Chessy
Van Geet Opening: Reversed Nimzowitsch – Nf3
You've just faced 1.Nc3 and now 2.Nf3 — the Van Geet Opening in its Reversed Nimzowitsch form. After your accurate reply 2...Nc6, the position is dead level: Stockfish gives +0.22, a tiny edge for White that means nothing in practical play. Across over a million games at this exact moment, you actually outscore White 48.5% to 47.1%. The real test comes now. White has several tempting options, and only one of them is good. Punish the others, and you'll get the advantage. Let's see which moves you should welcome — and why the engine says White must play a certain way to stay equal.
Play the Van Geet Opening: Reversed Nimzowitsch: Nf3 against the engine
Free, no signup — you play black, the engine adapts to your level.
Test your Black defence in the interactive drill below. The engine will play White's best replies, and you can practise punishing the inaccurate moves that club
Create a free account →The Main Idea – What You're Fighting For
After 1.Nc3 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6, you've already claimed the centre with ...e5 and developed a knight to its best square. White's knight on f3 eyes your pawn on e5, but your knight on c6 defends it. The immediate tension is about the d4-square. White would love to play d4 and challenge your centre. If White delays or plays a passive move, you get a comfortable game with more space and easy development. Your plan is simple: keep your central pawn on e5, finish development naturally (Bc5 or Bb4, Nf6, O-O), and if White doesn't challenge you in the centre, you'll end up with a clearly better position.
The Critical Reply – White's Best Chance
Stockfish's top choice is 3.d4, continuing d4 exd4 Nxd4 Nf6. This is the only way White can fight for equality. After the pawn exchange, White's knight goes to d4 and your knight comes to f6 — a symmetrical, balanced position. The engine calls this +0.22, which in practice is nothing for either side. From your perspective, you are completely fine. You've traded your e-pawn but you have active pieces and no weaknesses. If White plays 3.d4, you can be satisfied that you've already navigated the opening's trickiest moment and reached a level middlegame.
Which White Moves to Punish
The statistics reveal a clear pattern: when White plays something other than 3.d4, they score significantly worse. Here are the numbers from the database positions (remember, you are Black):- 3.e4 (most popular, 466,210 games): White scores just 45.8% — meaning you score 54.2%! White transposes into a Vienna Game or King's Gambit set-up, but you're already well-placed.- 3.e3 (72,863 games): White scores 44.0%. This is an inaccuracy; the engine says it loses about 0.8 pawns compared to 3.d4. White blocks their own bishop and leaves you with a comfortable edge.- 3.d3 (56,183 games): White scores just 42.0%. Also an inaccuracy, costing about 0.6 pawns. White plays too passively.- 3.g3 (22,736 games): White scores 43.5%. Another inaccuracy at roughly 0.8 pawns lost. Fianchettoing is too slow.- 3.b3 (11,828 games): White scores only 40.3% — your best result of all. White's queen's bishop goes to b2 where it bites on granite against your e5 pawn.Any of these moves gives you a pleasant position with no risk. Develop, castle, and you'll be pressing.
The One Mistake to Avoid as Black
The good news: you have no known mistakes in this position! All your reasonable moves are fine. The trap to avoid is thinking you need to do something aggressive immediately. If White plays 3.d4, calmly capture with exd4 and put your knight on f6. Don't try to keep the centre closed with ...d6 — that would let White build a strong pawn centre. If White plays any of the weaker moves (e4, e3, d3, g3, b3), your recipe is the same: develop naturally, keep your e5 pawn, and enjoy your space advantage. The most common beginner error here is playing ...d5 too early, opening lines for White's pieces. Let White do the work of challenging your centre.
Results across 1,032,865 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| e4 | 466,210 | 45.8% |
| d4 | 355,153 | 52.6% |
| e3 | 72,863 | 44.0% |
| d3 | 56,183 | 42.0% |
| g3 | 22,736 | 43.5% |
| b3 | 11,828 | 40.3% |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Van Geet Opening a good opening for beginners?
The Van Geet (1.Nc3) is a respectable opening, but as Black you have nothing to fear. The position after 1.Nc3 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 is dead level, and the statistics show Black actually scores slightly better than White across over a million games.
What should Black do if White plays 3.e4?
After 3.e4, you have a comfortable game. Continue developing with Nf6 or Bb4, keeping your pawn on e5. White's position is passive, and you score 54.2% in this line — you're already slightly better.
Does White have any dangerous tricks in this line?
Not really. White's only good move is 3.d4, which leads to a balanced game after d4 exd4 Nxd4 Nf6. Any other move (3.e3, 3.d3, 3.g3, 3.b3) is an inaccuracy that gives you a clear edge with natural play.
What is Black's win rate in this opening?
In the exact position after 1.Nc3 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6, Black wins 48.5% of games, White wins 47.1%, and draws are 4.4%. You actually outscore White from the very start of this line.
How many games feature the Van Geet Opening: Reversed Nimzowitsch: Nf3?
Over 1 million Lichess games have reached the Van Geet Opening: Reversed Nimzowitsch: Nf3 position. White wins 47.1%, Black wins 48.5%, with 4.4% draws — based on real rated games.