Semi-Open · a defense for Black
Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation
14/14
1.e4c52.Nf3d63.d4cxd44.Nxd4Nf65.Nc3Nc66.Bg5e67.Qd2Be7
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation75k games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
75%56k58%
7.7%5.8k53%
7.4%5.6k56%
2.1%1.6k52%
1.6%1.2k47%
1.5%1.1k52%
1.3%97053%
0.9%68152%
0.7%52553%
0.5%35542%
Famous games in this line4.6k master games
Carlsen, M.. (2847) – Radjabov, T.. (2765)Kasparov, Garry (2775) – Kramnik, Vladimir (2775)So, W. (2767) – Vachier Lagrave, M. (2774)Karjakin, Sergey (2752) – Vachier Lagrave, M.. (2784)Anand, Viswanathan (2725) – Kasparov, Garry (2795)Ivanchuk, Vassily (2740) – Anand, Viswanathan (2770)Karjakin, Sergey (2767) – Wang, Hao (2743)Anand, Viswanathan (2735) – Kramnik, Vladimir (2765)Heroes of this opening Kasparov, Garry · Anand, Viswanathan · Karjakin, Sergey
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- B63
- Line
- 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 Be7
Keep exploring
Go deeper — named lines from here
Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Rauzer Attack8.O-O-O O-O 9.f4 Nxd4Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation, Kantscher Line8.O-O-O Nxd4 9.Qxd4 a6 10.f4 b5
Nearby lines in the family
From the archives
No reply to 1.e4 is played more. Fischer made the Najdorf his main weapon, and Kasparov's Sicilians are pillars of chess history — the Scheveningen against Karpov, the Dragon he unveiled against Anand in 1995. When you play 1...c5 you refuse symmetry, the same refusal that carried two world champions.
Study this opening