About this opening
Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation is an opening in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings,
classified under code B28. ECO group B (B00–B99)
covers semi-open games (1.e4 with Black playing anything other than 1…e5), with the Sicilian, French, Caro-Kann and Pirc/Modern at its heart. This particular variation is reached
after 4 half-moves from the
starting position, with the move sequence 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6.
It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family. Within that family this is a sub-variation (the O'Kelly Variation line).
The opening sequence in prose form: 1.e4 c5, 2.Nf3 a6. From this position 9 named continuations are recorded in the encyclopaedia, each leading to a distinct theoretical line.
Use the interactive board above to walk through the moves position-by-position. Click any move in the navigation to step backwards, or use the keyboard arrow keys. The list of recorded continuations sits directly below the board. For statistical data — how often master-level players have reached this position, White's win-rate, draw frequency, Black's score — see the panel in the right column.
Caissly's coverage of B28 extends through every named sub-variation in this line and across all four locales (English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian). Where editorial commentary exists for a specific variation it appears as the page body; otherwise the page presents the structural data, board, and statistics as shown here.