Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Yerevan System
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 3. Nc3
The Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Yerevan System is a chess opening classified as ECO B28, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 3. Nc3. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. Black is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 1,415 times by this move order. White won 48%, 5% were drawn and Black won 47%. The most popular continuation is 3… e6 (32% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.16 (Stockfish, depth 60; best line 3… d6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. h3)
- ECO
- B28
- Moves
- 5 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/1p1ppppp/p7/2p5/4P3/2N2N2/PPPP1PPP/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - 1 3- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 3. Nc3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 458 | |
| 1500-1999 | 681 | |
| 2000+ | 276 | |
| All | 1,415 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3… e6 | 451 (32%) | |
| 3… Nc6 | 429 (30%) | |
| 3… b5 | 262 (19%) | |
| 3… d6 | 164 (12%) | |
| 3… g6 | 44 (3%) | |
| 3… Nf6 | 22 (2%) | |
| 3… h6 | 22 (2%) | |
| 3… Qc7 | 6 (0%) |
Master games
1,032 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 43%, draw 18%, Black 39%). The strongest:
- GM Alexander Grischuk (2759) – GM Vladislav Artemiev (2746) 1-0 · chess.com Speed 2019 · 2019-10-03
- GM Alexander Grischuk (2750) – GM Richard Rapport (2698) 1-0 · chess.com Speed 1m+1spm 2017 · 2017-08-03
- GM Vugar Rasulov (2560) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2839) 0-1 · Titled Tue 24th Oct Early · 2023-10-24
- GM Samuel Sevian (2660) – GM Vladislav Artemiev (2716) 1/2-1/2 · Titled Tues 8th Sep Final · 2020-09-08
- GM S.P. Sethuraman (2623) – GM Richard Rapport (2709) 0-1 · Aeroflot Open A 2015 · 2015-03-31
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Yerevan System and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- secret_mikalsen (2646) – Prikolica (2639) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- TregubenkoKolya_2010 (2607) – viewerman (2562) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- IM MrSuccess (2618) – StockySeal (2511) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6
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.