Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Venice System, Steiner Line
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Statistics from Lichess
267,300 games: White 51.6% / Draw 4.8% / Black 43.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 205,367205K | ||
| 21,96422K | ||
| 13,16713K | ||
| 6,7106,710 | ||
| 5,2485,248 | ||
| 4,3254,325 | ||
| 3,0803,080 | ||
| 1,9941,994 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.96 White is better
Best play: 4. d4 Qc7 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. O-O Bg4 7. Nbd2 Nbd7 8. Re1 e6
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 46% both under 1400 and at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 53K | |
| 1400–1799 | 189K | |
| 1800–2199 | 141K | |
| 2200 and up | 17K | |
| Masters, over the board | 162 |
Master games
- Guseinov, G. – Kempinski, R.
- Lupulescu, C. – Mamedov, R.
- Zhigalko, A. – Mamedov, R.
- Macieja, B. – Rasik, V.
- Puranik, A. – Megaranto, S.
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, Venice System, Steiner Line (ECO B28, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Venice System, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 3. c3 d6 (3 moves).
In 267,300 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.6%, Black 43.6% and 4.8% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. d4, in 77% 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, Venice System, Steiner Line
4. Be2 scores best for White: 55.8%, with White winning 53.4% and Black 41.9% of 22K games. The most played answer, 4. d4, scores lowest: 54.1% in 205K games. Stockfish's first choice is 4. d4.
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, Venice System, Steiner Line has stayed between 0.0094% and 0.011% of Lichess games a year since 2016 (0.0099% in 2025).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.01% | 3,611 |
| 2017 | 0.011% | 6,135 |
| 2018 | 0.011% | 8,406 |
| 2019 | 0.0094% | 11,727 |
| 2020 | 0.01% | 29,278 |
| 2021 | 0.011% | 42,954 |
| 2022 | 0.011% | 40,230 |
| 2023 | 0.011% | 40,118 |
| 2024 | 0.01% | 35,870 |
| 2025 | 0.0099% | 34,338 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0098% | 10,702 |
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, Venice System, Steiner Line (B28)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-okelly-variation-venice-system-steiner-line