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Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System

36K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

53.7%

45%60%
Floor53.3%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 54.1%.

Measured over 36K games at this level and clock.

Play Thiswins clearly more often than it loses at this level

A strong choice for White at this level and clock.

Outcomes for White

Draw 5.3 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 36K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
36K
Best context
58.3% at 2500+ Blitz
Worst context
51.5% at 1600-1799 Bullet
Average game length
37 moves
Games that end decisively
94.7%
Draws
5.3%

Best and worst are the strongest and weakest squares with at least 500 games behind them. The table further down shows every square, including thinner ones.

Where it holds · White score by rating × clock

Green is clearly ahead for White, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It gets better as the rating rises: 52.9% at 0-999, 60.8% at 2500+.

RatingUBBulleBlitzRapidClass
0-999——
1000-1199
1200-1399
1400-1599
1600-1799—
1800-1999
2000-2199—
2200-2499—
2500+——

Expected score matrix by rating bracket and time control

  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 51.5% expected score (99 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 49.6% expected score (107 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 57.7% expected score (31 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 53.0% expected score (219 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 55.2% expected score (497 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 51.4% expected score (140 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 47.2% expected score (335 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 53.7% expected score (1,001 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 53.8% expected score (371 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 32.4% expected score (7 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 52.0% expected score (550 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 53.0% expected score (1,827 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.8% expected score (824 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 56.2% expected score (47 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.5% expected score (774 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 53.6% expected score (2,785 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.8% expected score (1,128 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 50.7% expected score (74 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.9% expected score (876 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.0% expected score (3,748 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.7% expected score (1,376 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 64.6% expected score (81 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (1,455 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.1% expected score (6,091 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 55.3% expected score (1,129 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 64.7% expected score (19 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 52.6% expected score (2,271 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 55.4% expected score (5,711 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 57.7% expected score (731 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 34.2% expected score (8 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 55.9% expected score (1,055 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 58.3% expected score (829 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 68.3% expected score (45 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Sicilian Defense
48.5%
Variations (5)
Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack
47.2%
Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian
48.5%
Sicilian Defense: Closed
49.8%
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation
50.2%
Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack
48.6%
Analyze Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System scores 53.7% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 53.3% and 54.1% — from 36K Lichess games. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.

How the figures are made
Whose games these are
36K+ rated games played on Lichess (2023-12 to 2025-11). The games are Lichess’s and free for anyone to use. What is ours is the reading of them. Last rebuilt January 2026.
Which games we count
  • Rated games only — nothing casual.
  • Both players within 200 rating points of each other. A mismatch tells you about the gap, not about the opening.
  • At least 2 moves played.
  • A game is filed under White’s rating.
Why every number comes with a range
A number off a few hundred games is a guess. The same number off millions is a fact. The range is what tells them apart, and it is what the lists rank on — so an opening cannot reach the top on a lucky run of forty games. The more games behind a figure, the narrower its range.
How much we need before we say anything
An opening page needs 100 games. A gambit needs 50 games at a rating before we will say whether it pays there. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games overall and 250 games at one rating or clock.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System win rate?

Playing the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System, White wins 51.0%, draws 5.3% and loses 43.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.7%. It rests on 36K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System perform best?

The Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 57.3% (1.9K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 53.9% in Blitz (23K games) against 53.9% in Rapid (5.8K games).

How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System?

The Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System has a sharpness score of 94.7 (decisive), meaning 94.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 37 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 50.1%, draws 2.7% and loses 47.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 237 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 52.8%, draws 2.6% and loses 44.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.1%. It rests on 859 Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 50.8%, draws 3.2% and loses 46.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.4%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 51.0%, draws 3.6% and loses 45.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.8%. It rests on 3.2K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 50.6%, draws 4.3% and loses 45.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.8%. It rests on 4.8K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 50.2%, draws 5.3% and loses 44.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 6.1K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 50.7%, draws 5.5% and loses 43.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.5%. It rests on 8.7K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 51.5%, draws 6.6% and loses 41.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.8%. It rests on 8.7K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 53.1%, draws 8.3% and loses 38.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.3%. It rests on 1.9K Lichess games, which average 41 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 50.7%, draws 4.0% and loses 45.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.7%. It rests on 7.6K Lichess games.

What is the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 51.1%, draws 5.6% and loses 43.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.9%. It rests on 23K Lichess games.

What is the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 50.9%, draws 5.9% and loses 43.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.9%. It rests on 5.8K Lichess games.

What is the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 53.5%, draws 6.5% and loses 40.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.8%. It rests on 237 Lichess games.

Is the Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System a good opening?

The Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Réti System is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 51.0% of its games and loses 43.6%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.