B28 Sicilian Defense: O’Kelly Variation
B28 holds 20 named lines, all under the name Sicilian Defense. It leaves B27 (Sicilian Defense) with 2...a6. Material is no longer level at the end of three of its lines; the widest gap, one pawn in Black’s favour, comes in Sicilian Defense: O’Kelly Variation, Normal System, Cortlever Gambit. With 20 named lines it is the fourth-largest code of the 80 Sicilian Defense codes.
| # | White | Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | e4 | c5 |
| 2 | Nf3 | a6 |
Moves only B28 plays
Same as B27 up to 2.Nf3, then:
- 2...a6 The a-pawn advances to a6, covering b5, opening a line for the rook on a8.
Lines filed under B28
All 20 share their first four plies, the whole reference line and then split nine ways at White’s move 3.
| Name | After the shared start | Plies | At the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sicilian Defense: O’Kelly Variation | (the shared start itself) | 4 | |
| Sicilian Defense: O’Kelly Variation, Aronin System | 3.Be2 | 5 | |
| Sicilian Defense: O’Kelly Variation, Kieseritzky System | 3.b3 | 5 | |
| Sicilian Defense: O’Kelly Variation, Maróczy Bind | 3.c4 | 5 | |
| Sicilian Defense: O’Kelly Variation, Normal System | 3.d4 | 5 | |
| Sicilian Defense: O’Kelly Variation, Quiet System | 3.d3 | 5 | |
| Sicilian Defense: O’Kelly Variation, Réti System | 3.g3 | 5 | |
| Sicilian Defense: O’Kelly Variation, Venice System | 3.c3 | 5 | |
| Sicilian Defense: O’Kelly Variation, Wing Gambit | 3.b4 | 5 | |
| Sicilian Defense: O’Kelly Variation, Yerevan System | 3.Nc3 | 5 | |
| Sicilian Defense: O’Kelly Variation, Maróczy Bind, Paulsen Line | 3.c4 e6 | 6 | |
| Sicilian Defense: O’Kelly Variation, Maróczy Bind, Robatsch Line | 3.c4 d6 | 6 | |
| Sicilian Defense: O’Kelly Variation, Venice System, Barcza Line | 3.c3 Nf6 | 6 | |
| Sicilian Defense: O’Kelly Variation, Venice System, Ljubojevic Line | 3.c3 b5 | 6 | |
| Sicilian Defense: O’Kelly Variation, Venice System, Steiner Line | 3.c3 d6 | 6 | |
| Sicilian Defense: O’Kelly Variation, Normal System, Cortlever Gambit | 3.d4 cxd4 4.Bc4 | 7 | Black +1 |
| Sicilian Defense: O’Kelly Variation, Normal System, Smith-Morra Line | 3.d4 cxd4 4.c3 | 7 | Black +1 |
| Sicilian Defense: O’Kelly Variation, Normal System, Zagorovsky Line | 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 | 7 | |
| Sicilian Defense: O’Kelly Variation, Normal System, Taimanov Line | 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 | 8 | |
| Sicilian Defense: O’Kelly Variation, Venice System, Gambit Line | 3.c3 d5 4.exd5 Nf6 | 8 | White +1 |
The road to B28
- 1.e4one earlier stop: B00
- 1...c5B20 Sicilian Defense
- 2.Nf3B27 Sicilian Defense
- 2...a6B28
The position after 2...a6
White has brought out the knight on f3; Black has not yet moved a knight or bishop. White could capture with Bxa6. White is to move and has 28 legal moves.
Closest boards in other codes
| Code | Line | Differs on |
|---|---|---|
| B20 | Sicilian Defense | four squares: g1, f3, a6, a7 |
| B29 | Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation | four squares: a6, f6, a7, g8 |
| B30 | Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian | four squares: a6, c6, a7, b8 |
| B40 | Sicilian Defense: French Variation | four squares: a6, e6, a7, e7 |
| B50 | Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations | four squares: a6, d6, a7, d7 |
| A04 | Zukertort Opening | six squares: e2, e4, c5, a6, a7, c7 |
| B00 | King’s Pawn Game | six squares: g1, f3, c5, a6, a7, c7 |