Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation, Kantscher Line
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 Nxd4 9. Qxd4 a6 10. f4 b5
The Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation, Kantscher Line is a chess opening classified as ECO B63, 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 Nxd4 9. Qxd4 a6 10. f4 b5. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move.
This exact move order didn't appear in our sample of 12.6 million Lichess games: it's a rare line.
Engine evaluation: +0.69 (Stockfish, depth 49; best line 11. Bxf6 gxf6 12. Kb1 O-O 13. Bd3 Kh8)
- ECO
- B63
- Moves
- 20 plies
- FEN
r1bqk2r/4bppp/p2ppn2/1p4B1/3QPP2/2N5/PPP3PP/2KR1B1R w kq - 0 11- 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 Nxd4 9. Qxd4 a6 10. f4 b5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Master games
12 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 50%, draw 0%, Black 50%). The strongest:
- GM Krikor Sevag Mekhitarian (2554) – GM Dmitry Gurevich (2399) 0-1 · Titled Tue 18th Aug · 2020-08-18
- GM Kevin Spraggett (2513) – FM Eivind Olav Risting (2282) 1-0 · Portugal Open 2019 · 2019-02-06
- Joshua Sheng (2236) – GM Giorgi Margvelashvili (2556) 0-1 · 115th US Open 2014 · 2014-07-31
- IM Sabrina Vega Gutierrez (2380) – WGM Ticia Gara (2371) 1-0 · Online Olym Top DivB 2020 · 2020-08-23
- FM Fabian Ernesto Vivas Zamora (2344) – GM Dmitry Gurevich (2399) 0-1 · Titled Tuesday 7th July · 2020-07-07
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation (7. Qd2 Be7) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 Be7
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.