The best Open Sicilian Variation (black)

If indeed the najdorf is the most respected Sicilian then DON'T play it because white will be more booked up in comparison with other Sicilians and white only has to know one line well to make your life a misery.

In any case, the Najdorf is over-rated. Obviously, the O'Kelly is the best because it is so ridiculously under-rated. There are players over 2000 on here who don't understand it.

<<5) The O’Kelly- Black is obviously fine if White is ill-informed and mindlessly plays 3. d4.>>

Some play it because they're ill informed but some play it because they're positional players and they know how to play against the early e5 by black, which, incidentally, I also dislike, so I play something else. My own move.

<<but both 3.c3 (leading to a good Alapin)>>
Well, if black plays the d5 Alapin, it isn't a good Alapin for white, since black will play a6 in any case before long and if black doesn't play the rather anti-positional Bg4, then black has caught up on development The B is better on c8 for the time being. So it's just an Alapin.

<<and 3. c4 (leading to a good Hedgehog for White) >>
I prefer that for white. If white refuses to make committal moves, it's harder for black to find good waiting moves, being cramped, but a6 isn't entirely a wasted move and white's opening is slow.

<<give White a decent edge to improve upon.>>

If black plays badly.