Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Dragon Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
96,327 games: White 49.3% / Draw 4.9% / Black 45.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 31,67332K | ||
| 21,03621K | ||
| 11,98712K | ||
| 7,1977,197 | ||
| 5,8455,845 | ||
| 5,6635,663 | ||
| 4,8244,824 | ||
| 4,1894,189 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.67 White is slightly better
Best play: 7. Bxf6 exf6 8. Bb5 Bd7 9. Qd2 Bg7 10. O-O-O O-O 11. Nb3 a6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Dragon Variation (ECO B60, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Open, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 g6 (6 moves).
In 96,327 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.3%, Black 45.9% and 4.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. Bxf6, in 33% of those games.
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How to play against the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Dragon Variation
The most played answer, 7. Bxf6, also scores best for White: 54.3%, with White winning 51.5% and Black 42.8% of 32K games. Of the main answers, 7. f4 scores lowest: 45.6%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7. Bxf6.
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Dragon Variation (B60)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-richter-rauzer-variation-dragon-variation