[Event "Open Internacional \"Villa de Benasque\" 2"] [White "Trepat Herranz,Joan"] [Black "Demchenko,Svitlana"] [Site ""] [Round "7"] [Annotator "sd"] [Result "0-1"] [Date "2025.07.10"] [WhiteElo "2357"] [BlackElo "2130"] [PlyCount "68"] {In today's lesson we will see one of my favourite games from my summer tournaments and learn about a fun variation - the O'Kelly Sicilian! The game was played in an open tournament in spain and I was playing an FM more than 200 points higher rated than me.} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 {Have you ever seen/played it before? It is a sideline in the Sicilian, not as popular as the Najdorf, Dragon, Taimanov variations. It has some cool tricks of its own!} 3. c4 {was played in my game, but there are some alternatives.} (3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 {A version of the Sveshnikov where the knight cannot go to b5, and the dark-squared bishop is still open.} 6. Nb3 (6. Nf5 d5 $15 )Bb4 $11 )(3. Nc3 b5 {maybe someday I can do a lesson on this variation in more detail if people find it interesting.} )Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 (5... e6 {would lead to a different variation of the Sicilian (Kan)} )6. Nc3 e5 7. Nc2 (7. Nf5 {the most interesting variation. It leads to some cool lines after: #} d5 8. cxd5 (8. Nxd5 Nxd5 9. Qxd5 Bxf5 10. exf5 Qb6 )Bxf5 (8... Nxe4 9. Nxg7+ Bxg7 10. Nxe4 Nd4 11. Nc3 O-O 12. Bd3 f5 $14 )9. exf5 Nd4 {White is up a pawn, but needs to be precise going forward.} 10. Bd3 (10. g4 h5 11. g5 Nxd5 12. Bg2 )Nxd5 )(7. Nf3 Bb4 8. Bd3 d6 $11 )(7. Nxc6 dxc6 $11 )(7. Nb3 Bb4 8. Bd3 O-O $11 )Bc5 {Black has a very comfortable position. Opponent is out of theory in the Sicilian!} 8. Be2 d6 9. a3 (9. O-O Be6 10. Be3 O-O {was more expected} )O-O 10. O-O (10. b4 Bd4 (10... Ba7 {and Black is totally fine} ))Be6 11. Bg5 {White's main idea in these lines. Get rid of the Nf6, occupy the d5 square.} h6 12. Bh4 (12. Bxf6 Qxf6 13. Ne3 Qg5 14. Ned5 {[%cal Gc5d4,Gc6e7,Ga8c8]} )Rc8 {soon threats on the c-pawn.} 13. Rc1 Nd4 14. Bd3 {#important moment of the game. What should be the next plan?} g5 15. Bg3 h5 (15... Nxc2 16. Rxc2 Ba7 17. Ne2 h5 $15 )(15... Kh8 {preparation for the next plan} )(15... Nb3 16. Rb1 b5 17. cxb5 axb5 18. Nxb5 h5 $15 )16. h3 h4 (16... g4 $2 17. Bh4 $18 )17. Bh2 g4 {[%cal Rg4g3]} (17... Nb3 18. Rb1 Ba7 )18. Kh1 Kh8 19. b4 Ba7 20. c5 {# White gets surprising initiative. What should Black do?} dxc5 (20... Rg8 21. Nxd4 exd4 22. Nd5 $1 gxh3 23. gxh3 Bxh3 24. Rg1 $14 )(20... Nxc2 21. Qxc2 Rg8 22. Nd5 $13 )21. Bxe5 (21. bxc5 Nb3 $17 {[%cal Ga7b8]} )Nc6 $1 {only move that doesnt give White the advantage!} 22. Bh2 $2 {White decides to keep tension, but now I have a way to get an extra pawn.} ({calculated:} 22. Bxf6+ Qxf6 23. Nd5 Qg7 24. Nce3 Ne5 {unclear, better than the game.} )c4 23. Be2 gxh3 24. g3 Qxd1 25. Rcxd1 Ng4 $6 (25... Ne5 $1 $17 )26. Bxg4 Bxg4 27. f3 hxg3 28. Bxg3 (28. fxg4 g2# {was really nice. Opponent forgot about it during the game!} (28... gxh2 $17 ))Be6 29. a4 (29. b5 axb5 30. Nxb5 Bb6 31. Nd6 Rcd8 32. Bh4 $17 )(29. Nd5 Rg8 30. Be1 $17 )Rg8 30. Kh2 {#tempting - would you take on g3?} Bb8 (30... Rxg3 31. Kxg3 Rg8+ 32. Kf4 (32. Kh4 h2 33. Rh1 Bf2+ 34. Kh5 Kg7 $19 {[%cal Gg8h8,Gf7f6]} )(32. Kh2 Rg2+ 33. Kh1 Rxc2 $19 )Rg2 33. Ne1 Rg6 34. Nc2 h2 35. Rh1 Kg7 $19 {[%cal Ga7b8]} )31. Rg1 Ne5 32. Ne1 Rg7 33. Ne2 Rcg8 34. Nf4 {# whats the winning move?} Ba7 {Really enjoyed this game because it was a mix of learning a new opening, attack, complex middlegame decisions, and lots of interesting tactics. Hope you also enjoyed and see you next time!} (34... Nxf3+ 35. Nxf3 Rxg3 36. Rxg3 Bxf4 37. Rdg1 Rxg3 38. Rxg3 c3 39. Ne1 Bxg3+ 40. Kxg3 Bb3 $19 )0-1