Van Geet Opening: what should Black play?

In the Van Geet Opening, Black's most reliable and statistically favored response is d5, immediately seizing space in the center and challenging White's knight on c3. With an engine evaluation of -0.08, d5 is chosen in 45.1% of recorded games (9.05M recorded), giving Black solid control of the central squares. White scores 51.0% from this position, making it an effective choice to equalize early against White's unorthodox first move.

Seizing the Center with d5

The move d5 is the principal recommendation because White's first move, c3, does not prevent Black from occupying the center. By placing a pawn on d5, Black establishes an immediate territorial stake and opens diagonal pathways for both the queen and the light-squared bishop. A standard continuation seen in engine analysis is d5 d4 Nf6 Bf4 Bf5 e3, where both sides proceed with harmonious development and symmetrical control of the center.

Flexible Alternatives

Black can also opt for Nf6, the second most popular choice, appearing in 26.4% of games (5.29M recorded) with an evaluation of +0.01 and a 51.8% scoring rate for White. This continuation often transposes toward open games or King's Pawn structures, illustrated by the variation Nf6 e4 e5 Nf3 Nc6 d4. Wing pawn advances are also playable, such as c5, played in 13.7% of games (2.75M recorded, evaluation +0.22), which yields a 49.6% score for White and can lead to c5 e4 Nc6 Nf3 e5 Bc4. Other viable alternatives include c6, played in 10.3% of games, and the symmetrical Nc6, played in 4.6% of games.