A trap in the Sicilian, O'Kelly Variation

The O'Kelly Variation of the Sicilian Defense, 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6, is an offbeat line that sets a bit of a trap at move 2! White's natural response, and easily the most popular move in the databases, is 3.d4?! That move, however, gives Black an easy game, and a 58% score, after 3...cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5! Then, 6.Nf5?! is met by 6...d5!; 6.Nf3 and 6.Nb3 by 6...Bb4!; and 6.Nde2 by 6...Bc5, in each case with equality or better for Black.

It can get considerably worse than that, as seen in the game below. After 6.Nf3 Bb4 7.Bd3, Black played the thematic break 7...d5! White responded with 8.exd5?, presumably expecting 8...Nxd5. Instead, he was shocked by 8...e4!, winning a piece.

White's best response to the O'Kelly is 3.c3! Then Black usually plays 3...d5, transposing to an Alapin Sicilian where the move ...a6 is not very useful. In my opinion, this makes the O'Kelly not worth playing against players rated, say, 2000 and above. But some players stronger than I disagree. IM Irina Krush has played the O'Kelly many times against high-level opposition - though she's struggled when her opponents have found 3.c3! (she scored 1-2 against that move in the three games I found). Incidentally, 3.c3 d5 4.exd5 Nf6!? 5.c4 e6 is an interesting gambit that scores about 50% for Black. But White can decline the gambit with 5.d4, when Black has nothing better than 5...Qxd5, reaching the same inferior Alapin Sicilian line.

I should mention that 3.c3 e6 4.d4 d5 is also possible (and perhaps objectively best), reaching a French-type position where Black scores over 47% (as opposed to less than 42% with the more common 3...d5). But most Sicilian players aren't happy playing the French.

Shulman & Amanov win Michigan Chess Festival

The field at last weekend's Michigan Chess Festival in Troy was ridiculously powerful: Grandmasters Sam Shankland, Alexander Shabalov, Yury Shulman, Victor Mikhalevski, Sergey Kudrin, Ben  Finegold, and Mesgen Amanov.

The two Illinois grandmasters, Shulman and Amanov, were the only players to win their first four games.  They drew each other in the final round, and nobody caught them.  And our Carl Boor didn't win any cash, but he was the top finisher under 2400, losing only to GM Shabalov. Excellent road trip, gentlemen!

International Master Irina Krush used day one of the event as the warmup for the Women's World Championship, giving her the dubious distinction of having been in Detroit and Siberia in the same week. Tomorrow, Krush faces Alexandra Kosteniuk in round one.

Crosstables here!

U.S. Chess Championships begin shortly

Follow the play in St. Louis here.  Round one begins at 1 p.m. Central Time.

It's a very interesting field, and the championship format is much improved, with a traditional 12-player round robin.  Here are today's pairings:

1	GM Akobian, Varuzhan		2625	GM Seirawan, Yasser		2643
2	GM Shulman, Yuri		2571	GM Kaidanov, Gregory S		2594
3	GM Stripunsky, Alexander		2562	GM Onischuk, Alexander		2660
4	GM Lenderman, Aleksandr		2587	GM Robson, Ray		2614
5	GM Kamsky, Gata		2741	GM Ramirez, Alejandro		2593
6	GM Nakamura, Hikaru		2775	GM Hess, Robert L		2635

Both Kamsky and Nakamura would like to make a statement with White today, but both are facing strong opponents with exceptional opening preparation.

The Women's Championship is a ten-round event. As in the men's event, pre-tournament favorites Irina Krush and Anna Zatonskih have the White pieces in round one:

1	WIM Ni, Viktorija		2228	WGM Abrahamyan, Tatev		2329
2	WIM Zenyuk, Iryna		2224	FM Melekhina, Alisa		2242
3	IM Krush, Irina		2457	WGM Foisor, Sabina-Francesca		2364
4	IM Goletiani, Rusudan		2333	WGM Baginskaite, Camilla		2358
5	IM Zatonskih, Anna		2510	WFM Kats, Alena		2137

Fo' shirazi my kamran

U.S. Women's Champion Irina Krush raps. I do not pretend to understand the meaning of everything to which I link.




Peace out, Chicago!