Play the O’Kelly Sicilian – Top-Level Repertoire for Black + PGN December 11, 2024

We are happy to announce that the strong Indian GM and theoretician S.P Sethuraman comes up with another amazing course – Play the O’Kelly Sicilian – Top-Level Repertoire for Black.

The starting position of this exciting variation is being reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6

The O’Kelly Sicilian is a dynamic response to White’s 1.e4, gaining popularity among top players such as Artemiev, Rapport, Vitiugov, and Andreikin, who have incorporated it into their repertoires. This system avoids the heavy theoretical battles typical of the mainline Sicilians, offering a fresh and practical approach to countering 2.Nf3.

While the …a6 move may initially appear to waste time, it serves a strategic purpose by delaying White’s central strike with 3.d4, as demonstrated in one of the course chapters. Additionally, the O’Kelly Sicilian is highly flexible, allowing you to structure your kingside pawn moves in various ways, such as …g6, …e6, or …d6, depending on the situation. The …a6 pawn also facilitates active play by enabling the bishop on c8 to join the game via …b5.

This course provides a comprehensive guide to mastering the O’Kelly Sicilian, showcasing its unique advantages and practical applications. Let’s dive in and explore the structure of this fascinating opening!

The course consists of 7 theoretical chapters, 4 extensively annotated model games, 10 interactive test positions, a Memory Booster, and a Video Version (3h and 30min).