Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Maróczy Bind, Paulsen Line
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Statistics from Lichess
288,777 games: White 48.5% / Draw 5.1% / Black 46.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 161,404161K | ||
| 68,18968K | ||
| 19,23319K | ||
| 16,14716K | ||
| 8,7708,770 | ||
| 4,6484,648 | ||
| 3,4753,475 | ||
| 2,3332,333 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 13, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.65 White is slightly better
Best play: 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. d4 cxd4 6. Nxd4 Bc5 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. Be2 e5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 51% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up and 51% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 28K | |
| 1400–1799 | 116K | |
| 1800–2199 | 165K | |
| 2200 and up | 53K | |
| Masters, over the board | 844 |
Master games
- Anand, V. – Morozevich, A.
- So, W. – Artemiev, V.
- Radjabov, T. – Artemiev, V.
- Polgar, J. – Ivanchuk, V.
- Dominguez Perez, L. – Polgar, J.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Maróczy Bind, Paulsen Line (ECO B28, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Maróczy Bind, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 3. c4 e6 (3 moves).
In 288,777 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.5%, Black 46.4% and 5.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Nc3, in 56% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Maróczy Bind, Paulsen Line
4. d4 scores best for White: 52.4%, with White winning 49.7% and Black 45.0% of 68K games. The most played, 4. Nc3, scores 52.0% in 161K games, and 4. a4 scores lowest: 45.9%. Stockfish's first choice is 4. Nc3.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
The Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Maróczy Bind, Paulsen Line has stayed between 0.011% and 0.012% of Lichess games a year since 2016 (0.011% in 2025).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.011% | 3,929 |
| 2017 | 0.012% | 6,592 |
| 2018 | 0.012% | 9,629 |
| 2019 | 0.012% | 15,041 |
| 2020 | 0.011% | 33,521 |
| 2021 | 0.011% | 42,347 |
| 2022 | 0.011% | 41,567 |
| 2023 | 0.011% | 40,910 |
| 2024 | 0.011% | 40,209 |
| 2025 | 0.011% | 37,907 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.011% | 12,200 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Maróczy Bind, Paulsen Line (B28)”. Lichess data as of 13 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-okelly-variation-maroczy-bind-paulsen-line