Beating the Grandprix: O'Kelly Variation

Hi everyone,

I have recently came across a line in the grandprix attack for black. The moves are 1.e4 c5 2.nc3 a6!?. I have prepared this against my opponent. I know he is going to follow 2.nc3 with 3.f4 nomatter what I make on the second move. So does anyone know some theory and maybe some tricks and traps on this variation for black? If you do please post for I am itching to try it out but I don't know any ideas or theory for this opening! Please help and post!

Thanks

Willlilo

I don't know any, but I just want to say - he doesn't always have to play 3.f4. The Closed  Sicilian is a respectable continuation that uses 2.Nc3, and was a great weapon of Boris Spaasky during his career. 2.Nc3 itself is dubbed "the Chameleon System", because it could go just about anywhere. 3.Nf3, followed by d4, could bring you straight back to Open Sicilian lines.

i know my opponent will play 3.f4

Please post if you know anyything

This would be very difficult for me (actually, it kills me) to say something against my favorite anti-sicilian Grand Prix Attack.

I chose Grand Prix Attack as a part of my repertoire for white in order to avoid their defence preparations.

I think that the best option before you make the move 2..a6, you've got to have studied your opponent's previous games first. One good advantage of the move 2...a6 is that it prevents White from making his dangerous move Bb5 (but that doesn't mean the bishop cannot be posted somewhere else). Whenever I encounter that move, I tend to mix things up like shifting the game to an open sicilian with Nf3, thus the name "chameleon". On the white side, well, you just have to know your opponent's sicilian preference (e.g. Kan, Scheveningen, Najdorf...etc.), then come up with a plan on whether to essay the closed sicilian or the grand prix.

Here's a game by Eduard Rozentalis

Crazy as this may sound, I haven't included sicilian defence in my repertoire. I have tried the Black side of 2...a6, and I ended up defending the Kan, a sicilian variation which I'm not very familiar with.

I hope I contributed something..

if your opponent has prepared closed sicilian,a6 is just a time wasting move!But If he want to play granad prix,a6 would be useful.I think in general It not good to play that because closed sicilian and grand prix can transpose to each other(with delaying development of bishop)

Pallister covers this line in his everyman book on the anti-sicilians.

After 2..Nc6 you need to be prepared for 3. Nc3 transposing into an open sicilian if white chooses so, if you're a najdorf player then tough luck, you'll be on new ground.

2...a6 is fine. Follow up with b5, Bb7, e6 and d5. Palliser deals with this in his book Fighting the Anti-Sicilians.

LOL I think its funny. The OP has only listed 2 moves by each side. Than states he is planning to beat the Grand Prix with the O kelly variation.

The diagram of the 2 moves posted above is still yet undeterminded. An if you want to be super techinical you could say that after the moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 a6  the position is a Closed Sicilian by database labeling. However, even though databases label it as Closed Sicilian a true chess player will know that it still has the potential to be a ton of things other than Closed Sicilian.

The OP is making an assumption that his opponent will play 3.f4 and what if he doesn't?

3.Nf3  can be played with g3 or d4 to follow and neither of those are GrandPrix Attack system's

also what if your opponent does play 3.f4  does that mean it is a Grand Prix Attack? Is this diagram a Grand Prix Attack? I could agrue its still yet undeterminded.

Now does the below diagram look like a Grand Prix Attack? Hmmmm maybe you do not recognize what it is lets show you another move order like the Sicilian Open move order to be specific.

Open Sicilian move order. Work those tranpositions like a boss.

I'm not convinced you have beaten the Grand Prix Attack. In fact Grand Prix Attack players use the move 2.Nc3 as a high class waiting move to stir the game into a favorable position for them alway's.

All you have done in my mind is found a way to avoid the Grand Prix Attack becuase you are scared of facing it. Which only shows your weakness and lack of skills toward that specific opening.

Don't run from the Grand Prix accept it. Black has resources to play against it.