After 3 c4 e6 4 Nc3 black seems to typically go b6, Bb7 while waiting for d4. This apparently ends up in a symmetrical english set up after 5/6 d4 - I guess white can probably delay this to say play Bd3 -> c2 if so inclined. Perhaps black can force d5 through?

3 c4 can also be met in a few other ways - 3 .. d6 ^ Bg4 & in particular 3 .. Nc6 ^ e5 and camping on d4 are covered in the book. 3 ..Nc6 at least seems quite likely to oblidge 4 d4.

I do think that 3 Nc3 is a real problem on some level - unless some independent line like 3 .. b5 ^ 4 d4 e6 holds up black has just allowed 3 c3/c4 for no reason compared to 2 .. e6. I guess white can't get the specific 5 Bd3 Kan Hedgehog lines this way.

[quote]1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6 3.c4 e6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 is the same as 
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.c4 Nf6. 
It is also the most important reason I never tried the O'Kelly.[/quote]

I'm getting a bit confused here. Irrespective of the status of the 3 d4/5 ...e5 line (which I assume is what SevenSpheres is talking about), I'd always thought that the transpositional line given above by MNb is a perfectly decent Kan for Black (6 Nc3 Bb4 =) but that, in the 2 ...a6 3 c4 move order, White might be able advantageously to delay d2--d4, e.g. 3 ...e6 4 Nc3 Qc7 5 Be2 Nf6 6 0-0 Nc6 7 d4 cd 8 Nd4 Bb4 9 Bg5!? (this can also be reached via 1 c4 c5). Am I wrong/out of date here? Of course, Black needn't play 8 ...Bb4 (which often doesn't go with ...Nc6?) here, nor indeed 4 ...Qc7. Is 4 ...Nc6 better? What happens on 5 Be2? Like I say, confused!

MartinC wrote on 04/27/07 at 10:23:31:


I don't buy this.  3. c3 d5  4. exd5 Qxd5 5. d4 and I'm playing a 2. c3 Sicilain plus your ...a6 and my ...Nf3.  I'll take that trade any day.   
Never would I play 3. d4.

That's interesting, thanks. But how does Black handle the position after the 'traditional' 'refutation' 3 c4, and what might have caused the assessment of this as clearly a bit better for White to be revised?

[quote]All is not so clear - see the Dangerous Weapons book on the Sicilian for the details. [/quote]

I'd read this online somewhere before I saw this comment. Could anyone offer brief illumination, for those of us without DW?

All is not so clear - see the Dangerous Weapons book on the Sicilian for the details.

Ahhh the O'Kelley......a back up variation that I like to use every now and again.

5...Nxe4, or am I falling for some hideous trap? I wonder if you've posted the right moves?