Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Venice System, Steiner Line
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 3. c3 d6
The Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Venice System, Steiner Line is a chess opening classified as ECO B28, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 3. c3 d6. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 222 times by this move order. White won 50%, 4% were drawn and Black won 46%. The most popular continuation is 4. d4 (86% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.67 (Stockfish, depth 36; best line 4. d4 Qc7 5. Bd3 Bg4 6. Nbd2 e6)
- ECO
- B28
- Moves
- 6 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/1p2pppp/p2p4/2p5/4P3/2P2N2/PP1P1PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 0 4- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 3. c3 d6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 33 | |
| 1500-1999 | 103 | |
| 2000+ | 86 | |
| All | 222 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4. d4 | 190 (86%) | |
| 4. Bc4 | 7 (3%) | |
| 4. Be2 | 7 (3%) | |
| 4. h3 | 6 (3%) | |
| 4. Bd3 | 6 (3%) | |
| 4. d3 | 2 (1%) | |
| 4. g3 | 1 (0%) | |
| 4. Qa4+ | 1 (0%) |
Master games
218 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 46%, draw 21%, Black 33%). The strongest:
- GM Abhimanyu Puranik (2624) – GM Susanto Megaranto (2477) 1/2-1/2 · Asian Individual 2025 · 2025-05-09
- GM Sergei Tiviakov (2654) – IM Robert Gwaze (2433) 1-0 · DSK GM Open 2013 · 2013-07-26
- GM Sanan Sjugirov (2712) – FM Farid Mustafayev (2316) 1-0 · Titled Tue 7th Mar Late · 2023-03-07
- IM Lucas Van Foreest (2488) – GM Vyacheslav Ikonnikov (2536) 1-0 · Condigne Dutch Open 2018 · 2018-08-02
- GM Tomas Sosa (2558) – IM Ernesto J. Fernandez Guillen (2462) 1-0 · I ch-Iberoamericano Rapid · 2023-12-09
Highest-rated Lichess games
- skinnycat123 (2608) – vdinsk52 (2531) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 2s
- CapybaraMelon (2592) – vdinsk52 (2527) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- TestoTester (2557) – vdinsk52 (2553) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Venice System 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 3. c3
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.