Bored with Black? Learn the O'Kelly Sicilian in Just One Day!
Hi there!
So, I wanted to share something a bit special today. I recently watched a video my friend made, and it brought back a lot of memories from when I was younger and still experimenting with my openings.
He explained the O'Kelly Sicilian, and I’ve won so many games with that line! So, why not recommend it? There's really no reason not to. I just want to be completely hones, it’s not a line I’d play against titled players, but maybe you guys aren’t playing against titled players yet! If that’s the case, THIS LINE WORKS!
BTW, if you understand Spanish, take a look at my friend’s video, totally worth watching! He creates a lot of great content, and I’ll drop the link here:
So here we go with the O'Kelly Sicilian: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6!?
Wait, 2...a6? What’s that even do?
Yeah, I know, looks kind of random at first, right? Like, why play ...a6 before developing anything? But it turns out there’s actually some nice logic behind it, especially if you’re just starting to put together a Black repertoire and you don’t want to memorize mountains of theory.
Here’s the idea:
- It’s a flexible, waiting move. Black doesn’t commit to ...d6 or ...Nc6 right away and instead sees what White is planning
- If White goes for the usual 3.d4, then Black can play:
3...cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5! .... and boom! You kick the knight and grab space in the center - Also, it sets up plans like ...b5 and ...Bb7, putting pressure from the queenside later on
Personally what I used to love about this line is that it really throws people off. A lot of opponents stop and go, “Wait, do I play 3.d4 here? Or maybe 3.c3? What’s going on?” And that’s kind of the whole point of playing the O’Kelly, get out of the big theory fights and bring the game into crazy and fresh territory.
Now a Little Bit of History
This line is named after Albéric O’Kelly de Galway, a strong Belgian player (and world correspondence champ in 1959, by the way!).
He came up with 2...a6 as a creative way to avoid the heavy theoretical lines in the Sicilian and just... play chess. Legends like Bent Larsen and Ulf Andersson also used it now and then, they were known for avoiding the beaten path and doing their own thing.
Nowadays, you won’t see this in top-level tournaments. But for club players, blitz addicts, and even some titled masters, it’s still a sneaky weapon.
If you've made it this far in the article, here are a few lines to help you better understand the Sicilian:
A Few Basic Lines to Get You Started
3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5!
3.Nc3 b5!
3.c4 Nc6!
The Best Way to Learn It
If you want to give this line a try, my advice is: don’t get stuck trying to memorize every little move. Focus on the ideas.
Here’s what worked for me (and yeah, I still mess it up sometimes):
- Check out the lines above, but think about why the moves are played... not just what’s played.
- Look for model games, find a few where Black plays the O’Kelly well, and see how they develop their pieces, break the center, etc.
- Play it in blitz online or with friends. The more you play it, the more natural it feels.
- Analyze your games after ... what did White play that you didn’t expect? Where did things go wrong? Did you miss a good idea?
- Repeat the cycle: study → play → lose → review → improve → repeat. That’s honestly the best way to learn any opening, not just this one.
Finally, If you’re looking for an opening that’s low on theory, fun to play, and helps you dodge the mainline theory, the O’Kelly Variation is definitely worth trying out.
I had a blast with it back in the day, and I’m honestly tempted to pick it back up again now.
So what do you think? Ever heard of it before? Think you might give it a shot?
Drop a comment below if you do, and good luck out there!
See you around!
