Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Normal System
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 3. d4
The Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Normal System is a chess opening classified as ECO B28, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 3. d4. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. Black is to move. 4 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 6,950 times by this move order. White won 46%, 5% were drawn and Black won 49%. The most popular continuation is 3… cxd4 (88% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.18 (Stockfish, depth 42; best line 3… cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Bd3 Nc6 6. Nxc6)
- ECO
- B28
- Moves
- 5 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/1p1ppppp/p7/2p5/3PP3/5N2/PPP2PPP/RNBQKB1R b KQkq - 0 3- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 3. d4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 1,246 | |
| 1500-1999 | 3,905 | |
| 2000+ | 1,799 | |
| All | 6,950 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3… cxd4 | 6,147 (88%) | |
| 3… e6 | 541 (8%) | |
| 3… b6 | 55 (1%) | |
| 3… b5 | 47 (1%) | |
| 3… Nc6 | 45 (1%) | |
| 3… d6 | 44 (1%) | |
| 3… c4 | 17 (0%) | |
| 3… d5 | 13 (0%) |
Master games
1,783 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 28%, draw 15%, Black 57%). The strongest:
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2736) – GM Vladislav Artemiev (2716) 1-0 · Speed Super Swiss KO 2020 · 2020-10-04
- GM Sergei Azarov (2577) – GM Yifan Hou (2649) 0-1 · Corsican Circuit Final · 2016-10-27
- GM Aleksei Pridorozhni (2556) – GM Vladislav Artemiev (2671) 0-1 · ch-RUS Blitz 2015 · 2015-05-15
- GM Denis Lazavik (2580) – GM Naroditsky, D. (2619) 1-0 · Titled Tue 1st Jul Early · 2025-07-01
- GM V Pranav (2611) – GM Valery Kazakouski (2577) 0-1 · Titled Tue 31st Oct Late · 2023-10-31
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Normal System and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- urajimiru (2510) – TheRealGenghisKhan (2816) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- hncesur (2724) – viewerman (2554) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 2s
- lupitakremlin (2702) – Murmansk1 (2556) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Normal System, Cortlever Gambit B28 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Bc4
- Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Normal System, Smith-Morra Line B28 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 3. d4 cxd4 4. c3
- Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Normal System, Zagorovsky Line B28 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4
- Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Normal System, Taimanov Line B28 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5
More Sicilian Defense lines (all)
- Sicilian Defense (1. e4 c5) B20
- Sicilian Defense: Amazon Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Brick Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack, Queen Fianchetto Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Euwe Attack, Prins Gambit B20
- Sicilian Defense: Gloria Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Grob Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Keres Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: King David's Opening B20
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.