Van Geet Opening: Napoleon Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
278,719 games: White 55.7% / Draw 5.1% / Black 39.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 212,618213K | ||
| 33,73134K | ||
| 11,72512K | ||
| 5,6495,649 | ||
| 4,6454,645 | ||
| 2,9012,901 | ||
| 2,2592,259 | ||
| 1,5491,549 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 5, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.16 The position is about equal
Best play: 3... exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Bg5 Bb4 6. Nxc6 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 bxc6 8. e3
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 52% under 1400, 59% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 369K | |
| 1400–1799 | 258K | |
| 1800–2199 | 135K | |
| 2200 and up | 23K | |
| Masters, over the board | 222 |
Master games
- Ivanchuk, V. – Anand, V.
- Firouzja, A. – Vidit, S.
- Vitiugov, N. – Wang, H.
- Andreikin, D. – Kryvoruchko, Y.
- Lu Shanglei – Wang Yue
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
Van Geet Opening: Napoleon Attack (ECO A00, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Van Geet Opening: Reversed Nimzowitsch, reached after 1. Nc3 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 (3 moves).
In 278,719 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 55.7%, Black 39.2% and 5.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…exd4, in 76% 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 Van Geet Opening: Napoleon Attack
The most played answer, 3…exd4, also scores best for Black: 42.3%, with Black winning 39.6% and White 55.0% of 213K games. Of the main answers, 3…e4 scores lowest: 41.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 3…exd4.
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 Van Geet Opening: Napoleon Attack is played less than half as often as in 2016: 0.0098% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.021%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.021% | 7,461 |
| 2017 | 0.019% | 10,684 |
| 2018 | 0.015% | 12,058 |
| 2019 | 0.011% | 14,086 |
| 2020 | 0.011% | 30,887 |
| 2021 | 0.011% | 41,168 |
| 2022 | 0.01% | 38,820 |
| 2023 | 0.0098% | 36,767 |
| 2024 | 0.01% | 36,518 |
| 2025 | 0.0098% | 34,013 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0098% | 10,746 |
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. “Van Geet Opening: Napoleon Attack (A00)”. Lichess data as of 5 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/van-geet-opening-napoleon-attack