Van Geet Opening

The Van Geet Opening, 1. Nc3, brings the queen's knight to its natural square, where it bears on d5 and e4, while leaving open whether White continues with e4 or d4. It is also called the Dunst Opening, after Ted Dunst, as well as the Queen's Knight Opening, the German Linkspringer and, more fancifully, the Sleipnir Opening. It is far less popular than 1. Nf3 for two reasons: the knight obstructs the c-pawn, so c4 is unavailable if the game turns into a queen's pawn structure, and unlike 1. Nf3 against ...e5, it does nothing to stop 1...d5, since the pawn there is protected by the black queen.

1...d5 is the most frequent answer and immediately threatens ...d4, gaining space with tempo against the knight. White can prevent this with 2. d4, reaching a closed game, with 2. Nf3, or with 2. e3. The usual choice is 2. e4, accepting 2...d4 3. Nce2 e5 4. Ng3. After 2. e4 dxe4, White can instead offer material: 3. d3 is the Dunst-Perrenet Gambit, 3. f3 the Dougherty Gambit and 3. Bc4 the Hector Gambit.

1...e5, the Reversed Nimzowitsch, lets White enter the Vienna Game with 2. e4. Players wishing to stay independent choose 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4, the Napoleon Attack, while 2. Nf3 Bc5 is the Billockus-Johansen Gambit. After 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qa4, White obtains a Scandinavian with colors reversed. Against 1...c5, 2. e4 heads for a Closed Sicilian, whereas 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 gives Sicilian-type piece play with the e-pawn still unmoved; 2. d4 cxd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qh4 is the Novosibirsk Variation. The replies 1...Nf6 and 1...Nc6 hand the decision about the center back to White and may later merge with the Vienna Game or a queen's pawn opening. The rare 1...b5 is the Laroche Gambit.

The opening sees most use in blitz, where White is content to let Black's reply determine whether the game becomes an e4 or d4 structure. FM Asa Hoffman built much of his career on 1. Nc3, and a game from 1804 in this opening is attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte. The engine considers the position after 1. Nc3 roughly balanced, and in online play the results are close to even, with White marginally ahead.