FreeRepublic wrote on 07/13/23 at 14:59:12:

Hmm; the 2021 ECO addressed that via 10...h6 11. Bh4 (it had 11. h4 as leading to an edge for White) Qa5 12. Bc4 e5, and didn't portray it as better for White, e.g.

15. Rdf1 Be6 16. Bf6 Bf6 17. Kb1 Qc5 18. Bb3 a5= (Kosteniuk-Dembo 2005)

15. Bf6 Bf6 16. Rdf1 Bh4 17. Kb1 Qc5 18. a3 a6 19. Ba2 Rad8 20. Nd5 Rd7 21. h3 Be6 22. Rf3 Kh8 23. Rd1 Rfd8 unclear (Shankland-Popov 2015)

I have recently taken a new look at the classical lines of the Richter-Rauzer. One little known line that bothered me was:
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 Be7 8. O-O-O O-O 9. h4!?

I'm able to report that it is covered well in The Razor Sharp Rauzer Sicilian (Chessable). I think anyone who answers 6Bg5 e6 7Qd2 with 7...Be7 should buy this product. Other White moves, on move 6 and 7, are also covered. White players might also find it worthwhile.

kylemeister wrote on 07/08/23 at 22:00:04:


I went ahead and bought it. It is my second purchase from Chessable, my first being The Complete Open Spanish for Black. I can't help but to compare the two products.

I am very satisfied with the Chessable course on the Open Spanish. Through dint of effort and ability, the authors have produced analysis that I consider insightfull and reliable. I have spent some time with the product and will spend more time going through their analysis.

I bought the Richter-Rauzer only yesterday but, as with the Open Ruy, I've been familiar with the opening for many years. So far I have not seen any game fragments - simply analysis, which I think is a shortcoming.

Many lines are covered and I'm sure I will find value. However, keying in on my first major line, I am somewhat dissapointed.

After 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 Be7 8.O-O-O Nxd4 9. Qxd4 O-O 10. f4 Qa5 11. Bc4 Bd7 12. e5 dxe5 13. fxe5 Bc6 14. Bd2 Nd7 15. Nd5 Qd8 16. Nxe7+ Qxe7 17. Rhe1

There are more than 500 games from this position in Chess Assistant. Here the author goes with the extremely rare 17...b5. After covering 18Bd3, he goes on to the more critical 18Bf1 a5. My data base and Stockfish both indicate that 19Qg4 is best. Instead the author goes with 19Qd6.

As indicated before, the work has great breadth and I expect to find valuable analysis in many lines. My impression at this point is that it's an additional resource but is not sufficient in one key line.

Another Chessable course is:

The Razor Sharp Rauzer Sicilian

https://www.chessable.com/the-razor-sharp-rauzer-sicilian/course/29167/

It covers the Classical Sicilian but with a strong emphasis on the Richter-Rauzer. I don't have the course. I have no idea which Richter-Rauzer lines he covers.

FreeRepublic wrote on 07/30/22 at 17:59:04:

By the way, ECO had 17...d5 as "!" back in 1997, leading to compensation for the material according to Van der Wiel.  (That Dutch GM had authored a B67-69 monograph, also from Chess Informant.  Anand did one on B66.)

FreeRepublic wrote on 07/30/22 at 15:08:38:

I see that a version with Kb1 and ...Bc8 (12. Kb1 Qb6 13. f5 0-0-0 14. fe fe 15. Ne2 Kb8 16. Nf4 Bc8 17. g3 d5 18. ed e5) was a main line (column) in ECO-B2 (2021).  It cited a game Frolyanov-Vorobiov 2007 with a later deviation, giving equality after 37 moves.

alyechin wrote on 07/30/22 at 08:32:56:


A post by Isolani:

"Classical sicilian" by IM Benjamin Haldorsen on Chess24. I'm new to the Classical and didn't check much yet, but I enjoyed is explanations and choices of lines. Against the Rauzer it's 9...Be7  and 9...h6 as a second string."

I think the idea is that after 9...h6 10Bh4, the play can return to main channels, but White has been denied the move Qh6.

Sevian-Shankland 2022 seems representative of the 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 a6 8. O-O-O Bd7 9. f4 Be7 line:

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 d6 4. d4 cd4 5. Nd4 Nf6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 a6 8. O-O-O Bd7 9. f4 Be7 10. Nf3 b5 11. Bf6 gf6 12. f5 Qb6 13. Ne2

13Kb1 would lead to play similar to the game, while avoiding Black's 13th move alternative.

13...O-O-O

13...Qa5 would have forced the trade of queens and led to equality. Sam probably knew that, but wanted a more complex and typical game with nearly equal chances.

14. Nf4 Kb8 15. g3 d5 16. ed5 e5 17. Nd3 Na5 18. Qf2 Qf2 19. Nf2 Bf5 20. Nh4 Bg6 21. Ng4 Nb7 22. Bh3 Nd6 23. Ne3 Bf8 24. Nhf5 Ne4 25. Rhf1 Bc5 26. Bg2 Nd6 27. Kb1 Rhe8 28. Nd6 Rd6 29. Nf5 Bf5 30. Rf5 e4 31. c3 e3 32. Kc2 Re5 33. Re5 fe5 34. b4 Bb6 35. Rf1 Rh6 36. h3 e2 37. Re1 Bf2 38. Re2 Bg3 39. Rd2 Kc7 40. Be4 Kd6 41. Rg2 Rh3 42. Bf5 Rh5 43. Bc8 Rg5 44. Ba6 f5 45. Bb5 f4 46. c4 e4 47. Rd2 e3 48. Re2 Bf2 49. Kd3 f3 50. Re3 Be3

My engine says the current position is equal, but ...

Samuel, Sevian-Sam Shankland FTX Road to Miami 1-0 chess24.com INT Round 11.6 2022-07-12