Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation, Kantscher Line
806 games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
54.0%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 56.8%.
Measured over 806 games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for Black at this level and clock.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 9.2 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 806 games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 806
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Average game length
- 40 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 90.8%
- Draws
- 9.2%
Best and worst are the strongest and weakest squares with at least 500 games behind them. The table further down shows every square, including thinner ones.
Where it holds · Black score by rating × clock
Green is clearly ahead for Black, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It gets better as the rating rises: 30.0% at 1000-1199, 44.2% at 2500+.
| Rating | UB | Bulle | Blitz | Rapid | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-999 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1000-1199 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1200-1399 | — | — | — | ||
| 1400-1599 | — | — | |||
| 1600-1799 | — | — | |||
| 1800-1999 | — | ||||
| 2000-2199 | — | — | |||
| 2200-2499 | — | ||||
| 2500+ | — |
Expected score matrix by rating bracket and time control
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 27.0% expected score (5 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 35.7% expected score (9 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 32.4% expected score (7 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 55.9% expected score (24 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 56.4% expected score (22 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 45.5% expected score (43 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (7 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 35.7% expected score (2 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 56.5% expected score (37 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 52.5% expected score (122 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 59.9% expected score (29 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 60.4% expected score (105 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 60.1% expected score (197 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 63.1% expected score (33 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 48.9% expected score (90 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 42.1% expected score (55 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (8 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 35.7% expected score (2 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation, Kantscher Line scores 54.0% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 51.1% and 56.8% — from 806 Lichess games. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.
How the figures are made
- Whose games these are
- 806+ rated games played on Lichess (2023-12 to 2025-11). The games are Lichess’s and free for anyone to use. What is ours is the reading of them. Last rebuilt January 2026.
- Which games we count
- Rated games only — nothing casual.
- Both players within 200 rating points of each other. A mismatch tells you about the gap, not about the opening.
- At least 2 moves played.
- A game is filed under White’s rating.
- Why every number comes with a range
- A number off a few hundred games is a guess. The same number off millions is a fact. The range is what tells them apart, and it is what the lists rank on — so an opening cannot reach the top on a lucky run of forty games. The more games behind a figure, the narrower its range.
- How much we need before we say anything
- An opening page needs 100 games. A gambit needs 50 games at a rating before we will say whether it pays there. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games overall and 250 games at one rating or clock.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation, Kantscher Line win rate?
Playing the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation, Kantscher Line, Black wins 49.3%, draws 9.2% and loses 41.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.0%. It rests on 806 rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation, Kantscher Line perform best?
The Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation, Kantscher Line performs best for Black at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 60.5% (336 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation, Kantscher Line better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation, Kantscher Line scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 53.4% in Blitz (452 games) against 59.8% in Rapid (80 games).
How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation, Kantscher Line?
The Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation, Kantscher Line has a sharpness score of 90.8 (decisive), meaning 90.8% of games end decisively. Average game length is 40 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation, Kantscher Line win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 50.9%, draws 7.1% and loses 42.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 188 Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation, Kantscher Line win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 56.4%, draws 8.1% and loses 35.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 60.5%. It rests on 336 Lichess games, which average 40 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation, Kantscher Line win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 36.7%, draws 18.8% and loses 44.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.2%. It rests on 155 Lichess games, which average 50 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation, Kantscher Line win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 50.1%, draws 6.8% and loses 43.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.5%. It rests on 269 Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation, Kantscher Line win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 48.8%, draws 9.2% and loses 42.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.4%. It rests on 452 Lichess games.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation, Kantscher Line a good opening?
The Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation, Kantscher Line is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 49.3% of its games and loses 41.4%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.