Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation
34K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
49.7%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 50.2%.
Measured over 34K games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 6.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 34K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 34K
- Best context
- 51.0% at 1600-1799 Blitz
- Worst context
- 47.0% at 2500+ Blitz
- Average game length
- 36 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 93.9%
- Draws
- 6.1%
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 falls away as the rating rises: 59.9% at 0-999, 42.5% 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
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 47.6% expected score (40 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 62.0% expected score (11 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 37.4% expected score (82 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 46.1% expected score (49 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 43.6% expected score (14 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (257 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (247 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 46.4% expected score (40 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.6% expected score (596 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 48.5% expected score (671 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 51.9% expected score (136 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 61.8% expected score (7 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 48.2% expected score (1,030 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.0% expected score (1,288 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 44.1% expected score (226 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 70.7% expected score (13 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 49.0% expected score (1,303 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 49.2% expected score (2,362 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.3% expected score (330 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 42.5% expected score (25 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.9% expected score (1,536 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 50.9% expected score (4,734 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 48.4% expected score (478 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 62.2% expected score (19 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 49.2% expected score (3,558 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 50.3% expected score (8,259 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 49.5% expected score (565 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 57.4% expected score (12 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 50.1% expected score (3,078 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 47.0% expected score (2,790 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 38.5% expected score (77 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 34.6% expected score (5 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation scores 49.7% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 49.3% and 50.2% — from 34K 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
- 34K+ 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, Modern Variation win rate?
Playing the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation, Black wins 46.7%, draws 6.1% and loses 47.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.7%. It rests on 34K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation perform best?
The Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation performs best for Black at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 50.8% (6.8K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 49.8% in Blitz (20K games) against 48.7% in Rapid (1.9K games).
How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation?
The Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation has a sharpness score of 93.9 (decisive), meaning 93.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 39.9%, draws 1.7% and loses 58.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.8%. It rests on 145 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 48.7%, draws 2.8% and loses 48.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.1%. It rests on 544 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 47.6%, draws 3.7% and loses 48.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.5%. It rests on 1.4K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 47.2%, draws 4.4% and loses 48.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.4%. It rests on 2.6K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 47.3%, draws 4.0% and loses 48.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.4%. It rests on 4.0K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 47.9%, draws 5.7% and loses 46.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 6.8K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 46.7%, draws 6.5% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.0%. It rests on 12K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 44.0%, draws 8.8% and loses 47.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.4%. It rests on 6.0K Lichess games, which average 42 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 47.3%, draws 4.4% and loses 48.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.5%. It rests on 11K Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 46.4%, draws 6.8% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 20K Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 44.6%, draws 8.1% and loses 47.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.7%. It rests on 1.9K Lichess games.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation a good opening?
The Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 46.7% of its games and loses 47.3%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.