Lifetime Repertoires O’Kelly Sicilian by GM Lukasz Jarmula 16 Sep 2024 Chessable

You Already Caught White In
Your “Predictive” Counterattack
— They Just Don’t Know It Yet!

This complete Black repertoire meets 1.e4 with the far-sighted O’Kelly Sicilian. Its enigmatic pawn push takes the wind out of White’s sails 6, 8, even 12 moves into the future. So you can seize the initiative with your pieces, or secure a long-term edge with your pawns!

The 3rd World Correspondence Champion, Grandmaster Alberic O’Kelly de Galway, pioneered the variation.

He built his legacy by analyzing trees of variations 12 moves deep, and planning his endgame strategy while still in the opening… pretty much predicting an entire game!

And when facing 1.e4, O’Kelly chooses “pawn to a6” in the Sicilian, because he’s foreseen how controlling b5 right away puts you in a prime position in the future.

Let’s take a look.

After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3, you play 2…a6 which seems like a “pass.”

The O’Kelly Sicilian’s starting position

But watch as roughly 50% of club and online players strike in the center, like the main lines recommend. Only to run out of gas, precisely because you’ve taken the b5-square away!

Because b5-d6 is off limits, White must
retreat the knight, and allow you
to create threats!

Meanwhile, your e-pawn kicks up the tempo to gain a 4-vs-2 “power play” against White’s centralized king…

With a centralized enemy king and a
lead in development, the position
can explode in your favor!

Or build a superior pawn structure, where you enjoy a straightforward positional attack.

The doubled pawns on the c-file
looking ripe for picking!

All by following White’s top moves!

“But what if they play something else?”

Don’t worry, because Grandmaster Lukasz Jarmula and International Master Piotr Nguyen have you covered.

The Closed Sicilian (2.Nc3), Alapin (2.c3), Wing Gambit (2.b4), 3rd move alternatives like 3.c4 a la Maroczy Bind…

You name it, Jarmula and Nguyen have covered it. And with variations thematically similar to the O’Kelly to ensure you’re…

Always At Home In The Fighting
Positions That Arise

Turns out 2…a6 also cuts across potential Bc4 ideas, like in the Smith-Morra Gambit.

With an early …a6, the standard “bishop
to c4” becomes a target for …b5 and
an eventual …Nc6-a5

Against c3-systems which try to cement their center, you take over the queenside unopposed. Thanks to the head start from your a-pawn.

White took a lot of time securing their
center. So we grab the initiative
on the queenside!

Now those examples are only a fraction of the innovations in the course. Jarmula and Nguyen explain everything you need to succeed with the O’Kelly Sicilian.

By “succeed,” we mean consistently outplaying non-masters and experts… while equalizing and creating winning chances against booked-up opponents.

Look up the position after 2…a6 in your favorite database.

Among the people who successfully played variation, you’ll find world champions, title contenders, and 2700-grandmasters.

And if the “cream of the crop” finds the O’Kelly Sicilian equipped for the job… then imagine how potent its counterattacks are in your games!

Plus, you have the ideal duo to break down the opening into easy-to-follow variations.

Altogether, Jarmula and Nguyen have amassed over 300 stellar ratings on Chessable…

By rediscovering old variations, and fitting them with engine-powered novelties. So you can one-up the competition both psychologically and positionally!