Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation (6. Bg5 e6)

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6

The Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B62, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move. 4 named lines continue from this position.

In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 690 times by this move order. White won 47%, 8% were drawn and Black won 45%. The most popular continuation is 7. Qd2 (63% of games).

Engine evaluation: +0.39 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 7. Qd2 a6 8. O-O-O Be7 9. f4 Qc7)

ECO: B62
Moves: 12 plies
FEN: r1bqkb1r/pp3ppp/2nppn2/6B1/3NP3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R2QKB1R w KQkq - 0 7
PGN: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6

Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess

Results by rating

Average rating	Games	White / draw / Black
0-1499	4	50%50%
1500-1999	116	46%43%
2000+	570	47%46%
All	690	47%45%

Most played moves

Move	Games	White / draw / Black
7. Qd2 Richter-Rauzer Variation, Traditional Variation	437 (63%)	50%42%
7. f4	74 (11%)	50%39%
7. Bb5 Richter-Rauzer Variation, Vitolins Variation	51 (7%)	47%47%
7. Qd3 Richter-Rauzer Variation (6… e6 7. Qd3)	42 (6%)	38%57%
7. Be2	27 (4%)	22%67%
7. Nxc6 Richter-Rauzer Variation, Exchange Variation	16 (2%)	31%69%
7. f3	15 (2%)	47%26%27%
7. Bc4	14 (2%)	43%57%

Master games

313 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 34%, draw 15%, Black 51%). The strongest:

IM Novendra Priasmoro (2502) – GM Alireza Firouzja (2728) 0-1 · Titled Tuesday 14th July · 2020-07-14
IM Bogdanovich, S. (2588) – GM Alexander Zubarev (2552) 1/2-1/2 · Mukachevo Summer · 2016-07-01
FM Singh Ojasva (2328) – GM Santosh Gujrathi Vidit (2731) 0-1 · Titled Tue 2nd May Early · 2023-05-02
IM Tologontegin, S. (2382) – GM Aryan Chopra (2629) 0-1 · 19th Asian Continental · 2022-10-28
WIM Divya Deshmukh (2310) – GM Grigoriy Oparin (2659) 1-0 · Lindores Abbey Tal Mem · 2021-11-08

Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation and its sub-variations

Highest-rated Lichess games

Sunrise34 (2867) – barteljaap-jan (2910) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
Sunrise34 (2876) – molecularchemist285 (2850) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
InvisibleGuest2023 (2813) – GM Babushka28 (2811) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s

Comes from

Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation (5… Nc6 6. Bg5) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5

Continuations

Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation (6… e6 7. Qd3) B62 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd3
Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Exchange Variation B62 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Nxc6
Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Traditional Variation B63 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2
Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Vitolins Variation B62 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Bb5

More Sicilian Defense lines (all)

Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.