Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Aronin System
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
69,773 games: White 47.2% / Draw 4.9% / Black 47.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 25,86226K | ||
| 15,04515K | ||
| 11,56212K | ||
| 8,6598,659 | ||
| 2,7522,752 | ||
| 1,7911,791 | ||
| 1,2641,264 | ||
| 1,1371,137 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.37 White is slightly better
Best play: 3... Nc6 4. O-O Nf6 5. e5 Ng4 6. b4 d6 7. e6 Bxe6 8. Ng5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Aronin System (ECO B28, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 3. Be2 (3 moves).
In 69,773 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.2%, Black 47.9% and 4.9% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…Nc6, in 37% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to play against the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Aronin System
3…e6 scores best for Black: 50.6%, with Black winning 48.3% and White 47.1% of 15K games. The most played, 3…Nc6, scores 50.5% in 26K games, and 3…d6 scores lowest: 50.2%. Stockfish's first choice is 3…Nc6.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Aronin System (B28)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-okelly-variation-aronin-system