Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation (9… Nxd4 10. Qxd4)
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 Be7 8. O-O-O O-O 9. f4 Nxd4 10. Qxd4
The Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B65, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 Be7 8. O-O-O O-O 9. f4 Nxd4 10. Qxd4. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. Black is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 7 times by this move order. White won 29%, 14% were drawn and Black won 57%. The most popular continuation is 10… Qa5 (86% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.48 (Stockfish, depth 30; best line 10… Qa5 11. Be2 Bd7 12. Rhf1 h6 13. Bxf6)
- ECO
- B65
- Moves
- 19 plies
- FEN
r1bq1rk1/pp2bppp/3ppn2/6B1/3QPP2/2N5/PPP3PP/2KR1B1R b - - 0 10- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 Be7 8. O-O-O O-O 9. f4 Nxd4 10. Qxd4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 2000+ | 7 | |
| All | 7 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 10… Qa5 | 6 (86%) | |
| 10… Ne8 | 1 (14%) |
Master games
113 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 46%, draw 29%, Black 25%). The strongest:
- GM David Navara (2735) – GM Baadur Jobava (2661) 1-0 · 17th ch-EUR Indiv 2016 · 2016-05-19
- GM Kacper Piorun (2648) – GM Bartosz Socko (2590) 1/2-1/2 · ch-POL 2017 · 2017-03-25
- GM Twan Burg (2518) – GM Ivan Sokolov (2625) 1/2-1/2 · ch-NED 2017 · 2017-06-26
- GM M.R. Venkatesh (2477) – GM Nigel D Short (2661) 1-0 · Zaw Win Lay Myanmar Open · 2014-11-26
- GM Vladimir Akopian (2620) – GM Maxim Dlugy (2513) 1-0 · ch-USA Seniors 2022 · 2022-07-14
Highest-rated Lichess games
- nuitet989893 (2619) – atsaynm (2623) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- TTtrain (2540) – atsaynm (2629) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- CM vliegmachinist (2378) – Diamondwx (2425) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Rauzer Attack 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 Be7 8. O-O-O O-O 9. f4 Nxd4
More Sicilian Defense lines (all)
- Sicilian Defense (1. e4 c5) B20
- Sicilian Defense: Amazon Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Brick Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack, Queen Fianchetto Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Euwe Attack, Prins Gambit B20
- Sicilian Defense: Gloria Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Grob Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Keres Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: King David's Opening B20
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.