Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Normal System
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Statistics from Lichess
2,401,336 games: White 45.8% / Draw 4.7% / Black 49.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 2,206,6652.2M | ||
| Sicilian Defense: Drazic Variation | 138,814139K | |
| 11,46211K | ||
| 10,12510K | ||
| 9,2459,245 | ||
| 8,7138,713 | ||
| 3,6403,640 | ||
| 3,3903,390 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 25, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.23 The position is about equal
Best play: 3... cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Bd3 Nc6 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. O-O d6 8. Bd2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the worse this line does for White: White scores 51% under 1400, 47% at 2200 and up and 40% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 293K | |
| 1400–1799 | 1.2M | |
| 1800–2199 | 1.4M | |
| 2200 and up | 218K | |
| Masters, over the board | 418 |
Master games
- Shabalov, A. – Baklan, V.
- Pridorozhni, A. – Artemiev, V.
- Azarov, S. – Hou Yifan
- Morrison, W. – Kasparov, G.
- Firouzja, A. – Vitiugov, N.
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 26, 2026
Overview
Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Normal 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. d4 (3 moves).
In 2,401,336 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.8%, Black 49.5% and 4.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…cxd4, in 92% of those games.
It branches into 4 named variations; the most played are Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Normal System, Taimanov Line and Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Normal System, Smith-Morra Line.
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, Normal System
The most played answer, 3…cxd4, also scores best for Black: 52.5%, with Black winning 50.1% and White 45.1% of 2.2M games. Of the main answers, 3…e6 scores lowest: 45.5%. Stockfish's first choice is also 3…cxd4.
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
Popularity by year
The Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Normal System peaked in 2018 at 0.11% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.09% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.11% | 38,052 |
| 2017 | 0.11% | 60,276 |
| 2018 | 0.11% | 88,052 |
| 2019 | 0.11% | 131,189 |
| 2020 | 0.1% | 291,758 |
| 2021 | 0.093% | 364,434 |
| 2022 | 0.091% | 340,908 |
| 2023 | 0.086% | 324,935 |
| 2024 | 0.086% | 309,083 |
| 2025 | 0.09% | 311,585 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.092% | 100,773 |
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
Variations (4)
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Normal System (B28)”. Lichess data as of 25 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-okelly-variation-normal-system