White: 52.9%, with White winning 49.7% and Black 43.9% of 278K games. Of the main answers, 7. f4 scores lowest: 47.0%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7. Qd2.

Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings

Popularity by year

This line peaked in 2020 at 0.023% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.019% in 2025.

Numbers by year
YearShare of gamesGames
20160.016%5,846
20170.019%10,661
20180.021%16,587
20190.022%27,338
20200.023%67,505
20210.021%83,631
20220.02%73,233
20230.02%74,331
20240.02%71,974
20250.019%66,934
2026 (Jan–Apr)0.02%21,529

Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling

Variations (4)

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 6…e6, the position after Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation also goes on to:

Transpositions

From here, a move transposes into another named line:

All 11 named lines that continue from here

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation (B62)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-richter-rauzer-variation-2

https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-richter-rauzer-variation-2