Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System
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Statistics from Lichess
90,030 games: White 50.9% / Draw 5.8% / Black 43.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 30,53031K | ||
| 20,21420K | ||
| 13,37813K | ||
| 9,6959,695 | ||
| 6,9356,935 | ||
| 3,6563,656 | ||
| 2,2162,216 | ||
| 1,1871,187 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.45 White is slightly better
Best play: 3... d6 4. Bg2 g6 5. c3 Nf6 6. O-O Bg7 7. Re1 Nc6 8. h3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti 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. g3 (3 moves).
In 90,030 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.9%, Black 43.3% and 5.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…Nc6, in 34% 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, Réti System
3…b5 scores best for Black: 47.3%, with Black winning 44.4% and White 49.8% of 20K games. The most played, 3…Nc6, scores 46.0% in 31K games, and 3…e6 scores lowest: 45.3%. Stockfish's first choice is 3…d6.
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, Réti System (B28)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-okelly-variation-reti-system