Valencia Opening
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Statistics from Lichess
186,583 games: White 50.6% / Draw 4.0% / Black 45.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 99,44999K | ||
| 24,44424K | ||
| 22,61723K | ||
| 11,69712K | ||
| 10,37410K | ||
| 10,20110K | ||
| 1,7071,707 | ||
| 1,3041,304 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.15 The position is about equal
Best play: 2... Nf6 3. Ngf3 Nc6 4. e4 d5 5. c3 h6 6. exd5 Nxd5 7. Nc4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the better this line does for White: White scores 49% under 1400, 52% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 76K | |
| 1400–1799 | 124K | |
| 1800–2199 | 105K | |
| 2200 and up | 14K | |
| Masters, over the board | 6 |
Master games
- Kadric, D. – Gusain, H.
- Bach, M. – Hammer, J. L.
- Caire, F. – Matin, B.
- Bach, M. – Breier, A.
- Bouhallel, R. – Jossien, R.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Valencia Opening (ECO A00, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Mieses Opening: Reversed Rat, reached after 1. d3 e5 2. Nd2 (2 moves).
In 186,583 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.6%, Black 45.4% and 4.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…d5, in 53% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Valencia Opening
2…Nc6 scores best for Black: 49.5%, with Black winning 47.4% and White 48.4% of 23K games. The most played, 2…d5, scores 47.0% in 99K games, and 2…d6 scores lowest: 45.3%. Stockfish's first choice is 2…Nf6.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
The Valencia Opening has gained ground since 2016: 0.0083% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.0058%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0058% | 2,078 |
| 2017 | 0.0062% | 3,400 |
| 2018 | 0.0071% | 5,580 |
| 2019 | 0.0068% | 8,540 |
| 2020 | 0.0059% | 17,312 |
| 2021 | 0.0066% | 25,900 |
| 2022 | 0.007% | 26,317 |
| 2023 | 0.0074% | 27,813 |
| 2024 | 0.0081% | 29,183 |
| 2025 | 0.0083% | 28,738 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0082% | 8,941 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Valencia Opening (A00)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/valencia-opening