I want to share a game I played today against an opponent 600 points higher than myself. I have been mapping out variations in O'kelly sicilian to about 12 to 15 moves in for all of the open variations. It paid off today with a game that really shows the defensive power of sicilian defense, especially when your opponent is over agressive. Many people doubt the advantages of 1. e5 c5 2. Nf3 a6?! This game demonstrates the advantage on the queenside with this investment.

Well-played.  :)

The idea behind 2...a6 is to meet 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 with 4...e5! since 5.Nb5 is no longer possible. The antidote is: 3.c3. Black's 2...a6 is usually then a wasted tempo.

How would you have responded to 30.Rd7!?

After 16 Bc4+ Kh8 17 Be7 you look pretty tied up, whether you play 17... Rxf1+ 18 Rxf1 or 17... Re8 18 Rf7 (which is why I think you should've played 15...hg).

youre both right. White did miss some knock out moves, and whites bishop is best on c4. Just goes to show this is a system that will take me many years to master. c3 is the best response to O'kelly sicilian. I'm still learning the defense for it.

If anyone wants the opening lines for o'kelly sicilian after d4 with 6. Nf3 (which is better than 6. Nb3) I can email them a chessbase file that pretty much maps the lionshare of variations out to 12 or 15 moves.

13... g6, why the exclamation mark? It does weaken your dark squares while white does still have his dark squared bishop.. Ofcourse I see you need to defend your Knight, but an exclamation mark?

 

Or ofcourse I could be wrong :)