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
The Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B60, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. Black is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 1,034 times by this move order. White won 48%, 8% were drawn and Black won 44%. The most popular continuation is 6… e6 (67% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.29 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 6… e6 7. Qd2 a6 8. O-O-O Bd7 9. Kb1)
- ECO
- B60
- Moves
- 11 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/pp2pppp/2np1n2/6B1/3NP3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R2QKB1R b KQkq - 4 6- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 20 | |
| 1500-1999 | 219 | |
| 2000+ | 795 | |
| All | 1,034 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6… e6 Richter-Rauzer Variation (6. Bg5 e6) | 690 (67%) | |
| 6… Bd7 Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation (6. Bg5 Bd7) | 149 (14%) | |
| 6… e5 | 53 (5%) | |
| 6… g6 | 42 (4%) | |
| 6… h6 | 27 (3%) | |
| 6… Qb6 | 25 (2%) | |
| 6… Qa5 | 23 (2%) | |
| 6… a6 | 12 (1%) |
Master games
881 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 44%, draw 18%, Black 38%). The strongest:
- Stockfish 202003092246 (3936) – Houdini 6.03 (3854) 1-0 · TCEC 20 Premier 2020 · 2020-03-19
- Houdini 6.03 (3854) – Stockfish 202003092246 (3936) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 20 Premier 2020 · 2020-03-18
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2852) – GM Daniil Dubov (2708) 1-0 · Titled Tue 28th Feb Early · 2023-02-28
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2847) – GM Daniil Dubov (2710) 0-1 · DM Carlsen-Dubov 2021 · 2021-04-22
- GM Alireza Firouzja (2804) – GM Daniil Dubov (2720) 1/2-1/2 · World Rapid 2021 · 2021-12-28
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM Kostik_Mostik (2890) – Nana_jede_cevape (2910) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- Sunrise34 (2867) – barteljaap-jan (2910) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- Sunrise34 (2876) – molecularchemist285 (2850) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Classical Variation (5. Nc3 Nc6) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation (6. Bg5 e6) B62 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6
- Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation (6. Bg5 Bd7) B60 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 Bd7
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.