Richter-Rauzer Attack | Sicilian Defense Theory

The Richter Rauzer is a very aggressive way to fight the classical Sicilian, and many great players, such as Garry Kasparov, have been using it with great success.

White either fights with f4 or with an English Attack setup with f3 and tries to crash through to the black king as soon as possible.

For an introduction to the Sicilian Defense watch this video: youtu.be/impkeLfyyVM

This video should serve as an introduction to understanding the Richer-Rauzer Attack. I tried to explain most common plans for white and for black.

The variations is very aggressive and it could mean quick wins for either side (I’m subjective, but more commonly for white:). It involves white attacking the kingside and black attacking the queenside and, whoever is faster, usually wins. Similarly to the dragon, you have to utilize each tempo and make sure you don’t waste any time.

The lines you have to study are fairly straightforward and there isn’t as much theory as in some other Sicilians, which is a great point in favor of using this attack as white. Whenever your opponent goes for the classical Sicilian instead of for the Sveshnikov or something else, the lines and setups shown in the video will give you the best chances.

One thing I would like to point out that studying Garry Kasparov’s games in the variation should be part of your preparation. He is one of the main exponents of the opening, and his games from the 90s have all the main ideas. Study them and learn where to put your pieces, how to attack and get a feel for the position.

#chess #siciliandefense