Van Geet Opening: Sicilian Two Knights
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Statistics from Lichess
151,357 games: White 46.3% / Draw 5.1% / Black 48.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 41,14841K | ||
| 32,91033K | ||
| 25,66826K | ||
| 15,54116K | ||
| 13,54314K | ||
| 7,7387,738 | ||
| 5,8335,833 | ||
| 4,8654,865 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.21 The position is about equal
Best play: 4... Nf6 5. e4 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Nd5 Nxd5 8. exd5 Nb8 9. a4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Van Geet Opening: Sicilian Two Knights (ECO A00, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Van Geet Opening, reached after 1. Nc3 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 (4 moves).
In 151,357 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.3%, Black 48.5% and 5.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…g6, in 27% 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: Sicilian Two Knights
4…Nf6 scores best for Black: 53.5%, with Black winning 50.8% and White 43.8% of 33K games. The most played, 4…g6, scores 53.0% in 41K games, and 4…Nxd4 scores lowest: 44.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4…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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Van Geet Opening: Sicilian Two Knights (A00)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/van-geet-opening-sicilian-two-knights