Caissa Codex
B60

Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation

Chess diagram: Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation after 6…Bd7

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Statistics from Lichess

85,394 games: White 47.0% / Draw 6.4% / Black 46.6%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation 40,76641K
10,97811K
8,9718,971
6,1896,189
5,3645,364
3,3503,350
2,8592,859
2,1792,179

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.42 White is slightly better

Best play: 7. Qd2 a6 8. O-O-O e6 9. Kb1 Be7 10. f3 Nxd4 11. Qxd4 Qc7

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

Overview

Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation (ECO B60, 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 Bd7 (6 moves).

In 85,394 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.0%, Black 46.6% and 6.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. Qd2, in 48% of those games.

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How to play against the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation

7. Bxf6 scores best for White: 51.9%, with White winning 49.4% and Black 45.5% of 11K games. The most played, 7. Qd2, scores 50.8% in 41K games, and 7. f4 scores lowest: 47.2%. Stockfish's first choice is 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

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 6…Bd7, the position after Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation also goes on to:

Transpositions

From here, a move transposes into another named line:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation (B60)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-richter-rauzer-variation-modern-variation

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